Historic Grinter church to close

The Grinter Chapel United Methodist Church, 7819 Swartz Road, will close after the Sunday, April 25, service. (Photo by Pat Spencer)

The historic Grinter Chapel United Methodist Church at 7819 Swartz Road, Kansas City, Kansas, will close after the Sunday, April 25, service.

It will have outdoor services at 11 a.m. April 18 and April 25, with members wearing face masks and bringing lawn chairs.

The church has a long history in Wyandotte County. Its land was donated by Moses and Annie Grinter, early settlers of Wyandotte County, according to Pat Spencer, a member of the church. Anna Marshall Grinter, with Delaware or Lenape tribe ancestry, was a Methodist, Spencer said.

The congregation voted in March to close the church. Spencer said the church has lost four members since December 2020, and had only about 12 regular members then. The church members are very sad that it had to close, she said, but they didn’t see any other options.

Spencer said the church had been meeting every Sunday before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. With COVID-19, members could not attend and it was difficult for the church to meet expenses.

The church has a memory wall with the dates 1868 and 1941, she said. A cornerstone of the current church building is dated 1953.

Near the church is the Grinter cemetery, where Moses and Annie Grinter are buried. The cemetery and the Grinter House, south on 78th Street at K-32, are historic places. Grinter operated a ferry across the Kansas River at that point, and had a trading post at the Grinter Place. They built the Grinter House in 1857. The Grinters held church services at the Grinter House before Grinter Chapel was built, according to historians.

According to historical accounts, Moses and Annie Grinter donated the land for the Grinter Chapel Cemetery to the Methodist Church in 1877. Moses Grinter, a native of Kentucky who arrived at Fort Leavenworth in the Kansas territory, and started the ferry in the 1830s, died in June 1878. Annie Grinter died in 1905.

Some of the Grinter family members who died before the cemetery land was donated are buried at the White Church cemetery, Spencer said.

Spencer said the Grinter Chapel will go back to the Great Plains Methodist Conference.

A memory wall at the Grinter Chapel United Methodist Church contains historical pictures. Above the memory wall are the dates 1868 and 1941. (Photo by Pat Spencer)
Moses and Annie Grinter are remembered at the church’s memory wall. They donated the land for the church and cemetery. Moses Grinter ran a ferry across the Kansas River on the military route from Fort Leavenworth to Fort Scott. The Grinters built Grinter House, now a state museum, in 1857 at 78th and K-32. (Photo by Pat Spencer)
The sanctuary at Grinter Chapel United Methodist Church. (Photo by Pat Spencer)
Moses Grinter is buried at the Grinter cemetery, next to the Grinter Chapel United Methodist Church. (Photo by Pat Spencer)
The Grinter cemetery, a historic site, is located near the Grinter Chapel United Methodist Church. Moses Grinter is buried at the Grinter cemetery, next to the Grinter Chapel United Methodist Church. (Photo by Pat Spencer)

Faith news

The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas has information about churches, Masses, and reflections, at https://www.facebook.com/archkck.

Blessed Sacrament, Christ the King and Our Lady and St. Rose Catholic churches will hold Masses on Sunday, April 11. For more information, visit the churches’ websites or Facebook pages at https://www.facebook.com/Christ-the-King-Parish-KCKS-1392808997677579, https://www.facebook.com/BlessedSacramentkck, and https://www.facebook.com/ourladyandsaintrose/. Sunday Mass is online at https://www.facebook.com/BlessedSacramentkck. Blessed Sacrament will have a To-Go Breakfast fundraiser from 8 a.m. to noon Sunday, April 18. It will include a steak burrito, $7; menudo, $10; champurrado, $1.50.

Casa – Worship House Christian Church, 5217 Leavenworth Road, Kansas City, Kansas, will have Sunday services at 11 a.m. April 11. The church has an online service at www.facebook.com/casadealabanzaKCKS. Check with the church’s social media page for more information on services. For more information, visit Facebook @casadealabanzaKCKS.

Oak Ridge Missionary Baptist Church, 9301 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas, will hold Sunday worship services at 9:45 a.m. April 11 on Facebook. See https://www.facebook.com/ORMBCKC/ or http://ormbc.org/?fbclid=IwAR2Jfx3XYA2A4AS5CpzjhtUKFZZ3t6by1fycCrZx8t22RudTvLFIziTMXaE.

Open Door Baptist Church, 3033 N. 103rd Terrace, Kansas City, Kansas, will have services in person with social distancing at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, April 11, and livestream at https://www.facebook.com/opendoorkc/ and https://www.opendoorkc.com/.

Stony Point Christian Church, 149 S. 78th St., Kansas City, Kansas, will have services at 10:15 a.m. Sunday, April 11. Services also will be livestreamed on its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/StonyPointChristianChurch. Sunday school will be at 9 a.m.

St. Patrick Catholic Church, 1086 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kansas, will hold Mass in person and online for Sunday, April 11, at https://www.facebook.com/StPatrickKCK.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1300 N. 18th St., Kansas City, Kansas, will continue with its in-person service at 10 a.m. Sunday, April 18. The service also will be available on Facebook at stpaulskck.org.

