The Chronicle of
Grace Point's Religious Heritage

The origin of our religious heritage had its beginning in June 1911. On June 10, a small group of Baptists in Southeast Kansas City met in a tent on the corner of 68th and Indiana. From that meeting a Sunday School was started with people from the neighborhood. In July 1911, the first building, a one-room frame structure, was erected at 6814 Monroe. And on September 12, 1911, Swope Park Baptist Church was organized with 13 charter members.  Rev. M. S. Mertins served as the congregation's first pastor. We changed our name from Swope Park Baptist to Grace Point Baptist, August, 2004.

In 1912, the congregation moved to a basement dwelling at 67th and Cleveland because the church had outgrown the one room building.  A Sunday School and Ladies Aid Society were started here.  In 1916 the church added above ground facilities.

In 1919 the congregation led by Rev. G. F. Reichel purchased a lot at Meyer Boulevard and Prospect Avenue.  The first services in the new building at this site were held the first Sunday of April, 1923. For the next thirteen years, the church grew and more land was purchased and additions to the buildings were necessary.  Membership increased from 13 to 425 by the 25th anniversary.

Until 1947 the church had been affiliated with both the Northern and Southern Baptist Conventions.  In 1947 the church voted to discontinue affiliation with the Northern Baptist Convention and align solely with the Southern Baptist Convention.

Beginning in the 1990's the church began allowing church members to choose between giving the missions portion of their offerings to either the Southern Baptist Convention's Cooperative Program or to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF). In 2008 the church was dropped from membership in the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) because it sent money to CBF. Though the church is no longer sending money to the MBC, the church continues to directly support  Missouri Baptist colleges, Missouri Baptist Children's Home, The Home for Aged Baptists, Windermere, and the Word and Way. Furthermore, the church continues to send financial support directly to the Southern Baptist Convention for distribution to national SBC agencies such as the International Mission Board and North American Mission Board.

The church continued to grow and expand through the years and after 61 years at the corner of Meyer and Prospect, on April 22, 1984, the church voted to investigate relocation and on October 29th voted to relocate on 137 acres of property off Blue River Road and I-435.  The church sold the property at Meyer and Prospect to help finance building on the new property.  In November 1985, the church entered a financial program entitled, Together We Build, to raise funds for the construction of a church building at the new location.  A kick-off banquet was held and pledges exceeded the victory goal of $900,000.  The church voted to sell properties at Meyer and Prospect to Research Medical Center on November 20, 1985.  

From 1987 to 1990 the church met in temporary facilities, the former Westridge Elementary School, located at 105th Ter. and Grandview Road. On March 25, 1990 the church celebrated its first Sunday in the new building located atop the hill overlooking I-435 and Blue River Road.

In 2004 the church voted to change its name from Swope Park Baptist Church to Grace Point Baptist Church.

The church has been more than a self-perpetuating institution.  The people of GPBC have encouraged and participated in helping people.  Serving programs include:  the XYZ Club for Senior Citizens, the music and youth ministries which cooperate in the annual summer mission tours, and many other ongoing program organizations, not the least of which is the Sunday School Homebound Program, choir programs, mission groups, and Sunday School.

Though Acts 1:8 is not mentioned in our church's purpose or vision statements directly, the church has sought to obey Jesus' mandate to spread the gospel near and far.

In 2006 the church reached out to the campus community through an after-school Bible Club for children. This ministry is conducted weekly at the Warford Elementary School. And in 2008 the church partnered with Harvesters (a local food distribution warehouse for the needy) to fill backpacks with food. This program called "Backsnack Ministry" provides food for needy children to take home on weekends.

In 2005 the church began a partnership with the Moi Girl's School in Kenya. From 2005 to 2009 the church provided scholarship assistance for girls, helping over 100 girls to attend and graduate. Members and friends adopted specific girls and maintained regular communication with the girls. In addition the church sent two teams of workers to Kenya, once in 2005 and once in 2009, to work directly with the girls and with other projects in Kenya.  

Grace Point Baptist Church has progressed and matured, but she is still growing in so many ways.  New ministries, new opportunities for evangelism, continued development in education and training, energetic worship, and meaningful fellowship all await the members of Grace Point Baptist Church.