Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
Acts 13:3
OUR HISTORY
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Recognizing the need for a local Baptist Church
in this area of Riverside Township, a group of
interested people proceeded to make a dream
come true. Under the leadership of Dr. Earl
Cooper, former associational missionary, and the
Reverend Joe Robbins, pastor of Trinity Baptist
Church, plans to begin a Sunday School were
formed.
Mr. and Mrs. Don Mead, 1644 Georgia, offered
the use of their garage, and in the fall of 1951,
sponsored by the Trinity Baptist Church, the first
service was held with an attendance in the
mid-twenties. Within a six-week period,
approximately forty more were added, making a
total of near seventy in the small building.​
Through prayer and God’s guidance, and with financial assistance from the American Baptist Home Mission Society, a building was obtained from the Sunnyside Baptist Church and moved to the lot on South Hydraulic. In the spring of 1952, church services were added under the leadership of Mr. James Pittman. In November, the Reverend Lawrence Duncan was called as pastor, assuming duties in January, 1953. During this time, with God’s blessing, the membership grew and the church flourished and prospered. A building fund was begun for a new house of worship. Application was made and granted by the American Baptist Home Mission Society, and ground was broken on March 3, 1957 for a new building.
Following the resignation of the pastor in December 1957, to accept a church in California, the Reverend Harold Trevolt, Meade, Kansas, moved to the field, accepting the leadership on March 2, 1958. The first services in the new church were held on Easter Sunday, April 6, 1958. It was a dream come true. The membership continued to grow under God’s guidance and with dedicated followers working together. The pastor accepted a call to Leoti, Kansas in July 1960, and after much prayer, the Reverend Orville Mason, Humboldt, Kansas, was asked to accept the Pastorate.
OUR PASTOR
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Reverend Gary Gaston has been our pastor since January of 2013. He was ordained by the American Baptist Church - USA on December 13th, 2015. He and his wife Shari have been married for more than 30 years and have 5 children.
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Pastor Gary and his family have been members of South Riverside since 1995. Gary received his call to the ministry in 2006 and at the urging of Reverend G. Burton Hart, he began taking classes as part of a Lay Leader Corps under the sponsorship of the American Baptist Churches of the Central Region (ABCCR). Under the direction of the ABBCR, this group completed a course of study which led to licensing for ordination and eventual ordination.​
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Pastor Gary is a 10 year veteran of the United States Marine Corps and works outside the church for Wichita State University.
PASTORAL HISTORY
Reverend Orville Mason 8/1/1960 – 5/1/1965
Reverend Fred Golike 6/1/1965 – 8/1/1968
Reverend Fr. Dean Brown 9/1/1969 – 6/1/1973
Reverend James Hale 8/1/1973 – 5/1/1975
Reverend Bill Shook 6/1/1975 – 8/1/1978
Reverend F. Roy Parker 10/1/1978 – 8/1/1979
Reverend Ernest Lautt 9/1/1979 – 1/1/1983
Reverend Ernest Clark 3/1/1983 – 1/1/1984
Reverend G. Burton Hart 7/1984 – 3/1/1990
Reverend Dr. Stanley Upchurch 12/1/1990 – 1/1/1994
Reverend G. Burton Hart 5/1/1994 – 12/1/2012
Reverend Gary Gaston 1/1/2013 - Present
