Our Lead Pastor Tim Dunn has a heart to reach Kansas City and the world with the love of Jesus Christ. His desire is that every single person in Kansas City would discover the reason that God created them and use those gifts and talents to help make a difference in their community.

The church was founded by Dr. Wendell Zimmerman in 1943 as Kansas City Baptist Temple (KCBT). Dr. Zimmerman was one of the first radio preachers and had an audience in Kansas City where he was invited to participate in revival meetings. These tent revival meetings lasted a year-and-a-half, and culminated with the foundation of the church in April of 1943. KCBT soon purchased an old auto garage and adapted it for a church building.

In the late 1950s, church members personally constructed the old Baptist Temple building, located on Swope Parkway. It was dedicated on Easter Sunday in 1957, and it was home to KCBT until the church moved to its current location.

Following Zimmerman’s resignation in 1968, KCBT called Truman Dollar to be the senior pastor. Pastor Dollar continued the tradition of solid biblical content in his messages, and he became one of the first preachers in the metropolitan area to televise services. In 1984, Dollar resigned from KCBT to assume the pastorate of the Temple Baptist Church of Detroit.

In 1984 Pastor Jeff Adams returned from serving as a missionary in Central America. to become the third pastor of KCBT. In 2017, Pastor Adams announced he would be entering a new season, stepping down as lead pastor, and the search began for his replacement.

Pastor Tim Dunn joined Graceway to become the next lead pastor later in 2017. Dunn came from Indiana, where most recently he had been the executive pastor at a large, multi-cultural church. As a youth, Dunn had traveled to Kansas City to attend conferences at then KCBT and was discipled at First Baptist Church of New Philadelphia in Ohio, a longtime partner with Graceway. Tim and his wife Ashley have three children, Noah, Emma, and Isaiah.

Over the past 74 years, Graceway has trained and directly sent out approximately 80 pastors, missionaries, and other leaders to places in the United States and all over the world. Approximately 20 autonomous churches have been directly or indirectly started in the Kansas City region out of Graceway, and those churches have a combined weekly attendance of several thousand.

What are your weekend services like?

Each weekend at Graceway you’ll find a relaxed and friendly atmosphere with exciting, contemporary worship music and a relevant message from the Bible.

What will happen when I visit for the first time?

If you are visiting for the first time, we will not embarrass you or have you stand up. We know that many people want to check out the church and “be anonymous” for awhile—and that’s fine with us! Come in, enjoy the relaxed atmosphere, and see if Graceway for you.

What should I wear when attending Graceway?

You’ll find everything from casual clothes to business suits at our Weekend Services. Come in what is comfortable for you, because Graceway is not about what you look like or what you wear.

What about my children?

At Graceway your children are a top priority. Our nurseries are clean, safe, and staffed with loving workers. We offer a dynamic children’s ministry called Skykids as well as life-changing ministry to students from junior high through college.

How can I meet others and get connected?

There are many ways to get involved. You can begin by attending our Growth Track. Small groups are another great way to connect. In each of these, you can build friendships, learn more about the life of our church, and have the opportunity to grow in your faith.

How can I be discipled and grow?

Our desire is to see you become a fully-devoted follower of Christ. Our Growth Track offers the tools necessary to make this happen in your life. You can begin the process at any step in our Growth Track.

Why do you have small groups?

Small groups are an important part of Graceway; in fact, you haven’t fully experienced the church until you’ve experienced our small groups. Groups allow you to meet other members and develop relationships that will spur your relationship with God. As Graceway grows, groups allow us to “stay small” and connected. Groups are available for all ages and interests—there’s bound to be one that’s just right for you. Learn more about why we’re big on small groups, or find a group to visit in our directory.