Pastor Chris Williams and his congregation are putting their faith to work revitalizing a local church.
Calvary University (CU) alumnus Chris Williams is excited about the new direction God is taking his congregation. Williams graduated from CU in 2003 with a Master of Science in Christian Studies, and a Master of Divinity in 2013. He is now senior pastor of Fellowship Church, Greenwood (FG), in a role he has filled for six years.
Recently, FG undertook the project of revitalizing another local church, First Baptist Church of Raymore. Williams pointed out that, “We are a recipient of another church pouring into us and investing in us when this church had died… and our dream was always to pay forward what Lenexa [Baptist Church] did for us.”
When First Baptist of Raymore approached Williams to discuss pursuing revitalization, he brought it before the church leadership and members to discuss it and pray over it. Ultimately, they felt that God was giving them the chance they had been praying for to invest in another church body.
Williams and the other leaders at FG see the hand of God at work as they prepare to send fifty of their members to the new church site. “We’re doing exactly what was done for us. We’re giving them people; giving them dollars. We’re giving them mission and vision to see that church become a vital part of its community.” Williams said that Raymore is the fastest growing city in Cass County and the third fastest in the KC Metro area, so the opportunities for engagement and impact are vast.
The body of FG voted unanimously on the proposition to delegate their time, money, and leadership to First Baptist of Raymore. Williams said FG is unified in their enthusiasm to see the Raymore campus “living for the good of that community, the glory of Christ, and the salvation of all.”
When Williams first came to CU in 1997, he was untrained. He said, “I didn’t even know what a quiet time was.” His time at CU proved formative for his spiritual growth. “It was transformative in my faith journey. I really learned and grew a desire to love God’s word and to study it in a dispensational, verse-by-verse manner, with that literal historical grammatical approach to Scripture.” Williams believes CU helped him develop his love for the Word of God and states, “It was at Calvary that I learned what a disciple was and actually became one.”
Pastor Williams is clear about his mission at Fellowship Church. “I want to help everyone who comes to the Fellowship to understand that they were created on purpose and for a great purpose.” Having received training in how to know and serve God, Williams now works to provide others with the training they need. “I want to help them discover that purpose and then give them the encouragement and the tools and the training that they need to go live in that purpose.”
Pastor Chris Williams of Fellowship Church Greenwood
Fellowship Church’s new campus in Raymore