BRPC Celebrates 57 Years of Heritage

Fifty-seven years ago, 17 people met at the Blue Ridge skating rink with the Reverand Roy Ray as their organizing pastor.  Using folding chairs for pews and a card table for a pulpit, the congregation began its ministry. 

On December 10, 1950, the fledgling ministry celebrated a ground breaking ceremony on the one acre of land donated by the Kansas City Presbytery.  The church was officially organized by the Kansas City Presbytery on January 14, 1951.  By August 5, 1951, the first church service was held in the new building, which stood unfinished.  Much of the labor was donated by the members of the young ministry.

As attendance grew, the congregation held several building campaigns, and, again, the congregation participated in, and donated labor for the construction of new wings and sanctuaries. As the church continued to grow, new programs were added.  REAP (Raytown Emergency Assistance Program) was begun at BRPC and initially housed at the church.  It eventually outgrew the space available at the church and moved to a separate building.  BRPC still supports REAP and other local mission programs.

In 1960, BRPC added a new sanctuary, which is used for worship today, and remodeled the original sanctuary into three large meeting rooms. 

The addition of the current sanctuary in 1960 brought the 95-foot spire that can be seen from miles away.  “Church members see the spire as a symbol of the aspiration toward God that every worshiper feels,” said Ray, the founding pastor.

Estelle Randol, a member of the church since 1958, remembers the school across the street from the church being dismissed when they put up the steeple in ‘60”.  “It was a really fun thing for the kids to watch.”

40 years later, the church added the front parlor, an elevator, and offices.  The 4 by 6 foot stained glass piece in the ceiling of the sanctuary was designed and created by local artist, Rick Lyons. 

A 3 floor elevator allows easy access to the choir and youth ministry classrooms on the  upper level, as well as access to the Fellowship Hall for dinners and receptions on the lower level.

Today, the church is active in Heartland Presbytery, the Heartland Presbyterian Center (our local camp near Parkville), Angel Food Ministries, and in Raytown, as a worshipping and serving community of believers.