General History:

The first churches in what is now the State of Kansas were established while it was still unorganized territory. Missions were built among the Indian tribes during the first quarter of the 19th century by various denominations, and from that time the church and the mission school dwelt side by side, and worked hand in hand for the evangelization and education of Native Americans. In 1854, when Kansas was became a territory, the Methodists had churches at Shawnee Mission and at Wyandotte; the Baptists had a mission church two miles northwest of the Shawnee Mission, one near the Delaware post office and still another in what is now Mission township in Shawnee County; the Friends had a mission and school west of the Shawnee Mission, and among the Sac and Fox Indians the Presbyterians had located a mission and school near the present site of Highland, in  Doniphan County. Two missions had been established by the Catholics—St. Mary's, located in what is now Mission Township in Shawnee County, with three stations within a radius of 20 miles, and a second on the Neosho River, in what is now Neosho County.

Nearly all the Free-State settlers had belonged to churches in the communities from which they came, and one of the first provisions they made after settling in the territory was for religious services and schools for their children. At first, the services were held in the open air, in tents or rude cabins, but, as settlements increased church buildings were erected, many of which are still used today. In the outlying districts where settlement was thin, the people gathered at some convenient locality and were ministered to by circuit riders or missionaries. Many of these early congregations later became permanent and prosperous churches.