by Roy Harryman
Two local churches are joining forces and merging memberships to make agreater impact in Cass County and beyond.
Manna Fellowship Church, of Belton, and CrossPointe Baptist Church, located at M-291 and 58 Highway, just east of Raymore, have formed a partnership that officially began Sunday, February 5th.
CrossPointe, in Cass County since 2008, has a 60-year heritage in the Kansas City area and was originally founded by Pastor Parker Dailey as Blue Ridge Baptist Temple in South Kansas City. Manna Fellowship is a church plant launched in 2015.
The churches’ lead pastors have a decades-long friendship and had already been working together since Manna Fellowship recently opened its doors in Belton. Rick Friesen is the lead pastor of Manna Fellowship. Bill Boren is the lead pastor of CrossPointe.
“Bill and I had a longtime friendship and we had a growing sense that we could do more together than apart,” said Friesen. “It came down to, ‘Why not?’ We believe God is in this and we will be able to serve the community in a greater way.”
Boren expressed optimism about the impact of the churches uniting.
“I’m excited about our future,” he said. “By partnering we are able to do more together than apart. I believe the best is yet to come.”
The combined churches will meet at the current CrossPointe location, 17324 S MO-291, Pleasant Hill, MO 64080, and will be known as Manna Fellowship Church: A Crosspointe Ministry. Friesen will serve as lead pastor and Boren as care pastor. Other church staff members will continue in their current roles.
“Together, we want to elevate God in our community through encouraging families, providing a safe learning environment for kids, serving the needs of Cass County and sharing God’s message of hope with everyone,” Friesen said. “It starts in Cass County, but we want to continue works of mercy that have already begun around the world. As the book of Ecclesiastes says in the Bible, ‘Two are better than one.’”
Brother Bill, it is very good to see your name after so many years of being apart! I am Dr. Doug Quick, served briefly on brother Dailey’s staff, perhaps early Spring of 1976?
Brother Dailey’s phone states an inability to ring through. How is he and Mrs. Dailey? I have kept in contact with him through the years. Let me hear from you at your convenience. Thank you much. I can be reached at 912-288-4568
Dr. Quick, I will forward your message to someone that may be able to contact Brother Bill. Thank you!