1961-Present
Judson Baptist Church
Kansas City, Kansas KS
A new American Baptist Church on the western side of Kansas City, Kansas, was conceived by members of the First Baptist Church of KCKS in 1957. The Missouri River Baptist Association purchased and donated 4 acres to begin the church on State Avenue and 83rd Street. The first services were held in a home under the leadership of pastor Ralph Belnap until the new building was finished in May 1961. First services in the new building were held on March 19, 1961, with 73 in church school and 101 in worship. The charter membership list was closed on January 21, 1962, with exactly 100 Charter Members.[1]
In September 1965, Rev. George Snyder was called as pastor to replace Rev. Belnap who had resigned to move to Ohio. Two years later the church participated in the Heart of America Crusade led by Billy Graham. Rev. Snyder resigned in 1971 and Rev. James F. Rozmus was called to be the third pastor of Judson. Rev. Rozmus moved to Arizona in 1975 and Rev. John Clark, a student at Central Seminary, was called to be the pastor a role he has filled for 43 years. August 27, 1976, Pastor Clark married Ruth Heidner, a William Jewell College graduate and excellent pianist who had a calling to be a pastor’s wife.
Highlights over the past half century include:[2]
- 1978. A second Billy Graham Crusade with pastor John Clark serving on the counseling committee and wife, Ruth Clark, as chair of the children’s counselors.
- December 16, 1979. A new Sunday School attendance record with 203 present.
- December, 1986, church membership was 389 with 193 active members.
- December, 1992, reports that through the P.E.W.S. visitation program, 38 people have come into membership at Judson.
- March 20, 1994, a dedication service was held for the New Fellowship Hall and the Christian Education Wing. By the end of the year church membership had grown to 509 with 271 active members. Average Sunday School attendance was 172.
- October, 1996, the drama ministry of the congregation presented “The Life and Times of Adoniram Judson”. By the end of that year there were 525 members with 225 active members.
- 2012-2013 Pastor’s wife, Ruth Clark, served as President to American Baptist Churches, USA.
Judson Baptist Church in Kansas City, KS, continues to thrive with a full slate of worship, educational and missions ministries.
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[1] “The Chartering Service for the Judson Baptist Church (Mission)”, Church bulletin, July 1, 1962.
[2] A Brief History of Judson Baptist Church, unpublished manuscript available from the congregation, 1997. Pp. 4-17.