Faith Community Church had its beginnings in 1952, when Pastor Fred and Sally Kirkpatrick came to Great Bend in response to a request by the Missionary Church Association of Fort Wayne, Indiana to start a church in the city. First services were held in October 1952, in a room located on the second floor of a Main Street Building. After the pastor and his wife received the Holy Spirit in the spring of 1954, the sponsoring Association decided to cancel their plans to continue the work and gave the church to the Kirkpatricks.The following years were years of trial and test, but filled with wonderful movings of the Holy Spirit, as the small church began to minister to the needs of the community and in various cities throughout the state. In 1956, the congregation was incorporated and purchased the Episcopal Church, which was located on the site of the planned U.S. Postal Office. The building was to be moved and the church faced the need for a place to move the buiding to and funds to do so. The building was finally moved to a site at 19th and Heizer Street. Miracle after miracle occurred, which supplied the need for the people. After a Billy Graham movie which the church helped sponsor, new people began to come into the congregation, and Faith Community Church began to grow and to reach many young people and others in the city.
By 1975, the church had experienced growth beyond the room that the church building provided and an expansion was needed. The Lord directed the congregation to bid on the Barton County Home, west of Great Bend, and the property became theirs. A series of miracles followed which enabled the congregation to pay the building off with cash, and the facility was dedicated by Charles and Frances Hunter. Faith College opened in the fall of 1975, and many young people followed the Lord to Great Bend and found a home at Faith Center, the name chosen for the large brick structure.
In 1977, the construction of Faith Community Church was begun and was finished in the fall of 1978, with most of the work on the building being done by the congregation. In May 1988, Sally Kirkpatrick passed on to heaven, and in 1989, Pastor Fred and Glenda Jahnke were married and continued to minister to the church until his retirement, after 52 years, in October 2004. Faith Family Center, the newest addition to the church plant was begun in 1995, and completed in 1997, with most of the construction being done by the congregation. The new facility greatly helped with mission work among disadvantaged youth in the city who were reached by Associate Pastor Jeff and Julie Goss. The church has through the years maintained a vision for missions and has helped plant churches throughout Kansas.
In 2003, Pastor Mike and Michelle Pfortmiller began thier ministry at the church. The Lord ministered through Pastor Mike with a heart of a teacher. Technology tools, such as the church website, were implemented. In 2006, Jason Rietmann was hired as Youth Pastor, and the Lord used him to minister to many youth in the area. Beginning in 2006, several church members including many youth participated in mission trips to Peru, Mexico, Philippines, Thailand, and South Africa. Sandy Kennedy joined the ministry team as Associate Pastor in May of 2007. In April of 2008, Pastor Mike resigned and moved to Manhattan, Kansas to continue his ministry.
In 2008, Pastor Sandy Kennedy began serving as interim pastor and then she became Senior Pastor, June 1, 2009. Presently, Pastor Sandy and her husband Joe, are pastoring the church.
The church is continuing to grow and the Lord is blessing abundantly.
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Ministry Links
Scott Hinkle
Jeff Goss Ministries
Surrendered Family Ministries
Duane & Sue Kershner - Mexico
Ron Walicki - Mexico
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