Village Presbyterian Church (Prairie Village, Kansas): Difference between revisions

| seniorpastor = Tom Are<br>Rodger Nishioka

'''Village Presbyterian Church''' is a [[Presbyterian Church (USA)]] congregation founded on February 13, 1949 with 282 charter members,<ref name=":HistoryAndMission">{{cite web |title=Our History & Mission {{!}} Village Presbyterian Church - Prairie Village, Kansas |url=https://www.villagepres.org/history-mission.html |website=www.villagepres.org}}</ref><ref name=":PresbyterianMission" /> that has since grown to be one of the largest Presbyterian churches in America with a reported 4,789 members in 2013.<ref name=":Ten Year Trends">{{cite web |title=2013 Comparative Statistics of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) |url=https://www.pcusa.org/site_media/media/uploads/research/pdfs/comparative_statistics_2013.pdf |website=www.pcusa.org}}</ref>

Village Presbyterian Church was founded in February 1949 by [[Robert H. Meneilly]].<ref name=":HistoryAndMission"/> <ref name=":PresbyterianMission"/> [[Prairie Village, Kansas|Prairie Village KS]] was a developing suburb in the 1940s with a high concentration of young families, and no [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]] church in the area.<ref name=":HistoryAndMission" /> <ref name=":PresbyterianMission" /> <ref>{{cite web |title=Reflections - A History of Prairie Village |url=https://www.pvkansas.com/home/showpublisheddocument/3592/635606376817930000 |website=www.pvkansas.com}}</ref> <ref>{{cite web |title=City of Prairie Village : History |url=https://www.pvkansas.com/about/history |website=www.pvkansas.com}}</ref> Meneilly went door-to-door in the emerging suburb to encourage residents to visit, and begin building a congregation before the building was complete.<ref name=":HistoryAndMission" /><ref name=":GlennRice">{{cite news |title=Bob Meneilly, courageous Johnson County pastor who took on racism, extremism, dies |url=https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article252950383.html |first=Glenn |last=Rice |publisher=Kansas City Star |date=July 22, 2021 |accessdate=October 3, 2023}}</ref> When the church opened for its first service on Sunday, Feb. 13, 1949, they drew 282 members<ref name=":HistoryAndMission" /> to the congregation.

In a report from [[Walter Cronkite]] which was previewed in a 1994 article in the ''[[The Washington Post|Washington Post]]'', Cronkite described Village Presbyterian as an “absolute perfect example of what is happening to churches all over the United States today in the split between the [[Evangelicalism|evangelical]] right and the more mainstream.”<ref>{{cite news |title=WHAT'S HAPPENING TO CHRISTIANS? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/tv/1994/12/18/whats-happening-to-christians/a7ff21b9-3e21-4a16-8047-17c724a48bd6/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=1994-12-18 |access-date=2015-10-23 |issn=0190-8286 |first=Patricia |last=Brennan}}</ref>

* [[Robert H. Meneilly|Robert "Bob" H. Meneilly]] :&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1949 - 1994

* George Daniel "Dan" Little :&nbsp;1995 - 1996 (Interim)

* Robert W. Bohl :&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1996 - 2002

* Herbert B. Anderson :&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2002 - 2004 (Interim)

* Thomas "Tom" L. Are, Jr. :&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2004 - Future

* [[Rodger Nishioka|Rodger Y. Nishioka]] :&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2023 - Future

Village Presbyterian Church is home to one of the significant pipe organs in the region, Opus 22, built by Richards, Fowkes & Co. of Ooltewah, TN. The 3-manual, 59-stop, 74-rank mechanical action organ features a principal tonal design modeled after 18th-century Dutch organs with numerous added stops to support broad anthem and solo organ literature.<ref name=":Organ">{{Cite web |title=Richards, Fowkers & Co {{!}} Opus 22 Specifications |url=https://www.richardsfowkes.com/3_organs/22/specification/ |website=www.richardsfowkes.com}}</ref> The organ was played for the first time on Nov. 20, 2016 with just 5% of the organ pipes working. The organ was fully voiced and all 3,800 pipes were functioning by August 2017.<ref name=":Organ" /> <ref>{{cite web |title=OPUS 22 Village Pipe Organ |url=https://www.villagepres.org/village-pipe-organ.html |website=www.villagepres.org}}</ref>

In August 2016, Village Presbyterian Child & Family Development Center opened. The multi-use building provides day care classrooms and support space for up to 132 students.<ref name=":MCM" /> <ref>{{cite web |title=Child & Family Development Center |url=https://www.villagepres.org/child-family-development-center.html |website=www.villagepres.org}}</ref>

===Village Presbyterian Church Food Pantry ===

===Child & Family Development Center===

In August 2016, Village Presbyterian Child & Family Development Center opened. The multi-use building provides day care classrooms and support space for up to 132 students.<ref name=":MCM" /> <ref>{{cite web |title=Child & Family Development Center |url=https://www.villagepres.org/child-family-development-center.html |website=www.villagepres.org}}</ref>

===Dominican Republic Partnership===

===Front Porch Alliance===

===Environmental Action Network ===

==Pastors==

The Pastoral Staff at Village Presbyterian Church is composed of<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pastoral Staff |url=https://www.villagepres.org/pastoral-staff.html |website=www.villagepres.org}}</ref>

* Rev. Tom Are, Jr., Co-Pastor (installed in February 2004 as Senior Pastor, Co-Pastor as of February 2023)

* Rev. Dr. Rodger Nishioka, Co-Pastor (ordained in June 2018)

* Rev. Zach Walker, Pastor of Youth Ministries (ordained and installed in August 2013)

* Rev. Sally Wright, Pastor of Pastoral Care (installed January 2020)

* Rev. Melanie Hardison, Pastor of Pastoral Care (installed February 2020)

* Rev. Alice Whitson, Pastor of Media Ministry (ordained and installed in May 2023)

* Rev. Anna Owens, Antioch Campus Pastor (installed in April 2023)