Graduate Spotlight: Noel Chittenden, B.A. in Intercultural Ministry & World Christianity

Now that the dust of graduation has settled, The Lagniappe will feature profiles of Montana Bible College's 2026 graduates over the next several months. Enjoy this peek at who God is sending into the world from MBC!

What do Alaska, Spain, and Iceland have in common? Not much, except that each proved to be fertile ground for nurturing Montana Bible College graduate Noel Chittenden’s heart for others and passion for overseas missions. 

In May 2026, Noel was the first graduate in MBC’s new Intercultural Ministry & World Christianity bachelor’s degree program. Throughout her time at MBC, she was involved in a campus ministry at nearby Montana State University that gave her the opportunity to go on short-term mission trips to Alaska, Spain, and Iceland.  

“Through those trips, I found a love for other cultures and a desire to be involved with them and work within them,” Noel said. 

As Noel turns her tassel and looks toward the future, she took some time to share with me her journey toward missions’ work, some treasured MBC memories, and her learnings about the importance of being “open-handed” when following Jesus. 

Q: How has the education you received at MBC equipped you for your God-given calling in overseas missions?  

A: I have learned so much about theology, world religions, and what Christianity looks like around the world. I believe the study of those specific topics has equipped me for ministry, in the States as well as overseas. Most importantly, my time at MBC has given me a desire to be a lifelong learner, whatever that may look like, and I believe that is valuable in overseas missions. 

Montana Bible College graduate Noel Chittenden, second from left, converses with students while on a short-term mission trip in Spain.

Q: Why is intercultural ministry important to you? 

A: Missions are important to me because I see God’s heart for the world and His desire for every person to know, love, and follow Him. As a believer, I am called to share Christ with those around me, here in the States and overseas, wherever He leads me. 

Q: Was there a moment you realized you wished to be an overseas missionary?  

A: I wouldn’t say there was a specific moment when I realized missions was something I wanted to pursue. It was more of a gradual learning and curiosity in the topic, which resulted in a desire to go overseas and serve in full-time ministry. 

Q: Overseas missions is the desire, but for now you’re stateside while your husband finishes his degree. Are you currently involved in ministry?, 

A: I started working in church ministry at the beginning of my junior year, and I am still working there today! Although my degree is in missions, I currently work in children’s ministry, which can be considered a mission field as well. I have worked with these kids for almost four years and gotten to see so many of them grow in their understanding of the gospel and their relationship with the Lord. I love this ministry, I love these kids, and I am confident this is where the Lord wants me in this season of my life. 

Montana Bible College 2026 graduate Noel Chittenden displays the dinosaur bone she discovered, excavated, and plastered during the 2024 MBC Dino Dig paleontology intensive.

Q: Do you have any favorite memories from your time at Montana Bible College? 

A: It is so hard to choose one memory! During my sophomore year in Bozeman, I lived with some of my best friends, and sharing every aspect of life with them was so fun. I also spent a lot of time with friends at the rock-climbing gym next door.  

One memory I have loved over the years is going to graduation every year and celebrating with my friends who had finished, and now, this year, attending my own, it’s such a special and memorable day. 

Q: What do you anticipate your future ministry will look like in the coming years? 

A: I thought by now I would have my future figured out, that the path would be clear, and the steps would be simple. I have learned that my future is not my own, but the Lord’s, and I am still learning to follow His leading. One thing I learned over the last few years is to have open hands, to be waiting and willing for whatever God has planned. That is my goal, open hands. 

And what a wise goal and outlook on life for any recent college graduate. In fact, no matter where a Christian is in their walk with God, they can rest in the knowledge that He’s leading them by the hand to whatever is next in His plan. For Noel, that plan is to serve in missions, and I have no doubt she will continue to love others and share Jesus with them, no matter where He leads her in the future.

Want to support the growth and equipping of students like Noel? Visit our GIVE page to find out how.