BR-KC Approves 4 Diverse Churches for Membership
April 8th was a record-breaking night for BR-KC. The Credentials Committee of BR-KC recommended a record number of churches for membership at the Spring Semi-Annual Meeting hosted by The Church at Three Trails in Independence. The motion, presented by Pastor Welby Jones, Chairman of the Credentials Committee, unanimously approved these four churches. The diversity of these four churches is truly amazing.
Wellspring Fellowship
We approved Wellspring Fellowship, a house-based church which seeks to multiply disciples and house groups through everyday discipleship. Their family-oriented approach seeks to disciple the whole family by involving them in ministry and mission through practical experience and service.
Contact: Brad Parrish [email protected]
Website: https://www.facebook.com/wellspringfellowship/
African Baptist Church
On the other end of the spectrum was the African Baptist Church made up of several recent immigrants from east Africa who have settled along Independence Avenue in downtown Kansas City. Pastor Dany Byamungu immigrated here seven years ago after being released from a refugee camp in Africa. The Lord continued to pursue and burden him to serve as a pastor until he finally surrendered to that call. He was ordained to the gospel ministry in 2013 in our Multi-Ethnic Church Planting Center, based in Primera Iglesia Palabra Viva. The church currently meets in Central Baptist Church on Independence Avenue.
Contact: [email protected]
Raintree Community Church
Also approved was Raintree Community Church, which was previously not affiliated as a Southern Baptist church. They called Ryan Gilbert, a long-time Southern Baptist and graduated of Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary, as their pastor. Ryan has led the church to see the value of belonging to a larger faith family and cooperating with others for greater Kingdom impact.
Contact: 816-537-8111
Website: raintreecommunitychurch.com/
Three Trails Community Church
Lastly, we approved a new church plant, Three Trails Community Church, which is just beginning to develop their core leadership team and meet regularly. The church is currently meeting at Martin City Baptist Church which has agreed to share their building with the launching church plant. Pastor Blake Fortner brings his missionary heart to the church plant. As a former missionary in Ethiopia, he desires to plant a multi-ethnic church that reaches all people groups in South Kansas City. He wants the church to look like heaven as the John the Apostle saw it in the Revelation: where every nation, tongue and tribe are giving praise to the Lamb of God on the throne.
Contact: [email protected]
Website: https://www.facebook.com/pg/threetrailscommunity
Supporting These New Member Churches
We feel blessed and happy to have these churches in the BR-KC family and hope you’ll take time to welcome these new pastors and their churches into the Association. They may need ministry partners, prayer, financial and material support that your church could provide through a strategic partnership with them.
