Our Purpose
We are committed to the Greatest Commandment and to the Great Commission. Our passion and purpose is to live out God’s Greatest Commandment.
Our Mission is the Great Commission.
Meet our Pastors
To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 1 Peter 5:1-3 NIV
Pastor Ray Adams grew up in the Phoenix Arizona area and became a Christian as a teenager. He attended Vennard College in Iowa where he met his wife, Cheryl, who grew up as a preacher’s kid in South Dakota. After graduation Ray and Cheryl moved to Wichita, Kansas where he served as Youth Pastor at Calvary Missionary Church. In 1990 he knew the Lord was leading him to First Missionary Church in Newton, Kansas where he has served as Senior Pastor ever since. Pastor Ray loves to serve and has had a lot of experience doing electrical work, but his real passion is to raise up movements among God’s people, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to fulfill the Great Commission. He is also the Director of Clear Call Ministries whose purpose is to equip people to fulfill God’s purpose and mission for their lives. Cheryl enjoys serving the Lord alongside Ray and has also ministered for many years as a nurse at St. Francis Hospital in Wichita and now at Newton Medical Center. Pastor Ray and Cheryl have four adult children and love spending time with their 12 grandchildren!
Pastor Dan Quinlin grew up in Moline, Illinois and enjoyed the blessing up growing up in a Christian family. He has had a life-long love of learning and languages, which led him to study at Augustana College and the University of Illinois where he earned his Ph.D. in linguistics. After three years of teaching at Michigan State University, he moved to the Newton area in 1991 to teach languages (including Biblical Greek) at Bethel College, where he continues to serve as Professor of Languages. Shortly after arriving in Newton, Pastor Dan began attending First Missionary Church and felt a call to ministry. He officially came on staff at the church in 1992, and he and Pastor Ray have ministered together for over thirty years. Pastor Ray was actually instrumental in introducing Pastor Dan to his future wife, Julie, who at the time lived in Portland, Oregon. After a long-distance courtship, Pastor Dan and Julie were married in 1994 and have one son. Julie serves as the church’s secretary and enjoys decorating and planning for church fellowship events. Pastor Dan loves traveling (as does Julie!), teaching (of course!) and worship, and he has been involved in numerous areas of music ministry over the years.
Pastor Anthony Adams grew up in Newton, Kansas in a Christian home—no wonder, since he is Pastor Ray and Cheryl’s oldest son! He graduated from Central Christian College in McPherson, Kansas and felt the call to ministry as a teenager while he was on a mission trip to Bolivia. After working in secular jobs for several years, he sensed God’s leading to pastoral ministry and joined the ministry team at First Missionary Church in 2017. Pastor Anthony married his high-school sweetheart, Whitney, and they have four children. Pastor Anthony has a pastor’s heart and gives leadership to the church’s children’s ministry (Kids for Christ), young adult ministry (YAG), worship, and preaching. In addition to his ministry at FMC, Pastor Anthony teaches Bible and Physical Education at Newton Bible Christian School, where Whitney also teaches vocal and instrumental music. Whitney is also active in our church’s children’s ministry and plays piano and sings on the worship team. In his free time, you might find Pastor Anthony at a local disc golf course!
Pastor Brent Guthrie grew up in central Kansas and came to know Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior at our regional Missionary Church camp, Timber Lakes. He was discipled at First Missionary Church and went on to study and graduate from Central Christian College in McPherson, Kansas. At Central, he met his wife, Amy, and they have five children. After pastoring in Hutchinson, Kansas and Antigo, Wisconsin (Amy’s hometown), the Lord led Pastor Brent back to Newton in 2022 to serve on staff at First Missionary Church. Pastor Brent gives leadership in the church’s prayer, discipleship, preaching, and teaching ministries. Amy recently began an equine ministry with young people at Camp David in Hesston, Kansas and plays piano and sings on the worship team. In addition to these ministries, Pastor Brent is also the Director of Hope Women’s Center (formerly known as Heartland Pregnancy Care Center) in Newton, and he and Amy are both active in Newton’s homeschool association. They are both avid walkers (having met through their college cross-country team), and in his (little) free time you might find Pastor Brent playing chess.
In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons. In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 3:8-13
Our Deacons
Daniel Asher
Jeff Fiedler
Curtis Schmidt
Fred Schmidt
Our Trustees
Gilbert Loewen
Ryan Mayhew
John Stucky
