About First Evangelical Free Church
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At First Free we are about one thing - making disciples of Jesus Christ who glorify God as the grace of the gospel grows deep in God's people and goes wide to all peoples. That's what Jesus called his disciples to in Matthew 28 and we believe all of us have been called to join that mission. This happens in a number of ways, but there are a few ways we think it happens best: worship services, groups, and sharing the gospel.
We often field questions about our name and denomination. It's actually a name rich with meaning. We are part of the Evangelical Free Church of America and we are thankful to partner with this group of churches across the county.
First
First comes from our history. In 1950 we were the first Evangelical Free church planted in Wichita. It was a slow start, but God worked through tragedy in 1961 when the pastor's young son was killed in an accident. Steady growth began at that time and the church quickly outgrew their building on Oliver. First Free moved to our current facility in 1967 and has been blessed to be able to expand a number of times. Over the years we have been involved in planting three more Evangelical Free churches in the Wichita area and have been involved with a number of plants in other locations.
Evangelical
Unfortunately, this word carries a lot of baggage in America today. But we don't want to give it up. Evangelical is defined as a commitment to the gospel and the authority of the Bible, and there aren't two things that are more important to us. As we interact with our community, we want to leave a positive impression while bearing the name "Evangelical."
Free
All churches in the EFCA are free to govern themselves instead of being governed at the denominational level. The individual churches have their own By-Laws and are autonomous in their decision-making so long as they remain within the EFCA Statement of Faith. We are distinct churches, yet connected as a denomination.
