Leadership

Leadership

Fr. Justin Read-Smith

Rector and Mother Abbess

Father Justin and Mother Liz Read-Smith moved, with their family, to Missoula in 2011 to “parachute drop” a church plant into a community, now the Community of Saint Columba. Their heart was to form, with the Lord’s help, a community of Jesus followers who are passionate about others coming to know Jesus, rooted in the classical Anglican tradition and living on mission to the world. They continue to pastor and teach their community of Christ believers in growing in their identity of the Lord through relationship with others, study, prayer, and worship. They also hope to grow further Anglican communities in the region.

Liz and Fr. Justin spent several years with Youth With a Mission (YWAM) in a number of nations as they gained their Biblical Studies degrees.

Fr. Justin earned his Master of Divinity (MDiv) from Regent College in 2007 and was ordained and served in London, England. Fr. Justin is the rector of the Community of Saint Columba and Dean of the Rocky Mountain deanery (DWA).

In their spare time they enjoy being outside in this incredible region with their children John, Nat, Katie, and James, and with Bishop their GSP. They also love taking time to talk and share stories over a good meal or on a mountain trail.

Fr. Joshua Mahar

Associate Priest

Pacific Northwest natives, Fr. Joshua and Sarah Mahar followed a call to relocate their family to Missoula, MT to join in the work of building the Community of Saint Columba and support the ongoing formation of the regional minster and future diocese. Fr. Joshua holds two Masters of Arts from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary: Old Testament and Biblical Languages. He was ordained a priest in June of 2018, and began his curacy at the Community of Saint Columba in September of the same year. He and Sarah met doing music ministry at the age of 19. They married in 2003 and have 3 children: Ainsley, Liam, and Ewan. In his spare time, Fr. Joshua loves reading, hiking, brewing cider, and tending his small backyard apple orchard.

Fr. Harman Thomas

Pastor of Family and Youth Discipleship

Fr. Harman hails from Appalachia, where he was born and went to college in the mountains of East Tennessee. Since the ripe age of four, Fr. Harman has felt a call to invite those who haven’t known it into the truth, goodness, and beauty of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Fr. Harman obtained his BS in Psychology at the University of Tennessee – Chattanooga in 2013 and his Master of Divinity (MDiv) at Regent College in 2019, and he was ordained to the priesthood in 2020. He is passionate about the ministries of enchantment and catechesis, and enjoys reading, fishing, hiking, cooking and writing in his spare time. He also really enjoys chatting over coffee, so he would love to hear your story and what God is up to in your life!