Where Belonging Comes First
On a corner in historic downtown Liberty, Missouri, the doors of Second Baptist Church open onto a congregation that is more than 180 years old and as current as the questions people are asking this week. The tagline that hangs over everything here is short: Belong. Believe. Become. Senior Pastor Jason Edwards describes it simply: "You don't have to audition to belong. You already do." That posture - welcoming before qualifying, making room before requiring agreement - is the through line running from the church's founding on the edge of the American frontier to its ministry today.
Second Baptist sits at 300 East Kansas Street, within walking distance of William Jewell College and the Liberty square. It is affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF), and the congregation helped start CBF itself in the early 1990s. The church carries a self-description that emphasizes both conviction and curiosity: a place where faith is steady and spacious, where worship is rooted in Scripture and shaped by life, and where belonging comes before belief in the order of things.
A Church Founded for Missions
Second Baptist began in 1843 with twelve people gathering in a frontier town during a regional religious fight over the question of missions. They chose the name "Second" deliberately, to set a different posture from the anti-missions Baptist congregation already meeting in Liberty. That founding conviction still names the church today.
The first eighty-five years brought growth but also economic hardship, the Civil War, and two disasters: a tornado in 1883 and a fire in 1920 that destroyed the church's first two houses of worship. After the fire, members built a larger sanctuary and education building. Through the twentieth century, with deep ties to William Jewell College and to the Missouri and Southern Baptist Conventions, the church expanded its ministry and added staff. Pastors Bill Link and Dub Steincross, whose tenures together covered fifty-two years (1947 to 1999), brought long stability.
By the 1980s, theological tensions within the Southern Baptist Convention prompted Second Baptist to choose again, the way its founders had, for a new path. Members prioritized missions, the historic Baptist principles of local church autonomy, the priesthood of the believer, and soul freedom. In the early 1990s, the church helped found the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and in 2001 it formally ended more than a century and a half of ties with both the Southern Baptist and Missouri Baptist conventions. The church then launched a Pastoral Residency in 2019 and, in 2025, unanimously affirmed its commitment as a church of welcome, inclusion, and belonging.
Across its history, Second Baptist has been a church planter. Members helped start more than thirty area congregations and were the founding force behind several Liberty institutions, including Meals on Wheels (which once used the church kitchen), Love INC of Clay County, and In As Much Ministries, a food pantry serving Clay County. Long-term mission work also extends to the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota and to partners in Belarus, with current global ministry connected to CBF field personnel Matt and Michelle Norman in Barcelona, Spain.
Two Services on Sunday Mornings
Sunday mornings at Second Baptist follow a steady rhythm built around two worship services with Bible study for all ages between them. Worshipers are welcome for one hour or for the full morning.
At 9:00 a.m., the Contemporary service gathers in Tutt Chapel, a smaller room seating about ninety. Music is acoustic-led, with guitar and piano carrying the songs. At 11:00 a.m., the Traditional service moves to the Sanctuary, where the Sanctuary Choir and the church's Wicks/Quimby pipe organ lead congregational singing. Both services share the same Scripture readings, prayers, and sermon; the difference is the sound and the setting. Between them, from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m., Bible study classes for children, students, and adults meet throughout the building.
Worship is described as rooted in Scripture and shared. Pastors preach in both services, and members of the congregation also lead through Scripture reading, prayer, and song. The 11:00 service is livestreamed each week on YouTube and Facebook, with recordings kept on the church's YouTube channel. The audio podcast "Second Baptist Podcasts" carries each week's sermon to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.
For first-time visitors, the church gives practical pointers. There is no dress code - jeans and sneakers sit comfortably beside jackets and dresses. Parking is available on the northeast side off Lightburne Street and at the Juvenile Justice Center lot off Kansas Street; ADA-accessible parking sits on the east side along Franklin Street and across from the Welcome Center. The Kansas Street entrance is ADA-accessible and opens into the Welcome Center, where greeters hand out a printed worship guide - a simple roadmap of the service. An elevator in the Welcome Center and a second ADA-accessible entrance on the west side make the building navigable for those who need it.
