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In Kansas City, One Plus One Equals One
KANSAS CITY, MO (June 14, 2002) - Parishioners from First Covenant Church and an
area bi-racial congregation have combined to begin a new congregation
called City Church, which has grown into a congregation of more than 120 in
recent months under Pastor Bernard Franklin.
The merger has resulted in the formalizing of a three-pronged church
planting effort with cooperation from Hillcrest Covenant Church in Prairie
Village, Kansas, the Midwest Conference and the Department of Church Growth
and Evangelism of the Evangelical Covenant Church. City Church meets at the
site of First Covenant Church, which merged its congregation with Hillcrest
Covenant last November.
First Covenant Church, a congregation founded in 1887, began to make
inroads into its neighborhood through a nonprofit group organized with the
help of Hillcrest Covenant. Through Westport Bethany Fellowship, the church
started a technological lab, a library, tutoring program and a coffeehouse
ministry, among other things. Hillcrest Covenant, founded in 1961 with the
help of First Covenant, had invested numerous resources into Westport's
ministry as a way to make inroads into the urban community.
Two years ago, First Covenant had an average worship attendance of 57,
according to Covenant Yearbook statistics. A year later, however, it
became apparent that the lack of resources at First Covenant would make it
difficult to continue to operate the community programs. By then, First
Covenant Pastor Kevin David had become friends with William Adams, the
urban director of Urban Young Life in Kansas. Adams knew Franklin, a
previous dean of students at the University of Kansas who was pastor of
nearby Hope Family Life Center. Franklin's congregation was meeting at a
local college.
Hillcrest Covenant Church and Associate Senior Pastor Stan Olsen were in
regular dialogue with First Covenant and helped significantly with various
First Covenant ministries. Olsen became acquainted with Franklin and the
idea of merging First Covenant's congregation with Franklin's church became
a reality, albeit in a unique
fashion.
In November 2001, after David took a position at the Evangelical Covenant
Church in Springfield, Massachusetts, First Covenant formally merged its
membership and resources into Hillcrest Covenant Church. At Hillcrest's
annual celebration dinner, the First Covenant membership was formally
recognized as new members of Hillcrest Covenant.
"First Covenant's leadership felt they needed to strengthen their ability
to continue to minister to the community and requested that Hillcrest
consider merger as the way to facilitate the process," said Olsen.
Conversations with Franklin, David and Olsen led to the concept of
re-planting the ministry at the site of First Covenant.
For more information about the new church and its ministries, call Franklin
at 816-561-5790.
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