Montana’s Pathfinder Bible Experience this year wasn’t the usual nail-biting, breath-holding competition to determine the best clubs.
Pathfinders began their study of 2 Samuel several months ago — their competitors, two days before the event or not at all.
Two teams from the Gallatin Grizzlies Pathfinder Club, based in Bozeman, were in full dress uniforms including scarfs and colorful sashes — their competitors, well, variations of “Sabbath afternoon attire.”
These competitors included a team of Mount Ellis Academy (MEA) students. A team of local pastors — Barry Curtis, Rollin Hixson, Jim Jenkins, Stacey Smith and Jeremiah Rich, Gallatin Grizzlies Pathfinder club leader, participated along with a team representing Montana Conference staff, including Merlin Knowles, president; Laryssa Barlow, administrative assistant; Barry Taylor, church ministries and ministerial director; Donna Wagner, prayer ministry coordinator; and Bruce Lane, MEA principal.
The questions began — some requiring four or five answers. Scribes for all five teams wrote furiously for the allotted 10 seconds.
Pathfinders shared high fives when their answers were correct and groans and sighs when they’d written down a wrong response. Conference team members were rather stoic throughout. MEA students cheered for their correct answers. The team of pastors? “Great rejoicing and exultation” for a correct answer.
At the end, the Gallatin Grizzlies Team A shared first place with the conference staff. The team of pastors received second place, and the Grizzlies Team B shared third place with MEA’s student team.
It was a day of friendship and fellowship — with a bit of competition thrown in for good measure. As Knowles concluded in his benediction, "Thank you for the knowledge we learned and for showing us more that we need to learn."
It was a day of friendship, fellowship and good competition for Montana's Pathfinder Bible Experience.
