Non-denominational
We were formerly located at 5400 Rinker Rd, Kansas City, MO. We have purchased the property listed above, and are now in the process of completely renovating the interior. We are meeting temporarily at the Lee's Summit Fire Fighter's Association Union Hall, at 322 SE Douglas in Lee's Summit.
Interview Q&A
How long have you been in business?
Grace Community Church was formally incorporated as a not-for-profit in 1949, but existed as a group since the 1930s, meeting in a schoolhouse, and first purchased property and built a meeting place in prior to that, in 1944.
How did you first become interested in your line of business? (if owner) - What is your background? (If owner or store manager)
I first felt a call upon my heart to minister when I was about 12 or 13. At that point, it was actually an odd notion to me. I was a kid. That was a someday, far-in-the-future, almost unreal thing. But I believed then that the Lord has spoken to my heart. That call was repeated years later, in the spring of 1969, when I was 21. I had left spiritual things behind and gone my own way for several years, and finally realized that I needed to turn around. After I began to yield to the Lord, He once again spoke very clearly to my heart that He had a ministry in mind for me. That ministry did not begin, in the full-time sense, until the fall of 1975 when I became the pastor of Grace Community Church.
How do you differentiate yourself from other businesses in your category and area?
We are non-denominational, believing that there is nothing in the scripture that ordains or justifies an organized power structure controlling or coordinating local assemblies. We are certainly in fellowship with other likeminded congregations, and as a pastor, I seek counsel from other pastors when the need arises, but we have no hierarchy not ordained by the Bible.
On a more personal level, I am not an entrepreneurial pastor; my aim is not to build up numbers or physical structures, but to build up hearts through Bible teaching. I am a Bible teacher, pure and simple. While we do have activities for children and young people, church dinners, etc., we really have no other emphasis other than worship and Bible teaching.
What type of payments do you accept?
Those who wish to give offerings will have to used cash or a check. We've not yet moved into credit card or debit card transactions (and probably never will).
Which areas do you service?
We serve people who drive from as far away as Ottawa, Kansas to the south; Hamilton, MO. to the north; Lawrence, KS to the west; and the Odessa and Kingsville areas to the east. We don't set a geographical boundary.
Who owns your company or runs daily operations?
The business of the church is administered by a board of 5 people. They make all business decisions with input from the pastor, but the pastor (by his own choice) does not occupy a place on the board or vote on issues upon which the board must make a decision.
In spiritual matters, the pastor preaches, teaches, and offers counsel based upon what he sees in the scripture. The board does not dictate or otherwise seek to influence his conducting of the spiritual business of the church.
What are your hours of operation?
Sunday morning: 10:00 AM. Sunday school and the preaching service are conducted simultaneously.
Sunday evening: 7:00 PM
Wednesday evening: 7:45 This is our Bible study night, at which we study through various books of the Bible or, occasionally, some specific area of Bible teaching.
What is the best compliment anyone can give you?
That the truth is being taught, that Christ is being glorified, and that the Holy Spirit is being given free course.
What is your favorite quote or Bible verse?
I have way too many favorites to narrow it down to just one. For starters: Micah 7:8; John 5:24, 8:32; Romans 4:5, 8:28; I Corinthians 1:30-31, 13:13; II Corinthians 3:5, 5:21; Galatians 2:20-21, 5:1, 6:14; and, well, where do I stop? Right there I suppose. The list is really just too long, and then each favorite is tied to other passages that I then want to list. It is probably best just to say that the Bible is my favorite writing.
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