The church also runs a shuttle in Liberty on Sunday mornings; a ride can be reserved by calling the church office. Communion is open to all who profess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and the communion bread is gluten-free.
A Home for Children
Children are welcomed into both Sunday worship services, and children's worship bags with quiet activities are available in the back of the sanctuary and chapel. Childcare is provided for infants through pre-K during both services; check-in happens at the preschool foyer desk on the second floor.
At 10:00 a.m. on Sundays, Bible study for children meets in grade-appropriate groups. Kindergarten through fifth grade gather in small groups of similar ages, with a curriculum that encourages questions and reflection. Younger children meet in multi-age groups arranged by developmental readiness. Children's choirs rehearse most Sundays from 9:30 to 10:00 a.m., September through May, and sing in worship several times a year.
Seasonal events round out the year. Winter brings a Children's Christmas Party, Parents' Night Out, and Masterpiece Arts Camp. Spring brings an Easter Egg Hunt. Summer brings Vacation Bible School, and fall brings Promotion Sunday, a First and Fourth Grade Bible Presentation, and Trunk or Treat. VBS rotates its theme each year; the 2027 program is built around "Crave: Stirring Up a Hunger for Jesus," running July 12 to 16, with a whimsical food-lab setting where children learn that Jesus is at work in each of them. Masterpiece Arts Camp, named for Ephesians 2:10 ("we are God's masterpiece"), invites children to explore music, movement, visual art, drama, and cooking. The 2027 Masterpiece Camp is scheduled for January 30.
Children's Pastor Angie Fuller leads this work. All volunteers in Children's Ministry must pass a background check every two years, and the church maintains written safety and security practices for its youngest members.
Students in Grades 6 to 12
Middle and high schoolers meet on Sunday mornings at 10:00 a.m. in the Student Room on the sixth floor for Bible study over breakfast. Sunday evenings bring Innermission at 5:30 p.m., a gathering that includes games, a snack supper, worship, and small groups.
Each month the Student Ministry hosts a Student Fun Night - trampoline parks, escape rooms, pool parties, bonfires - designed to invite friends in. The annual Student Bonfire takes students out to a member's property in Plattsburg, Missouri, for pizza, s'mores, and a giant fire. Two retreats anchor the year: a fall retreat at Miracle Hills Ranch and a winter or spring Disciple Now weekend hosted in homes around Liberty with service projects in the Kansas City area. Summer brings a middle school mission trip and a high school week of camp, plus a second high school mission trip.
Safety is built into the program: every gathering includes at least two adult leaders, and volunteers and drivers pass background checks. Danny Bryson is serving as Interim Student Pastor.
Adults: Bible Study, Conversation, and Care
Adult life at Second Baptist centers on Sunday morning Bible study groups that meet between services from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. Each class has its own character. The Potter's Wheel, in Room 606, follows the Christian Lectionary and is led rotationally by class members. Soul Food, in the Assembly Room and led by Connie McNeill, pairs Bible study with refreshments and conversation. The Seekers Class in Room 415 uses Baptists Today curriculum. The Tanner Class, meeting in Tutt Chapel under Blane Baker, draws mostly retired adults who enjoy dialogue. Winepress in Room 410 welcomes any age and reads Scripture with cultural and personal lenses. Milton Horne's Class meets over Zoom and processes contemporary culture through informed Christian faith. The Young Adult Small Group, in Room 503 under Melissa Dowling, is open to all young adults.
Beyond the Sunday hour, several weekly and monthly groups anchor adult life. A Women's Bible Study meets Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. in the Oak Room. The 2BC Book Club meets monthly on Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. in the Welcome Center. Senior adults gather twice a month for Coffee and Conversation in the Social Room - first Mondays at 10:00 a.m. and third Mondays at 1:00 p.m. Women on Mission meets the first Tuesday of the month in the Assembly Room with a guest speaker and a service project. Men's Breakfast gathers the first Saturday of the month at 8:30 a.m. in the Social Room, September through April. A Sunday Lunch Bunch heads to a local restaurant after the 11:00 service.
