Pastor Dezo

Rev. Dr. Dezo Schreiner is originally from the beautiful Caribbean country of Haiti. She moved to Lawrence, KS in 2011 for advanced schooling. On the night of her arrival, she quickly learned to love K.U. Basketball. She grew up with eight siblings. As a young girl she organized church services for her siblings. Dezo's passion has always been to work with people, to proclaim the gospel, to work for social justice, to heal souls and bodies, and to create community. She earned her Masters of Divinity from Central Baptist Community Theological Seminary of Shawnee, KS in 2017 and her Doctor of Ministry at Chicago Theological Seminary in 2025. Dezo exhibits a contagious joy to everyone she meets as well for the gospel which she naturally expresses to everyone through pastoral ministry. Jesus taught us a way of love, grace and forgiveness; and that is how Dezo lives her life. Dezo says, " I live my life by the motto Jesus Christ stated in John 13:35, this is how everyone will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." She is an encourager, a visionary, teacher and a prayer warrior. In her spare time, she goes on long walks, road trips, window-shopping, or reads a good book. Dezo's ministry in our church is through worship leadership, preaching, pastoral care, teaching and working with our children, youth and young adults.

In 2018, Dezo married Andy Schreiner, together they have two sets of twins, Benjamin and Charlotte, Flora and Grace, and a son named Enzo.

Pastor Stephanie

Rev. Stephanie Parham has worked full-time as a microbiologist, while at the same time earning her Master's of Divinity degree from Central Baptist Theological Seminary (CBTS), which she completed in 2022. She was ordained with an American Baptist recognized ordination through the Great Rivers region by our church in September of 2022. Also, in 2022, Stephanie married James Parham in a ceremony in our church. She has three children, Joe, Remy and Cartier and three bonus children Justice, Jeremiah and Charisma. Today, Stephanie's ministry is focused upon global peacemaking through the Buttry Center for Peace and Non-Violence. She has led workshops on peacemaking in the USA, in Nicaragua and in Bangladesh. Stephanie and James primarily reside in Maryland. Stephanie has served on our pastoral team for nearly nine years and has left an indelible mark upon our congregation and many of our members.

Former Pastor Steve

Rev. Dr. Stephen D. Jones began his ministry at First Baptist Church of Kansas City, Missouri as a pastoral intern in 1969, while a student at William Jewell College. He then entered Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School in Rochester, New York and after graduation, began his pastoral ministry at the First Baptist Church of Boulder, Colorado in 1972.  He later served churches in Ohio, Philadelphia, Detroit, Seattle, St. Louis, before relocating to Kansas City in 2011.  He was called to our church in October 2013 and served as co-pastor with Dezo until his retirement in March 2025.


Steve is the author of eight books. He earned the Doctor of Ministry degree in 1981. For four years, Steve served as the President of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, and for two years served as co-chair of MORE2 (Metropolitan Organization for Racial and Economic Equity). Steve's wife, Jan, grew up in this church. They have two adult children and three granddaughters.