Location: Quinter, Kan.

Presbytery: Midwest

Organization: July 1887

Membership: 26 communicant; 5 baptized

Pastor: Matthew Sexton

Website: www.quinter.rpc.org

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In the spring of 1880, a group of Reformed Presbyterians in Iowa decided to move further west. At least six of these families took homesteads north of the growing settlement of Quinter, Kan., with the intention of establishing a congregation.

The first record of an organized worship service was a prayer meeting in the sod home of the Henry Miller family on Aug. 3, 1880. A baby was born to the Millers just a few hours before the meeting was scheduled to begin. When people arrived, it was quickly decided to hold the prayer meeting outside on the prairie sod.

Establishing homes in this new location proved to be difficult, and many families moved away. Enough families stayed, however, for Quinter to be a mission station. On July 7, 1887, the congregation was organized by the Kansas Presbytery. Our present building was built in 1910. Through years of want and years of plenty, the Lord has been exceedingly gracious to us.

Our congregation is rejoicing in the arrival of our new pastor, Matthew Sexton. He and his wife, Marcie, moved to Quinter from Colorado Springs, Colo., in June 2016. Matthew supplied our pulpit several times in the past while he was under care of presbytery, and our call to him was unanimous. He was ordained and installed by Midwest Presbytery on Sept. 8. Pastor Sexton has been preaching through Isaiah on Sabbath mornings and the Gospel of Luke in the evenings. He gave a class for those interested in church membership.

In the Sabbath school program, the children of our congregation are learning to sing the Psalms with understanding, memorize the Children’s Catechism, and study the Old Testament with the goal of seeing how God was preparing the way for the coming Savior. The children have invited their friends to come along, and sometimes we have an additional two or three children visiting.

The men of the congregation are taking turns serving a weekly breakfast to the ministers and laymen in the community and leading devotions at these gatherings. Similarly, some of the women in the congregation have been participating in a community-organized monthly brunch for women, which also includes an opportunity to lead devotions.

In 2004, the Quinter session participated in initiating a gathering of men to encourage one another in the Reformed faith. The group is called “The Revival on the Great Plains.” They meet once a month in Garden City, Kan., to enjoy a meal together, study the Word, and pray. Men attend from several locations in Kansas and Colorado.

We have much to be thankful for in Quinter. We are grateful for the years of encouragement received from our pastoral intern Jay Strunk, and for the presence and work of Rev. Stan Copeland.

We continue to seek the Lord’s face as we struggle against difficulty. We are praying that the Lord will provide us at least one additional elder and deacon in His own time. The Reformed Presbyterian Church is not perceived as relevant in our community, and yet we know we have the gospel that all need to hear. Please pray with us that our Bible studies, the pulpit ministry, and our daily witness will bless others and that many will be saved.

Since we are located on Interstate 70 halfway between Kansas City and Denver, we often have visitors who are making their way across the state. Some of our members travel a considerable distance to come worship, so we serve a meal each Sabbath day following the morning service. Please stop by any Sabbath you are out our way!