TBC History
| 1939 | World-famous events in 1939: Back to the Bible founded in Lincoln, Nebraska (May) WW II begins with Hitler's invasion of Poland (Sept) The movie Wizard of Oz puts Kansas on the map and . . . Topeka Bible Church is founded by Pastor Walter Werner, Ray/Vera Barkley, and Russell/Ethel Buck, assisted by the well-known Dr. Walter Wilson of Kansas City, pastor and founder of Calvary Bible College. |
| March 19: that first Sunday 41 people meet in the Bucks' home, but soon move to the Odd Fellows Hall, 100 W. Sixth. | |
| 1940 | March 1: TBC purchases the First Christian church building on 522 Polk St. for $2500 ($25 down and $25/month!) Walter Werner continues as pastor |
| 1942 | First missionary, nurse Estella Grooters, goes to Nigeria (She's still on our missionary team!) |
| 1949 | Founding pastor becomes director of Child Evangelism Fellowship; Walter Benton, graduate of Bob Jones University, becomes pastor |
| 1957 | Carl Wilber, graduate of Dallas Seminary, becomes pastor |
| 1966 | Having outgrown the Polk St. building, TBC purchases its present Mulvane building from Lowman Methodist Church for $50,000. |
| 1970 | Carl Wilbur having been called home in 1969, Donald Phillips becomes TBC's fourth pastor. He stays for three years, and eventually joins our missions team as a missionary to Native Americans. |
| 1974 | Thom Burbridge leaves the faculty of Calvary Bible College to become TBC's fifth pastor. He stays for three years. |
| 1977 | Youth and singles pastor Jim Congdon, Dallas Seminary grad, becomes TBC's sixth senior pastor. |
| 1978 | Dozens of TBCers drive to Dallas to see Jim wed Melody Smith. |
| 1980 | Hank (Nan) Nelson joins the staff team, as Youth and Family Pastor. Annual budget: $100,000 Topeka Bible Church would blossom with growth in the Eighties. |
| 1983 | Nat (Patty) Diliberto leaves the faculty of Florida Bible College to become our Worship and Music Pastor. |
| 1984 | TBC plants Southwest Topeka Bible Church, with Chet Evans as pastor. We choose as our purpose "TBC Life: Teaching the Word, Building the Body, Celebrating the Lord, and Sharing Life with Topeka and the world." |
| 1987 | TBC adds a second morning service, and begins major renovation. |
| 1989 | Fifty Years a Family 50th anniversary reunion brings folks from around the country to embrace old friends and share stories of what God did for them through Topeka Bible Church. |
| 1994 | Sandy Balocca, Child Evangelism Fellowship missionary, becomes TBC Director of Children's Ministries |
| 1997 | Mark (Wendy) Leenerts is hired as Pastor of Student Ministries. |
| 2000 | TBC meets for months in the Ramada Inn while the auditorium undergoes major renovation. Patty Diliberto is hired as Director of Women's Ministries. TBC's annual budget: $1 million. Missions giving: over $200,000. |
| 2001 | Doug (Paula) Will is hired as pastor of Administration and Outreach. TBC helps missionary Cory Verge purchase property on the island of Bohol in the Philippines for a youth camp. |
| 2002 | TBC begins sending work teams to build Camp Karis in the Philippines. |
| 2003 | TBC purchases the United Methodist Home property for ministry expansion, names it the College Avenue Building, and begins a major renovation project. |
| 2004 | Fourth Service called Xenos begins in the CAB Building. The Student and College Ministries move into the renovated bottom floor of the CAB. |