ARCHIE – Fellowship Church, Greenwood, launched as a legacy church plant in 2011 as the first campus of Lenexa Baptist Church, with a donated facility and a handful of dedicated people. MBC president and Fellowship Greenwood senior pastor Chris Williams says that through a major team effort of dozens of people, the church has grown into a thriving and growing ministry for all generations, creatively fulfilling their mission to make disciples.
The church became autonomous in 2018 and set its sights on planting other churches, launching the Raymore campus in 2019. Then in 2021, they learned about First Baptist Church, Archie, through the Resound Network (a Missouri Baptist Convention movement of revitalized and replanted churches).
“FBC Archie was in a very similar spot to many churches in our society,” Williams said about the church that was located fifty miles south of Kansas City. “A once alive, growing church was down to about 30 people – wonderful, Spirit-filled, Jesus-loving people who were primarily 65-plus. There were less than five kids on a regular Sunday. Great folks who wanted the Lord to move, but needed a new strategy, an influx of life, a jumpstart of gospel health.”
Shortly thereafter, Williams said they learned that Merwin Community Church (MCC) – located about twenty minutes away in Amsterdam – had the opposite need. They had too many people for the building they were in.
“They were a thriving, young church of about 120 that was out of space,” Williams said. “We had been praying for the Lord to give us a second boost after our initial launch, and they needed more space. We believed we could do more together.”
The MCC congregation moved into the building that FBC Archie had been meeting in, bringing approximately 150 people (including more than 30 from another nearby church that was struggling) with them to form what is now known as Christ Fellowship Church, Archie.
Casey Luther was the pastor at MCC for four years and is now the CFC Archie pastor. Luther and his wife, Beth, live in Amsterdam with their daughter, Micah.
On June 4, 2023, the replant launched with 230-plus people from across the generations. Williams says the kids’ wing is full, and some days, the church is standing room only. According to Williams, “It is becoming a gospel magnet in that part of Cass County.”
Williams stresses the importance of focusing on a multi-generational approach.
“It is crucial that we reach everyone in a community,” Williams said. “If we fail to reach the next generation, the church will not be long for that community. Much time, effort, resources and prayers are given to our next generation ministries, all the while serving all ages.”
CFC Archie is focused specifically on discipleship to reach the next generation.
“There are a couple of passages that we take very seriously,” Luther said. “One of them being the Great Commission [Matthew 28:19-20], teaching the next generation and baptizing them.”
He also cited Ephesians 4:12–13 about equipping of the saints, 2 Timothy 2:1–2, where Luther says Paul’s words are directed at discipling multiple generations, and Deuteronomy 6:4–7, which stresses the importance of teaching and discipling children.
They live out these biblical principles of discipleship in practical ways.
“We have Sunday morning gatherings, and then we have Bible studies and meals in peoples’ homes,” Luther said. “And we’re intentionally training up other guys and elders so we can plant some churches going forward in our local area and association because there’s a lot of dying churches.”
Luther says his church wants to be a people who has the utmost confidence in the authority and sufficiency of Scripture, then walks by and is filled with the Holy Spirit, teaching other people to do the same.
“Let’s love God,” Luther said in summary. “Let’s do what He says. And let the chips fall where they may, even if it costs us our lives.”