A Pioneer Sanctuary on South Pleasant
First Christian Church of Independence sits at 125 S. Pleasant Street in Independence, Missouri, in a brick building that has watched over its neighborhood for a century. The congregation itself is far older than the walls around it, tracing its roots back to 1835, when Independence was the western edge of the country and the church met in a log cabin on the frontier. Today it is one of the oldest congregations in the Kansas City region and an active member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), a fellowship known for welcoming everyone to the Lord's Table.
Worship takes place each Sunday at 10 a.m., and visitors can take in the sermon from the sanctuary, on YouTube, or catch up later through the church's growing library of recorded messages. The Rev. Anthony J. Mondaine Sr. was called as minister and formally commissioned on October 27, 2024, after preaching many Sundays during the congregation's search. He leads the church alongside a music director, an active slate of adult Sunday school classes, a scouting program, and a striking list of community partnerships that reach into Independence schools, shelters, and neighborhood associations.
What the Disciples Believe at the Table
The congregation identifies fully with the identity statement of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ): "We are Disciples of Christ, a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world. As part of the one body of Christ we welcome all to the Lord's Table as God has welcomed us." The chalice, the denomination's symbol, marks that welcome.
Three convictions shape the church's life. First, communion is open to all who wish to come, a practice that mirrors the church's founders, who believed the table was meant for the whole family of God. Second, baptism is a believer's choice, made by the person who chooses to follow God rather than decided for them as an infant. Third, members are encouraged to read and interpret Scripture for themselves, learning the history and context of each passage rather than accepting creedal tests of faith.
That third conviction has roots in the frontier. The Disciples who gathered in Independence in 1835 wanted a practical, down-to-earth religion. They believed in the right of individuals to read and interpret the Bible and to build a faith that was reasonable. Those same benchmarks still define the church today.
Christian unity is also part of the DNA. The congregation has cooperated with the United Church of Christ in Global Ministries for more than twenty-five years and shares a full communion agreement with the United Church of Canada. The church's spiritual ancestors liked to say, "unity, not uniformity," and that posture still shapes how the congregation works with neighbors of other traditions.
Sunday Mornings: Worship and Three Classes
Sunday is the heart of the week at First Christian. Worship begins at 10 a.m. and is followed by fellowship, Sunday school, and time to linger. Three adult Sunday school classes meet at different times, giving members options for the kind of conversation they want.
- Cornerstone meets at 8:30 a.m. in the Friendship Classroom and uses a video and discussion format that covers a wide range of Christian topics. The class encourages input from those attending to reinforce practical biblical concepts.
- Philathea meets at 10:30 a.m., after worship, and follows a more traditional leader-led discussion format.
- Inquiry also meets at 8:30 a.m. and discusses faith and current issues. It is the home of the Great Souls Great Prayers series described below.
The Inquiry class and the Great Souls discussions are open to anyone with a Zoom connection, using meeting ID 979 0442 6570.
Community Partnerships: A Mission-Minded Church
First Christian describes itself as a very mission-minded congregation, and the list of partnerships on the ground shows what that means in practice. Members support Procter Elementary School in the Independence School District through a sustained relationship with the children, families, and staff. They founded Tabitha's Closet, which provides shoes and clothing for students in the Independence School District and is now operated by the NorthWest Communities Development Corp.
Through the Crossroads Family shelter operated by the Salvation Army, the congregation provides regular meals for families in transition. Members belong to MORE2, the Metro Organization for Racial and Economic Equity, a faith-based coalition of congregations and individuals working for a more equitable metropolitan area. A long-running Scout program serves both boys and girls in the community, and an Alcoholics Anonymous group meets at the church as well.
A small but warm ministry called Yarn Ministry gathers members who knit baby blankets, prayer shawls, and other items for those in need of comfort, treating the needles and yarn as a form of fellowship. The building itself doubles as a community music venue: the holiday and spring concerts of the Music|Arts Institute are held there, and the well-known Rezound handbell choir rehearses in the space.
Men's and Women's Fellowship
Two long-standing groups give the congregation regular touchpoints beyond Sunday morning.
Disciples Women's Ministries (DWM) meets at 10 a.m. in the Friendship Classroom on the second Wednesday of every month. The morning includes a lesson, devotion, service project, fellowship, and refreshments. All women are welcome, and Mary Czeschin is the contact for those who want to learn more.
Christian Men's Fellowship (CMF) meets at 8 a.m. on the second Saturday of every month for a breakfast meeting. The program includes a Biblically based lesson and discussion on a wide range of topics in an informal environment. All men are invited; Bill Czeschin is the contact.
Great Souls, Great Prayers: A Sunday School Series
One of the distinctive offerings at First Christian is the Great Souls Great Prayers series, hosted by the Rev. Robert Lee Hill, minister emeritus of Community Christian Church in Kansas City. Held on the first Sunday of the month, usually within the Inquiry Sunday school class, the series explores the lives and prayers of major religious figures from many traditions.
Past sessions have featured Howard Thurman, the African-American theologian who shaped an interfaith and interracial ministry; Mary Oliver, the American poet whose work reverenced the natural world; Fred Craddock, the legendary preacher and storytelling teacher; Mohandas Gandhi, the practitioner of nonviolence; Will Campbell, the Southern civil rights minister who worked alongside Martin Luther King Jr.; and William Sloane Coffin, the Yale chaplain and Riverside Church pastor. The series has also covered Annie Dillard, the Japanese Christian reformer Toyohiko Kagawa, Pope Saint John XXIII, Anne Lamott, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Maya Angelou, Buck O'Neil, Wendell Berry, Saint Francis, Rosa Parks, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Each session includes a biographical entry, a presentation, and a daily spiritual exercise.
The sessions are recorded and posted to a YouTube playlist, and the readings and slides for each figure remain available as PDFs for anyone who wants to revisit the material.
Music in the Sanctuary
The congregation takes music seriously. Rev. Bill Canady Jr. joined First Christian as church music director with fifteen years of experience leading worship and enhancing musical services for congregations, choirs, and small ensembles. He plays both piano and organ and has composed numerous classical and sacred pieces. The music program supports weddings and funerals as well as regular worship, and the sanctuary organ has its own page in the church's resources.
The Building on Pleasant Street
The current sanctuary is the congregation's fourth building and third location in Independence. The original log cabin meeting place was replaced in 1854 by a red brick church at Main and Short Streets. That building thrived under the leadership of the Rev. Alexander Procter, who served as minister from 1860 to 1900 and gave his name to the elementary school the church still supports today. A 1918 church plan to rebuild survives in the congregation's archive, alongside a reprint of a 1904 address by George S. Bryant and a program from the 175th anniversary.
The present building is now one hundred years old, and work has begun on repainting significant exterior trim, with the project expected to be completed in early fall. The building remains in active use every week of the year for worship, Sunday school, Scout meetings, the handbell choir, community concerts, and the gatherings of the many partner organizations that call First Christian home.
Giving and Staying Connected
Members and friends can give online through the church's giving page, with options for one-time, monthly, quarterly, or annual gifts. The church also accepts CashApp at $fccindepmo, along with checks, cash, credit cards, and bank-to-bank transfers. Sermons are livestreamed on YouTube and remain available for later viewing, and a newsletter keeps the wider community informed of upcoming programs and partnership opportunities.
For those who want to know more, the church's door is open on Sunday mornings at 125 S. Pleasant Street. Whether someone has been part of a Disciples congregation for years or is walking into a sanctuary for the first time, the welcome at the table is the same one the pioneers offered their neighbors in 1835.