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Midwest Ministers' Fellowship
23300 Pink Hill Road
Blue Springs, MO 64015
Midwest Ministers' Fellowship
23300 Pink Hill Road
Blue Springs, MO 64015
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Our heart
The Midwest Ministers' Fellowship is a family of like-vision ministers, pastors, and churches who
appreciate the broader unity of the Body of Christ. Nine pastors of independent, Charismatic
churches first came together in 1995 to meet for fellowship, sharing, nurturing, encouragement and
accountability. From its origin, the MMF has been trans-denominational, growing to 50 members
and networking together 100 churches in the Greater Kansas City area. The network includes
ministries and churches located in a 200-mile radius of Kansas City. In addition to independent
churches, pastors from the Disciples of Christ, Church of the Nazarene, Wesleyan Methodist,
Southern Baptist, and Assemblies of God denominations regularly participate in MMF activities.
The offices are located in Faith Covenant Church in Blue Springs,
Missouri , where MMF President, Howard Cordell, serves as senior
pastor. Many of the leadership meetings are held at area churches
with appropriate meeting facilities. Most of the other meetings and
rallies are held at area hotels with meeting and banquet facilities.
Much of the peer ministry takes place one-on-one in restaurants
over a meal where pastors can share their heart in an informal setting.
Through its network of member churches, the MMF has provided personnel resources when a
church is in need of a specific task or minister (e.g., a fill-in worship leader) in addition to ministers
who can fill in with pulpit duties.
Partnership is central to the MMF ministry activities – pastors working together to help one another
succeed and churches sharing resources. It is this collaboration that makes the MMF unique.
The MMF partners regularly with the Citywide Prayer
Movement and the National Day of Prayer, and other
gatherings throughout the city. In addition, seminars and special
meetings featuring speakers of national prominence have been
joint ventures involving the Greater Kansas City Association
of Evangelicals and the MMF.
The MMF has experienced phenomenal growth since it was
started eleven years ago. As pastors and their churches catch
the vision, the peer ministry has expanded. Through this
expansion, more churches have become members. This, in turn, helps sustain the ministry financially
The MMF has produced an original worship music CD for personal spiritual formation. All of the
featured songs are written and performed by member churches with the proceeds going toward MMF
programs. Other income sources include the sale of books & videos such as This is Your Land, the
Kansas City spiritual history video documentary. The MMF also sponsors an annual golf
tournament to help sustain ongoing programming.
appreciate the broader unity of the Body of Christ. Nine pastors of independent, Charismatic
churches first came together in 1995 to meet for fellowship, sharing, nurturing, encouragement and
accountability. From its origin, the MMF has been trans-denominational, growing to 50 members
and networking together 100 churches in the Greater Kansas City area. The network includes
ministries and churches located in a 200-mile radius of Kansas City. In addition to independent
churches, pastors from the Disciples of Christ, Church of the Nazarene, Wesleyan Methodist,
Southern Baptist, and Assemblies of God denominations regularly participate in MMF activities.
The offices are located in Faith Covenant Church in Blue Springs,
Missouri , where MMF President, Howard Cordell, serves as senior
pastor. Many of the leadership meetings are held at area churches
with appropriate meeting facilities. Most of the other meetings and
rallies are held at area hotels with meeting and banquet facilities.
Much of the peer ministry takes place one-on-one in restaurants
over a meal where pastors can share their heart in an informal setting.
Through its network of member churches, the MMF has provided personnel resources when a
church is in need of a specific task or minister (e.g., a fill-in worship leader) in addition to ministers
who can fill in with pulpit duties.
Partnership is central to the MMF ministry activities – pastors working together to help one another
succeed and churches sharing resources. It is this collaboration that makes the MMF unique.
The MMF partners regularly with the Citywide Prayer
Movement and the National Day of Prayer, and other
gatherings throughout the city. In addition, seminars and special
meetings featuring speakers of national prominence have been
joint ventures involving the Greater Kansas City Association
of Evangelicals and the MMF.
The MMF has experienced phenomenal growth since it was
started eleven years ago. As pastors and their churches catch
the vision, the peer ministry has expanded. Through this
expansion, more churches have become members. This, in turn, helps sustain the ministry financially
The MMF has produced an original worship music CD for personal spiritual formation. All of the
featured songs are written and performed by member churches with the proceeds going toward MMF
programs. Other income sources include the sale of books & videos such as This is Your Land, the
Kansas City spiritual history video documentary. The MMF also sponsors an annual golf
tournament to help sustain ongoing programming.
