40s and 50s Reunion

All roads lead to Kansas City!!

“When we all get to heaven what a day of rejoicing that will be.” I could hear this great old hymn being sung as I walked into a gathering room at the Comfort Inn Hotel in North Kansas City. This was the 40s and 50s reunion of Kansas City Bible College. Fifty years seemed to melt away as these people easily slipped back into throwing witty comments back and forth, joking, and sharing fond memories of what it was like being students together.

I listen to these these faithful servants of Christ give their testimonies of what had happened after they had graduated from KCBC. Some were pioneer missionaries evangelizing and starting churches in other countries. Others had become pastors, church planters, school teachers, evangelists; or founded missions organizations, started prison ministries, wrote books, and even ran for congress!

Over the course of the day, I began understanding what it was like to be a college student in their day. One man told me, “I was saved my senior year of high school and came to KCBC. I barely knew what church was, yet someone asked me to be the pastor of a church. I took what I learned in the classroom and used it on Sunday.” Another women shared, “I came from a farm in Kansas and when I got here one of the first things I did was go with another girl to her Christian Ministry at the juvenile center, teaching Bible lessons to kids. Afterward she said that I was to take over the ministry. Back then you didn’t say no; you just found a way to do it!” These alumni had a zeal and a passion to be used by God to spread the gospel to as many men, women, and children as they could.

In the evening they had a time of remembrance for their dearly beloved president of KCBC, Dr. Walter Wilson. He was a man who had impacted these students greatly by his love and understanding for them, as well as his deep insight for the word of God. He not only preached the Great Commission to these students, he lived it. I believe that it was his example that inspired these students to go out and do the same.

Not surprisingly, most of these alumni are still doing ministry to this day. If one still has energy to keep doing the Lord’s work, why not! One woman has a good news club in her home for twenty years after she “retired.” Another man is still heading up a prison ministry in Iowa. Many are still doing pulpit supply, speaking at churches or schools, writing Christian books and manuals, and serving on boards with colleges and missions organizations.

It was a privilege and honor to be able to meet these former students of Kansas City Bible College. Their only focus continues to be living for the glory of God and not for themselves; which shows in over fifty years of ministry. Not only were our beginnings with this college, but also missions organizations and churches were started by these dedicated men and women.