Patee Park Baptist Church is the second oldest Baptist Church in St. Joseph. It began as a Sunday School in 1881 under the leadership of H.G. Walker, an active leader in the First Baptist Church of St. Joseph.
It was organized as a church February 14, 1882, in the home of W.T. Payne. Dr. E.S. Dulin, who founded William Jewell College at Liberty, Missouri and served as President of the Baptist Female College at St. Joseph, was called as the first pastor. The new church was called the South St. Joseph Baptist Church.
In 1890 property was acquired for a church building across from Patee Park on South 10th Street. The name of the church was changed to the Patee Park Baptist Church at that time. The first service was held in the new building Thanksgiving Day 1890.
Additional property was purchased to the South of the church and in 1961 a new Educational Building was erected. In 1973 the first building burned and a small chapel in the Educational building was used for worship services. The present worship auditorium was dedicated in 1980.
Patee Park has always been a missionary Baptist Church. The first mission was organized in 1887 at Fourth and Doniphan Streets, but was discontinued in 1915. In 1900 a mission was started at Sixth and Hickory, which later was constituted into the Copeland Baptist Church. Also in 1900 the late C.E. Leslie and A.D. Thornberry, active members of Patee Park, began a mission Sunday School which was to become the King Hill Baptist Church. Following World War II a mission was organized by members of Patee Park at Rosecrans Field where the army barracks had been renovated into a housing development. This mission held services in the old Army Base Chapel. This mission continued until the housing development was demolished. During the late 1940's and through the 1950's a Mexican Mission at Pryor and Massachusetts and the Eleventh Street Mission on South 11th Street was sponsored by Patee Park. Each of these missions was continued into a church, but now have been disbanded.
Jesse James Event
Two local churches, one where Jesse James attended Sunday School and the other which was formed while the outlaw lived just a few doors up the street in 1882, will be taking part in the Jesse James Festival.
In 1882, a Methodist church at 12th and Penn was diagonally across the street from Patee House and was only about a block from the Tom Howard home at 1318 Lafayette St.
Although Jesse's father was a Baptist minister who helped found William Jewell College at Liberty, in St. Joseph Jesse attended the small Methodist church, according to contemporary accounts.
Also involved in the Festival will be the Patee Park Baptist Church at 10th and Seneca streets, which is celebrating its centennial this year.
On April 3rd, the 100th anniversary of Jesse's death, the new Patee Park Church will hold open house with a special historical display telling of the church's history.
Largest Bible Class
Young Men Search For Recruits On Automobiles
Members of class at Patee Park Sunday School engage in spirited contest for new members, which will end September 30.
Automobiles as an accessory to church work made their appearance in St. Joseph yesterday, with the result that the membership of the Agapa Bible class of Patee Park Baptist Church was increased by twenty-four young men. The class membership is now 136, making it the largest Bible class in the state.
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An early morning fire seriously damaged the interior of Patee Park Baptist Church, 10th and Penn.
Chief Jessee said the intense heat caused heavy damage to the pipe organ at the front of the church where the pipes simply melted and bent over. There was water and smoke damage to most of the building, but the main fire damage was just inside the front. Some stained glass windows were twisted and broken above the doors.
Reported by Mary Helen Burrows.
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1882 - 1994
Celebrating 112 years of Service And Worship
The present worship auditorium was dedicated in 1980. Patee Park has two special social ministries started over 5 years ago that continue today. The food pantry ministry which now feeds well over 325 families a month and has a weekly chapel service. And Mini Blessings Day Care which ministers to 38-40 children five days a week. Both directors of these programs, Mayme White and Sam Heath, are dedicated to Kingdom service for His Glory! The volunteers and workers of these programs are laying up treasures where moth and rust do not corrupt.
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