Second Wednesdays, a monthly church dinner in the Social Room, brings adults, kids, and students together over a $7 meal ($25 family maximum). The church also partners with the William Jewell College Center for Faith and Culture to host Personal Flourishing Classes throughout the fall, winter, and spring, free to congregation members. Short "pop-up" studies run four to six weeks at a time around specific books or topics, and every summer brings a four-day Adult VBS with Bible study, workshops, and a field trip.
Music and the Arts at the Center
Music has been a signature of Second Baptist for decades. The Sanctuary Choir leads worship at the 11:00 service and at special services throughout the year; rehearsals are held Wednesdays from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the Music Suite, and no audition is required. The Sanctuary Handbell Choir rehearses Wednesdays from 6:00 to 6:50 p.m. Instrumental ensembles of adults and high school students (ninth grade and older) contribute to services during seasons like Advent and summer. Children's choirs round out the program.
Each December the church hosts a Community Christmas Concert that draws a wider chorus and orchestra. The Celebrating the Arts Series, named in honor of longtime organist Ann Posey, keeps arts programming visible throughout the year. Associate Pastor of Worship and Music Chip Handrich leads this work, supported by Organist Julie Williams.
The church follows the liturgical year - Advent, Lent, Easter, Pentecost - and decorates its worship spaces to mark the seasons. Worship spaces are designed to give voice to the gifts of many people, not only to a choir or a band.
Pastoral Residency: Planting Pastors
In 2019 Second Baptist launched a two- to three-year Pastoral Residency for pastors who have completed a Master of Divinity and sense a call to senior pastoral leadership. Residents serve as full members of the pastoral staff, share in the life of the congregation, and engage in intentional formation alongside the senior pastor, the pastoral staff, and a lay mentoring team. Assignments cover preaching and worship, pastoral care, administration, discipleship, missions, and community engagement.
Jana Atkinson currently serves as a pastoral resident. Chris Dean, a graduate of Belmont University and Baylor University's Truett Seminary, will begin his residency in October, following a Certificate in Spiritual Direction from Wisdom Tree Collective. The church sees this program as more than an investment in individuals - it is a way of participating in the renewal of the wider Church.
Care, Prayer, and Stephen Ministry
Second Baptist takes seriously the call to walk with people through both seasons of joy and seasons of struggle. Stephen Ministry is a central expression of that call. Lay Stephen Ministers, members of the church trained in confidential, one-on-one Christian caregiving, meet weekly with people navigating grief, job loss, divorce, illness, and other difficult transitions. Same-gender pairings are used, and Stephen Leaders can connect care receivers with professional or community resources when needed.
A prayer list is maintained by the church, and prayer requests can be submitted online or by calling the church office. Membership at Second Baptist can happen through a profession of faith and baptism, through affirmation of a previous baptism, or through transfer from another church.
Local and Global Missions
Second Baptist was born with a missions conviction, and that conviction still organizes the church's outward life. Locally, members helped found Meals on Wheels Liberty, Love INC of Clay County, and In As Much Ministries. Each year on the first Sunday of May, the church gathers for Serve Sunday - a brief worship service followed by hands-on projects around the community. Food Share Sunday, the first Sunday of every month, gathers donations for the In As Much food pantry and for the Snack Packs program that serves students at Lillian Schumacher Elementary.
The BEyouandBElong Team supports adults with intellectual disabilities in the community through shared meals, life-skills classes, social events, and spiritual formation. The Christmas Store, hosted by Second Baptist each December since 2012, gives Liberty-area families referred by school counselors and In As Much Ministries the dignity of choosing two gifts per child at a reduced price; the church hosts the store on its own campus and supplies volunteers, wrapping, and homemade cookies.
