Unity Rises From Ashes: How Billings Churches Transform Hate Into Hope

When Pastor Amy Carter arrived at Mayflower Congregational Church that Saturday morning, she never expected to find her sanctuary transformed into a crime scene.

The West End church's exterior wall bore six swastikas and offensive language sprayed in red paint, marking what would become a defining moment for the faith community.

The December attack shattered more than just the congregation's sense of security.

Within hours, however, something extraordinary began to unfold across Billings that would redefine how the community responds to hate.

Support for Mayflower poured in quickly, as neighbors stopped by to check on church leaders, and volunteers helped scrub the graffiti using a powerful cleaning solution called "Elephant Snot" donated by Joe Stout, director of the Downtown Billings Business Improvement District.

What emerged was far more powerful than the original act of vandalism.

Sunday's service welcomed roughly 15 visitors from Congregation Beth Aaron standing in solidarity, including Mayor-elect Mike Nelson.

The interfaith response didn't stop there.

Flowers arrived from a local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ward, while an anonymous donor left a stuffed panda outside the church door.

Pastor Simon Bergen of Wayman Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church knows this feeling well.

The historic South Side church experienced its own challenges when three stained-glass windows were vandalized last month.

But Bergen's congregation chose a different path than pressing charges.

They didn't believe the vandalism was targeted or motivated by hate, but rather connected to someone struggling with mental health, and after prayer, Bergen said it didn't sit well with him to press charges.

The business community stepped up immediately.

Grizzly Glass donated temporary windows to replace plywood coverings, while Susan Kennedy Sommerfeld of Kennedy's Stained Glass offered to help create new stained glass windows.

Historic preservation efforts are now underway for Wayman Chapel.

The congregation is working to have the building listed as a historic site, a designation that could unlock funding for much-needed repairs, with Kate Hampton from the Montana State Historic Preservation Office in Missoula assisting with their process.

This isn't Billings' first confrontation with organized hate.

The incident comes 30 years after the original Not In Our Town documentary was broadcast on PBS, documenting how Billings citizens stood up for their neighbors after a wave of racist and antisemitic violence in December 1993.

Communities like Billings have a whole history of rising up to combat hate and discrimination, starting with the Not In Our Town back in the 90's.

Police Chief Rich St. John took a firm stance on the recent attacks.

"Let me be clear: the swastikas and hateful rhetoric painted on the walls of a place of worship were not just acts of vandalism. They are an attack on members of our community, an attempt to intimidate, and a symbol of violence and oppression, and have no place in our community," St. John wrote.

The vandalism extends beyond Mayflower and Wayman Chapel.

Grace United Methodist Church has seen repeated incidents since June, including destroyed pride flags and signs just last week, with their congregation facing vandalism for years for their openness towards the LGBTQ+ community.

Yet faith leaders remain remarkably resilient.

Carter expressed a willingness to engage in dialogue with the vandals, saying, "I would love to meet them. I would love to know why they did this and why they have a problem with who we are. And if they're open to it, have some kind of dialog. So we could come to an understanding because I think that's what we need to do".

The message from both congregations remains clear: love conquers hate in the Magic City.

Church members are emphasizing a message of love, with one member sharing hopes for the community: "I want to invite the community to celebrate this season with love. That's what I want for all of us. It's important. It really is. If we loved each other, none of this would have happened".

The investigation continues as police are urging anyone with information on the vandalism to call Billings police at 406-657-8200.