With its March 2022 issue, The Kansas Messenger has achieved an amazing 125 years of continuous publication. We’re proud to have been in service to the church in Kansas since the first Kansas Messenger was published in March of 1897.
Although there were other earlier attempts to provide news to the Christian church membership including, “The Christian Messenger” founded in 1885, “The Faithful Witness” in 1886; and “The Kansas Missionary” published in 1892-1893, none of these publications secured sufficient support to continue.
The Messenger began with a very small circle of readers reaching 2,000 subscriptions for the first time in 1910; 4,000 in 1940; 8,000 in 1947; and peaked at 18,000 in 1955. In its current digital format, The Kansas Messenger now goes out to more than 3,000 readers and it is now said to be the oldest state paper in the Brotherhood in point of continuous publication.
As with any milestone accomplishment, thanks go out to all the previous editors and contributors that have made The Kansas Messenger a successful and meaningful communications vehicle in the service of Christ. We also thank all of you who continue to receive The Messenger and we promise to do our best to make it a strong and effective way to deliver the monthly news for the Christian Church in Kansas for years to come.