Wyatt Park Baptist Church sees rebirth after erasing $2.5 million in debt

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- Located inside Wyatt Park Baptist Church on North Leonard Road lies a stained glass window towering more than 20 feet, a work of art, and one of the relics from their old church that stood for 83 years at 28th and Mitchell streets.

Vibrant stained glass found inside many churches, a renowned art form dating back to the 7th century, often depicts a story deeply connected with the church's mission.

Until recently, the window inside Wyatt Park was also connected with the last era where the church wasn't struggling with a mountain of debt; a deficit tied to costs for constructing their $13 million North Leonard Road church between 1995 to 2003 and worsened by the financial crisis of 2008.

"Their first mortgage payment was $48,000. For the past 10 or 15 years, the debt was so overwhelming, they were in survival mode," Wyatt Park Baptist Pastor Jeff Burns said. "Instead of being able to focus on reaching the world with the gospel, they were focused on paying a debt and making sure that the lights were turned on."

Faced with a staggering $2.5 million in debt, sky-high mortgage payments and years of declining attendance, Burns, an Indiana native studying in Kansas City in 2021, took the chance to lead the church facing an uphill climb.

Burns remembers around 80 people attending his first service, a sharp decline from the 400 to 500 it once averaged for years on Sunday.

"The church was so desperate to go back to its identity of reaching people," he said. "Before they built this building, so much more money was spent towards missions, towards evangelism."

The history of Wyatt Park Baptist Church dates back to 1889 when the church first opened at 28th and Seneca streets, later relocating to 28th and Mitchell streets from 1912 to 1995 before moving to North Leonard Road.

Fast forward to 2021, with a laundry list of deferred maintenance and any number of areas to address, Burns focused his efforts on building a strong staff and providing stability on Sundays, the foundation of any church.

Slowly but surely, membership flourished and enthusiasm grew.

"I felt like one of the most important things that we could do was culture change," Burns said. "Discipleship ministries, small group ministries, all those things kind of just kind of trickled in."

With post-COVID interest rates beginning to climb in 2023 -- putting increased pressure on long-term mortgage payments -- Burns formed a special subcommittee with other church members called "Unshackled," to make an all-out push at reducing debt over the next five to six years.

With the help of a reenergized congregation, a capital campaign among church members and the community resulted in more than 100 families donating in support.

"Some people gave 20 bucks, or 20 bucks a month for two years. But then we also got huge gifts of $10,000, $50,000, $100,000," he said. "So many people wanted to see us reduce this debt."

In one year, Wyatt Park was able to knock off more than $1 million from the deficit after its foundation agreed to provide $500,000, nearly the last of its reserves, in matching funds to help reduce the deficit.

At the same time, the church was also able to readjust its mortgage loan, something they credit Nodaway Valley Bank with, helping cut their monthly payments from $18,000 to $10,000.

The church was riding a wave of momentum. Then, like something out of a Hollywood film, a check arrived unexpectedly in November 2024.

"We received a check for $470,000 from someone who passed away who used to go to our church. It was through their estate, part of a trust," Burns said. "I remember calling one of the guys from the Unshackled Committee, I told him what happened and he goes, 'Jeff, we might actually pay this off."

On the first Sunday this November, just two years into their five-year effort, the last dollar was raised. The following Sunday, Burns and others made the announcement.

Burns described it as a special moment for everyone. 

"A group of people from our church that were committed to this process that have been here since the beginning, many of them have told me 'I didn't think I was going to live to see this,'” Burns said. "Other people have seen this debt their entire life."

For the first time in 30 years, Wyatt Park is able to focus on improvements to the 80,000-square-foot building, including new speakers, HVAC, parking resurfacing and roof repairs. A new outlook on life.

Since arriving in 2021, the church has grown by 126 new members and regularly sees between 300 and 350 people at Sunday service, a huge jump from 80 when Burns first arrived. 

“It's fun to be here on Sunday and Monday. It's a place where we see God at work. And I think people want to be a part of that,” he said. 

The church recently carried out renovations to many of its nursery and Sunday school rooms and even added a coffee shop to accommodate growth in young adult members.

At this year's Fall concert, nearly 800 people were in attendance. 

“I feel blessed to be here, blessed to be part of this chapter," Burns said. "For the past 30 years, you know, this has been the chapter. Now this has given us an opportunity to really pray about what God wants the next chapter of Wyatt Park to be."