The need
A recent study by the Duke University School of Divinity shows
pastors are not quite satisfied with their peer relationships,
opportunities for ongoing education, their spiritual life or their
sense of overall effectiveness. As a result, pastors often fall
victim to isolationism and the wrong definition of success.
Pastors who are reluctant to develop relationships succumb to
isolationism. Much of this is because they fear ministerial
gatherings leading to competitiveness; they've had bad
experiences in the past (such as a breaking of confidentiality
that leads to a lack of trust); or they are too busy – a busyness
that leads to an imbalance in life and a misunderstanding of the
priorities that rest and relationship should have in their lives.
The best ways to help pastors overcome isolationism is to provide safe, comfortable opportunities for
them to interact with other pastors and to let them know of these opportunities. The MMF
intentionally contacts pastors to make them aware of activities,in an inviting and non-threatening
way. This is done through phone calls, providing a video of testimonies from pastors who have been
helped through their participation in the MMF, and invitations to lunch and the monthly meeting.
Participation in the monthly meetings is the most common point of entry into the MMF.
Another way to impact a pastor is to meet their felt needs. Upon hearing of a specific need MMF
participants will offer to help meet these needs.
Participants know it could take awhile for some pastors to feel
safe in establishing relationships through the MMF because of
past hurts. Sometimes requires an ongoing demonstration that
others are sincerely interested in blessing their ministry. Once
they experience the gracious generosity of others, this
investment of friendship tends to breaks down barriers of
mistrust.
Another obstacle is the trend to recognize success in ministry
as a large congregation with many programs. A paradigm shift
needs to take place over time that helps pastors understand that success is doing the ministry God
wants, where He wants. Encouragement from MMF participants helps pastors see their significance
no matter where and to whom they are ministering.
The MMF relies exclusively on the support of member churches, the proceeds from our annual
benefit golf tournament, and the donations of generous businesses and individuals to fund these
ongoing efforts to minister to pastors and leaders throughout the region. If you would like to help
contribute toward that cause, we welcome your partnership. Use the link below to send a tax
deductible gift to the Midwest Ministers' Fellowship. Thank you for helping us advance this critical
cause as we strive to serve and build healthy pastors who will in turn grow healthy churches that will
impact their communities for Christ.
pastors are not quite satisfied with their peer relationships,
opportunities for ongoing education, their spiritual life or their
sense of overall effectiveness. As a result, pastors often fall
victim to isolationism and the wrong definition of success.
Pastors who are reluctant to develop relationships succumb to
isolationism. Much of this is because they fear ministerial
gatherings leading to competitiveness; they've had bad
experiences in the past (such as a breaking of confidentiality
that leads to a lack of trust); or they are too busy – a busyness
that leads to an imbalance in life and a misunderstanding of the
priorities that rest and relationship should have in their lives.
The best ways to help pastors overcome isolationism is to provide safe, comfortable opportunities for
them to interact with other pastors and to let them know of these opportunities. The MMF
intentionally contacts pastors to make them aware of activities,in an inviting and non-threatening
way. This is done through phone calls, providing a video of testimonies from pastors who have been
helped through their participation in the MMF, and invitations to lunch and the monthly meeting.
Participation in the monthly meetings is the most common point of entry into the MMF.
Another way to impact a pastor is to meet their felt needs. Upon hearing of a specific need MMF
participants will offer to help meet these needs.
Participants know it could take awhile for some pastors to feel
safe in establishing relationships through the MMF because of
past hurts. Sometimes requires an ongoing demonstration that
others are sincerely interested in blessing their ministry. Once
they experience the gracious generosity of others, this
investment of friendship tends to breaks down barriers of
mistrust.
Another obstacle is the trend to recognize success in ministry
as a large congregation with many programs. A paradigm shift
needs to take place over time that helps pastors understand that success is doing the ministry God
wants, where He wants. Encouragement from MMF participants helps pastors see their significance
no matter where and to whom they are ministering.
The MMF relies exclusively on the support of member churches, the proceeds from our annual
benefit golf tournament, and the donations of generous businesses and individuals to fund these
ongoing efforts to minister to pastors and leaders throughout the region. If you would like to help
contribute toward that cause, we welcome your partnership. Use the link below to send a tax
deductible gift to the Midwest Ministers' Fellowship. Thank you for helping us advance this critical
cause as we strive to serve and build healthy pastors who will in turn grow healthy churches that will
impact their communities for Christ.
