Church Inception
Before its inception, a group of core members began meeting in the Bishop’s home to seek God’s direction through prayer every Friday night from June 1985 until March 1987. The core members at this time where Bishop Keith and Pastor Lisa Wesley, Sis. Lydia Kelly, Reverend James Davis and the late Sarah Davis. After considerable prayer and deliverance from a life-threatening illness suffered by Bishop Wesley, God spoke that it was time to launch out. On Sunday March 22, 1987 Bishop Keith Wesley and his wife had counsel with their overseer Pastor Westlake of Sheffield Family Life Center. He laid hands on them and prayed. The Wesley and Davis families gave the first tithe and opened an account in the name of New Life In Christ Christian Fellowship. New Life In Christ Christian Fellowship was physically ordained by God on March 28, 1987, founded by Keith Wesley Sr.
Church Growth
The first fellowship as a corporate body was held in the Ramada Inn South, located at 5701 Longview Rd, Kansas City, Mo. The Lord added to the church and began to raise up and establish its leadership. At that time there was only one church service on Sunday morning. As God blessed us with many children, Sunday School was established. Prayer and youth meetings were held in the Bishop’s Home during this time. Once a month members of the congregation opened their hearts and their homes for all night shut-ins, prayer breakfasts, & special meetings. Because of the rapid increase, the weekly Tuesday night prayer meeting was relocated to the Ramada Inn.
As always, anything that God cultivates must grow. It cannot remain in seed form. The church, being in seed form, began to multiply and the Lord impressed upon the hearts of those attending to go out and scout the land for a new place of worship. In 1989 the church had grown to be over fifty members strong.
Though it seemed that every open door was suddenly closed, earnest prayer and continuous intercession was made. God miraculously blessed us by touching the heart of a precious brother in the Lord, who purchased an existing church building that was on one-eighth acre of land and was 1,200 square feet of space with seats for one hundred worshippers, and then resold it to New Life In Christ. On June 4, 1989, we held the first service in the new edifice at 12708 South Prospect in Kansas City, Mo.
Moving to 12401 Byars, Grandview, MO
The fellowship continued to grow it soon became apparent that it was time again to seek a larger place of worship. In 1996 the membership had tripled in size. After much prayer, and joint deliberation we launched our building program. Contributors to the building fund were pledges from individual members, bond programs, and contributions from outside investors all over the country.
On May 12, 1996 we held a groundbreaking ceremony to begin construction on our current 13,000 square foot, 450 seat sanctuary. The building was completed and we took occupancy at 12401 Byars Road.
The first service was held on September 28, 1997. A large crowd of visitors, friends, and family attended this historic service.
International Fellowship
In 2006, with the opening of a new church in India, New Life in Christ Christian Fellowship became New Life in Christ International Ministries.
The Future is Exciting
It is now 2008, the twenty-first year in the ministry and service for Jesus Christ. Our current membership is over 700. God has blessed and continues to bring increase to this ministry. We have seen God birth from this ministry Life A New Preparatory Academy. The Pastoral staff has grown to consists of more than ten ministers. The youth department has grown to over one hundred fifty. New Life In Christ Christian International Ministries is the birthplace of over twenty-five different ministries.
We are extremely excited about the future. We’re somewhere in the future, and we look much better than we look right now! We’re expecting the inevitable, supernatural, intervention of God to be manifest in this “Year of Kingdom, Body, Life!”
Soon our current mortgage will be absolved. Plans have started for the construction of our multi-million dollar Family Worship Center to prepare for the mighty harvest of souls. We have decreed that, “We Agree to Jubilee!”