By Grover V. Terry
The Kansas State Association is one of the newer and smaller ones within the National Association of Free Will Baptists. The modern work in the state began in the early 1950s, spear-headed by a small group of people, most from Arkansas.
It is impossible, to tell the story of Free Will Baptists in Kansas, however, without making at least passing mention of the old Kansas-Nebraska yearly meeting, which was part of the northern line of Free Will Baptists (the Randall movement) before those Free Will Baptists merged into the Northern Baptist Convention in 1910-11.
Under the leadership of John Wolfe, the Kansas-Nebraska Yearly Meeting resisted the merger and maintained its identity as Free Will Baptist. Mr. Wolfe and those who followed him were very active in the years following 1911 in efforts to regather and reorganize Free Will Baptists. But the work in Kansas and Nebraska gradually dwindled after Mr. Wolfe’s death. For this reason, the present work in Kansas is unconnected to the former Free Will Baptist presence in the state.
New Beginnings
Rev. Dave Casteel and Rev. Jack Ledbetter are credited for establishing the first of the modern-day Kansas churches. In May 1954, First Free Will Baptist Church of Wichita was organized, with Dave Casteel as pastor. In October of that year, the West Side Church was organized in the same city, with Jack Ledbetter as pastor. These first Kansas Free Will Baptists, though few in number, believed in fellowship. Well before the formation of any associational organization, the churches in the Wichita area regularly held “fifth Sunday meetings” together.
The First Kansas Quarterly Association was organized January 27, 1962, during a meeting at Wellington. Four churches participated: First, West Side, Liberty (all in Wichita), and Wellington. A mission also had been established at Ulysses during this time, under the leadership of home missionary Robert Sharry. The mission participated in the fellowship of the association and became a regular member later, when it was formally organized as a church. The organizational meeting was assisted by Rev. Harry Staires and Rev. John West from Oklahoma. The advisory council consisted of Staires, West, Sharry, and Rev. D. T. Eaves of Olathe. Officers elected were: Wayne Bookout, moderator; W. T. Turnbough, assistant; Christine Leichner, clerk; and Clyde Campbell, treasurer.
Free Will Baptist churches were also established in eastern Kansas during the 1950s. In 1962, five churches in that area convened to organize the East Kansas Quarterly Meeting. The five churches were Topeka, Timberlane (in Olathe), and three churches in Kansas City: New Hope, Bethel, and Skyline. Rev. James McAllister was elected the first moderator. Jack Stallings and Ernie Bailey were named with him to the Executive Committee.
State Association
With two district associations in existence, the situation was poised for the organization of a state body. A meeting was scheduled at First FWB Church Wichita June 15-16, 1962, for the purpose of organizing the Kansas State Association of Free Will Baptists. On that date representatives from both district associations, First Kansas and East Kansas, met and read letters from their respective associations expressing their purpose to form a state association.
Harry Staires, chairman of the National Home Missions Board, was in charge of the organizational meeting. Ministers serving with him on the organizational assistance committee were John West, Bob Ketchum, Don Payne, and Roy Bingham, all from the Oklahoma State Association of Free Will Baptists. Officers elected for the newly-formed Kansas State Association were: W. T. Turnbough, moderator; James McAllister, assistant; Wayne Bookout, clerk-treasurer; and Gary Snow, assistant.
The constitution of the East Kansas Quarterly Meeting was adopted for interim use, until a permanent constitution could be written. The Executive Board, consisting of the newly-elected officers plus Robert Sharry and Jack Ledbetter, was charged to draw up a permanent constitution. This document was adopted June 14, 1963, at the second annual session of the association.
The 1963 session also included other items of interest. A motion was adopted to petition the National Association of Free Will Baptists for membership. The Arrow, under the editorship of Rev. Glenn Staggs, was adopted as the state publication. The Cooperative Plan of Support was adopted as the official plan of support for denominational work. Plans were made for the first Kansas state youth camp.
Today, The Kansas State Association continues to be divided into two conferences—East Kansas Quarterly and First Kansas Quarterly—with a total of nine churches. Learn more about the Kansas State Association: ksfwb.org.