Meet Our Staff
Who We Are
Our Team & Leadership
Pastor Raully Donahue –
Pastor
Raully Donahue is the new pastor at First Presbyterian. After too many years of living in the flatlands of the Midwest, he is thrilled to move back to his home state of Montana. During his time back East, Raully completed a Ph.D. in modern European history at the University of Notre Dame where he had the honor to be one of Mark Noll’s first graduate students. Afterwards Raully felt a call to ministry and finished his theological training at Western Theological Seminary.
Raully chose to accept the call at FPC because he cares deeply about local congregations that are rooted in their community. He was also attracted by the spiritual depth of the congregation as well as its deep, welcoming care that its members have for one another. Over and over again in the interview process he heard stories about how the members of FPC love one another, and now he and his family get to experience that firsthand.
As a pastor Raully is always available for coffee, conversation or counseling, whether or not you happen to attend First Presbyterian. Sometimes people just need a person to talk to, or they have a particular question that has been weighing them down. If you can’t find him at the local coffeehouse in the afternoon, you can call the office to schedule time to talk.
As a person, he loves coffee, conversation, a good book, board games and the hapless sports teams of Chicago.
As a preacher, Raully’s primary aim is to deliver a sermon that brings the Bible to life for people at different stages of their faithwalk. While some speakers often try to cultivate a persona or to preach their personal preferences, worship at First Presbyterian strives to engage deeply with Scripture while empowering the individual to see the Word more clearly and more personally. It isn’t about charisma or the personal preferences of the pastor; its about the grace of God and the integrity of the Word. If you are looking for a church home, please come give us a try.
Alma Ramlow –
Music Director
Alma was born in Pasadena, California. She lived in eight different towns between North Dakota, Montana, Alaska and Washington, all places where her Dad pastored churches. Alma is the oldest of four children. She began playing the piano for church at the age of nine and never stopped.
Alma graduated from East Anchorage High School in 1971 and from Seattle Pacific University in 1976 with a B.A. in Elementary Music Education. She and her husband, Jim, met in Whitefish and were married in 1978. …
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They added Bruce to their family in 1992 and Hugh in 1995.
Many good opportunities to play piano for worship and to accompany choirs and singers have come Alma’s way. She feels blessed to serve as music director at First Presbyterian Church since 2014, rehearsal accompanist for Glacier Chorale, an accompanist at Flathead Valley Community College and accompanist for Whitefish High School and Whitefish Middle School choirs.
Alma Ramlow –
Music Director
Alma was born in Pasadena, California. She lived in eight different towns between North Dakota, Montana, Alaska and Washington, all places where her Dad pastored churches. Alma is the oldest of four children. She began playing the piano for church at the age of nine and never stopped.
Alma graduated from East Anchorage High School in 1971 and from Seattle Pacific University in 1976 with a B.A. in Elementary Music Education. She and her husband, Jim, met in Whitefish and were married in 1978. …
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They added Bruce to their family in 1992 and Hugh in 1995.
Many good opportunities to play piano for worship and to accompany choirs and singers have come Alma’s way. She feels blessed to serve as music director at First Presbyterian Church since 2014, rehearsal accompanist for Glacier Chorale, an accompanist at Flathead Valley Community College and accompanist for Whitefish High School and Whitefish Middle School choirs.
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Lisa continued to lead and teach Sunday school, volunteer taught refugee children in Turkey, and taught bible classes in the schools in Auckland. Lisa and her family moved back to Seattle for 11 years. During that time Lisa got a degree in Special Education and taught preschool and elementary age children with Autism. With every move they found a wonderful group of believers to call “family. Church has always been an integral part of their lives.
Lisa and her husband Bryan moved to Whitefish in 2019 to be closer to family. She feels very blessed to have found part-time work at FPC doing what she loves and helping kids grow in their faith. In her free time, she enjoys golfing, hiking, working out, gardening, painting and getting together with friends.
Nichole Grant –
Office Manager
Nichole Grant is happy to have found her Church Home in First Presbyterian Church Whitefish. She and her husband, Mason, decided to settled in Whitefish in 2019 after Mason retired from the US Navy.
They have two boys, Jack and Chase, who have found their love of skiing and rock climbing since moving here. Nichole grew up in a rural farming and mining community in northern New York. She has a degree in Biology …
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and enjoyed being a middle school science teacher before moving around the country due to her husband’s career. As a family they enjoy skiing, mountain biking, camping and traveling. Nichole also has a passion for gardening and hiking. You will find her in the church office Tuesday- Friday from 9-1. Stop in to say hi or with any questions you may have.
Deacons & Elders –
The Elders of the church are commissioned to be spiritual leaders of our congregation.
The Deacons of the church are commissioned to care for the physical, social and spiritual needs of the congregation.
Elders and Deacons are members of the congregation and elected by the congregation to serve.
For more information on either or if you’d like to serve please reach out to info@fpcwhitefish.org.
301 Central Avenue
Whitefish, MT 59937
PHONE:
(406) 862-2802
EMAIL:
info@fpcwhitefish.org
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