The Cathedral of St. Peter, 409 N. 15th, Kansas City, Kansas, will hold a Eucharistic Holy Hour on Divine Mercy Sunday at 3 p.m. April 11. The Holy Hour will be livestreamed at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXEv4SFDdCyXouB4zHsUNNA.

Sunset Hills Christian Church, 6347 Leavenworth Road, Kansas City, Kansas, will have services on Sunday, April 11. For more information about this Sunday’s plans, visit the Facebook page of Pastor Mike Barnett, https://www.facebook.com/mike.barnett.528. Services are also provided through checkout of DVD or SD Card and can be sent by email upon request. For more information, see https://www.facebook.com/sunsethills.christianchurch.

Wyandotte United Methodist Church, 7901 Oakland Ave., has resumed in-person services and will hold a service at 11 a.m. Sunday, April 11, with social distancing and masks. A video of the service will be at https://www.facebook.com/Wyandotteumc/.


Information about other church services in Wyandotte County may be available from the church’s social media page.
To send in items for the Faith News, email information to news@g3f.1db.myftpupload.com. Please include your name and contact information.

Faith news

The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas has information about churches, Masses, and reflections, at https://www.facebook.com/archkck.

Blessed Sacrament, Christ the King and Our Lady and St. Rose Catholic churches will hold Masses on Easter Sunday, April 4. For more information, visit the churches’ websites or Facebook pages at https://www.facebook.com/Christ-the-King-Parish-KCKS-1392808997677579, https://www.facebook.com/BlessedSacramentkck, and https://www.facebook.com/ourladyandsaintrose/. Sunday Mass is online at https://www.facebook.com/BlessedSacramentkck. The schedule includes the Easter Vigil Mass at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, April 3, at Christ the King in English and 8:30 p.m. at Blessed Sacrament in Spanish. Easter Sunday services on April 4 will be the usual Sunday schedule, 7:30 a.m. at Blessed Sacrament, 9:30 a.m. at Christ the King, 10 a.m. at Blessed Sacrament, 11:30 a.m. at Our Lady and St. Rose, 1 p.m. at Christ the King and 6 p.m. at Blessed Sacrament.

Casa – Worship House Christian Church, 5217 Leavenworth Road, Kansas City, Kansas, will have Easter Sunday services and drama at 11 a.m. Sunday, April 4. The church has an online service at www.facebook.com/casadealabanzaKCKS. Check with the church’s social media page for more information on services. For more information, visit Facebook @casadealabanzaKCKS.

Oak Ridge Missionary Baptist Church, 9301 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas, will hold an Easter Communion service at 9 a.m. Sunday, April 4. There will be a parking lot service, and it may be viewed via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ORMBCKC/photos/a.2177369848970242/5567201883320338/.

Open Door Baptist Church, 3033 N. 103rd Terrace, Kansas City, Kansas, will have Easter services in person with social distancing at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, April 4, and livestream at https://www.facebook.com/opendoorkc/ and https://www.opendoorkc.com/.

Stony Point Christian Church, 149 S. 78th St., Kansas City, Kansas, will have Easter services at 10:15 a.m. Sunday, April 4. Services also will be livestreamed on its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/StonyPointChristianChurch. Sunday school will be at 9 a.m. April 4.

St. Patrick Catholic Church, 1086 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kansas, will hold Mass in person and online for Easter Sunday, April 4, at https://www.facebook.com/StPatrickKCK. The Easter Vigil Mass will be at 8:15 p.m. Saturday, April 3. Easter Sunday Masses will be at 7:30 a.m., 9:15 a.m., 11 a.m. and in English on April 4, and at 12:45 p.m. in Spanish and 2:30 p.m. in Burmese on April 4. The St. Patrick virtual auction will be held April 5-10 online at https://stpatrickkck.cbo.io. Proceeds of the auction will help to offset parish expenses due to COVID.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1300 N. 18th St., Kansas City, Kansas, will hold an Easter In-person Festive Holy Eucharist at 11 a.m. April 4, in person and streaming on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/StPaulsKCK/. For more information, see https://www.stpaulskck.org/.

The Cathedral of St. Peter, 409 N. 15th, Kansas City, Kansas, will hold an Easter Vigil Mass at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 3, and an Easter Sunday Mass at 10 a.m. Sunday, April 4. Seating will be limited to 100 people. The services will be online on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXEv4SFDdCyXouB4zHsUNNA.

Sunset Hills Christian Church, 6347 Leavenworth Road, Kansas City, Kansas, will have in-person Easter services at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, April 4. For more information about this Sunday’s plans, visit the Facebook page of Pastor Mike Barnett, https://www.facebook.com/mike.barnett.528. Services are also provided through checkout of DVD or SD Card and can be sent by email upon request. For more information, see https://www.facebook.com/sunsethills.christianchurch.

Wyandotte United Methodist Church, 7901 Oakland Ave., has resumed in-person services and will hold Easter services at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sunday, April 4, with social distancing and masks. A video of the service will be at https://www.facebook.com/Wyandotteumc/.

Information about other church services in Wyandotte County may be available from the church’s social media page.
To send in items for the Faith News, email information to news@g3f.1db.myftpupload.com. Please include your name and contact information.