The publication is reproduced in full below:
IN RECOGNITION OF THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PARK AVENUE MISSIONARY
BAPTIST CHURCH
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HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER
of missouri
in the house of representatives
Thursday, February 25, 2021
Mr. CLEAVER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Park Avenue Missionary Baptist Church. Since 1921, this church has served as a cornerstone of Kansas City's African American religious community. Under the dedicated and passionate leadership of its numerous pastors, the Park Avenue Missionary Baptist Church has stood strong and prospered. This church has served as a center of support during Kansas City's most trying times and as a center of celebration during its best times. No matter the challenges Kansas City faced, the Park Avenue Missionary Baptist Church has remained steadfast for all the faithful who made the church their spiritual home.
Park Avenue Missionary Baptist Church was first established in February of 1921 by the late Rev. Thomas H. Ewing. Until the construction of the first house of worship, services were held in the homes of congregation members. Built at 19th Street & Highland Avenue, the original location helped spread the ``good news'' to Kansas City's Black population for thirty-four years. During this time, the church led parishioners through some of our nation's darkest periods. Through the hunger of the Great Depression, the grief of the Second World War, and the sorrows of the Korean War, the Park Avenue Missionary Baptist Church stood strong and guided churchgoers through the trials, tribulations, and troubles that tested the resolve of our country.
In 1955, the congregation moved to a second location at 19th Street & Park Avenue. For the next sixteen years, Park Avenue Missionary Baptist Church filled the pews and saved the souls at 19th & Park. Within this new house of God, the church continued delivering the word of God, just as it had done for nearly thirty-five years. As Black Americans across the country were being beaten and jailed for demanding equal citizenship, this church weathered the storm and provided a stable place of worship for Kansas City's African American community. In spite of all that the community faced, the ministry grew rapidly in size, bringing on six new ministers to the fellowship while expanding its program offerings. This remarkable growth in the church body served as a testament to the spiritual gifts of the congregation's dedicated leaders while laying the foundation for the meteoric growth that was soon to come.
Finally, in 1969, it became apparent that the congregation needed a new home. Thus, the church began construction on its third and final location at the intersection of Park and Jackson Avenue in the winter of 1970. For 51 years, Park Avenue Missionary Baptist Church has remained in this location, providing weekly services and invaluable spiritual guidance to the community which it serves. Since the first bricks of this final location were laid, the church has been led by Rev. Dr. Carl Johnson, Rev. Dr. Ervin, and Rev. Gregory Stevens, respectively.
Following the burning of the mortgage in 1972, the Park Avenue Missionary Baptist Church has seen incredible growth in congregation size, programming, and community outreach capacity. With this growth, the church has launched more than 25 different ministries, improved the church grounds and building in countless ways, and paved the path for further expansion in the community it serves. In Ephesians 4:16, the Apostle Paul writes that, ``from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.'' The Park Avenue Missionary Baptist Church is a lesson in practice of what it means for a church to build itself up in love by leaning on its best parts. Through all the trials that its community has endured, time and again, the church has come out the other end stronger, and more unified.
For an entire century, the Park Avenue Missionary Baptist Church has been a pillar of devotion in the Kansas City community. I am certain that this church will continue to lift up its community within Missouri's Fifth Congressional District for decades to come. Madam Speaker, please join me in celebrating and honoring Reverend Gregory Stevens and the congregants of the Park Avenue Missionary Baptist Church for reaching this profound and momentous point in their history. Please also join me in wishing them continued prosperity and peace for the next 100 years to come.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 36
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