Other local partners include CarePortal (a care-sharing network for children and families in crisis), CBF Heartland, Central Seminary, the Dialogue Institute of Kansas City, Faith Works, Hillcrest Hope, the Liberty Area Ministerial Alliance, Liberty Meals on Wheels, Life Unlimited, Many Hands Fair Trade Shop, Martha LaFite Thompson Nature Sanctuary, and Rebuilding Together Kansas City. The church also supports William Jewell College and its Center for Faith and Culture, and helps tend the William Jewell Community Garden.
Globally, Second Baptist's primary partner is CBF Global Missions, currently working alongside field personnel in Barcelona, Spain. The church's own SEND Initiative, begun in 2013, supports member participation in missions experiences around Liberty, across the United States, and abroad, and offers financial assistance for members stepping into new places of service.
Second Friends Preschool
Second Friends Preschool began in 1994 with a single classroom and now serves children in threes-and-fours and pre-K classrooms, each with a lead teacher, an assistant teacher, and no more than twelve students. The preschool was named a top three "Best Northland Preschool/Daycare" by the Courier-Tribune and Gladstone Dispatch in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Classes meet Tuesdays through Thursdays. The threes-and-fours program offers both half-day (9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) and full-day (9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) options, two or three days a week. The pre-K program offers the same three-day options for children entering kindergarten in fall 2027. Extended Care is available from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays when at least three children are enrolled. Director Kate Rettig Tysdahl oversees the program.
A Historic Building for Weddings and Gatherings
Second Baptist occupies a historic building with several spaces available for weddings, funerals, concerts, and community meetings. The Sanctuary seats up to 600 and is equipped with a piano, the pipe organ, and a sound system. Tutt Chapel seats up to 90 with a piano, sound system, and built-in screens. The Social Room seats 250, the Assembly Room seats 80, and the Welcome Center serves smaller receptions.
The church has hosted weddings in its sanctuary for almost its entire 180-plus-year history and welcomes couples from the congregation and the wider community. Weddings are held in the Sanctuary or Tutt Chapel, and receptions can follow in the Social Room or the Assembly Room. The church also rents space for community meetings and gatherings, including Boy Scout meetings.
Joining the Life of the Church
Becoming part of Second Baptist can start with Connections, a four-week Sunday morning class for newcomers (and for long-time attenders who haven't yet taken it). Childcare is provided during the class, and Bible study is available for children and students at the same hour.
For those who want to keep up between visits, sermons are available as a podcast and on YouTube, and a monthly newsletter arrives by email through the church's online sign-up. Giving is possible in worship, by mail, by bank bill-pay, by text to 833-668-4538, by stock transfer, by IRA distributions, and online through the church's Pushpay page.
The Associate Pastor of Administration and Missions, Alena Vaughn-Booth, coordinates the church's outward life. The Children's, Student, and Preschool pastors welcome new families directly. Behind the scenes, a Communications ministry assistant, two Congregational Support assistants, a Finance assistant, and a Kitchen Coordinator keep the week running, while an Arts and Environment Team, an A/V Team, a Hospitality Team, and a Properties Team open up steady ways for members to serve - preparing worship spaces, running sound and livestream, greeting on Sundays, and caring for the building and grounds.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The phone rings at 816-781-2824, and emails land at info@2bcliberty.org.
A Church for the Long Haul
What holds Second Baptist together is not a single program or personality but a way of being church. It shows up in the ways members describe one another - as people who make room for hard questions and real doubt, who show up on Sunday morning and again on Tuesday morning, who welcome the neighbor who has been hurt by church and the neighbor who has never been to church. The building on Kansas Street has held weddings and funerals, VBS craft tables and Stephen Ministry conversations, Sanctuary Choir rehearsals and Food Share donations. The church's long history is not a museum piece but the soil that the present grows out of: a frontier church planted for missions, shaped by conflict and disaster, and choosing again and again to widen the circle. The tagline still says it best. Belong. Believe. Become.