A Church Born Around a Kitchen Table on Paseo Boulevard
Shalom Missionary Baptist Church sits on Paseo Boulevard in Kansas City, Missouri, in the 64109 ZIP code just east of the city's midtown. Its doors are open most weeks to a congregation that has grown from a handful of praying friends in 1986 to more than three hundred believers today. A simple verse frames the church's online welcome: "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7). The name "Shalom" itself, the Hebrew word for peace, captures what the founders hoped the body would be.
Seven Believers, One Vision, April 1987
The story of Shalom begins with Elder Pastor Henry Lee Pace. In 1986, God planted a dream in his heart of a congregation whose sole purpose was to fulfill the Great Commission that Jesus gave: to go into all the world and make disciples. After much prayer, Pastor Pace shared that vision with his wife Deleria and a small circle of close friends. A group of seven began holding prayer meetings in November 1986 in the home of Deacon John B. and Mrs. Mildred Jones.
On April 5, 1987, Shalom held its first worship service at Mary Harmon Weeks Elementary School. More than two hundred people gathered, and eight souls united with the new church. By the grace of God, the congregation built and moved into its present sanctuary on Paseo Boulevard in December 1990. Pastor Pace and his wife Deleria have been married for more than forty years. They are the parents of Stacey and Stephen and the grandparents of Camryn, Jillian, Jayla, Chadwick, James Shawn, and Sydnee. Pastor Pace earned a Master's Degree in Religious Education from Midwestern Theological Baptist Seminary.
A Pastor with Music in His Blood
Senior Pastor David L. Cobbins Jr. was asked to shepherd Shalom Missionary Baptist Church in April 2021. He grew up in an extended family of pastors, bishops, and musicians throughout the metropolitan Kansas City area, and inherited his passion for music from that family. Before surrendering to ministry, he served as minister of music and music director for more than twenty-five years at other congregations. His ministry began at Love United, a church founded by his uncle, Pastor Dan Vassol Sr., where he served first as a musician and then as a deacon. He also led a young men's outreach and taught Sunday school.
For years, David sensed a calling on his life but did not readily respond. In October 2011, after many sleepless nights, he conceded to God's summons to proclaim the gospel of Christ. He preached his first sermon that December. His vision for Shalom is that every person would receive spiritual, physical, and emotional healing and become a disciple of Christ. He and his wife Carla Cobbins, the church's First Lady, have been married for more than thirty years. They share one son and have seven grandchildren, and they enjoy serving together in God's Kingdom.
What Shalom Believes
Shalom Missionary Baptist Church holds to a straightforward confessional Baptist faith. The church teaches that God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe and has eternally existed in three persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - who are co-equal and are one God (Genesis 1:1, 26, 27; 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
The church's stated purpose is to fulfill the Great Commission by making disciples of all nations. Its preaching brings together the Law as God's perfect standard, which renders everyone guilty of breaking God's Holy Law, and the Gospel, which promises that all will stand before God in judgment and declares that Jesus Christ died for the ungodly, was buried, and rose again for our justification. Shalom preaches that whoever repents of sin and calls on the name of the Lord Jesus shall be saved.
Worship and Bible Study Through the Week
The congregation gathers for Sunday Worship at 10:00 a.m. in the sanctuary on Paseo Boulevard. A midweek Bible Study meets on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. Services are held in English. Visitors who prefer to wear a mask are welcome to do so at their own discretion.
Men and Women Who Walk Alongside the Pastor
Alongside the pastors, a team of ministers and deacons help carry the work of the church. Associate Pastor Robert Miller also serves as Youth Pastor. Associate Pastor Raymond Price and Associate Minister Aaron Cutchlow round out the ministerial staff. The Board of Deacons includes Marcus Craig, Chad Epps, Richard Jones, Steve Jones, Myles Kendall, Therron Richardson, and Nathan Yearby.
Ministries that Keep the Service Flowing
Shalom's ministries are organized around the Sunday worship experience and the life of the congregation. The Audio/Visual team handles sound and media. Baptism and Communion are observed as acts of worship. The Dance ministry brings movement into services. Greeters welcome people at the door, while Ushers guide seating and the offering. The Music ministry, led in part by a pastor with twenty-five years of music-directing experience, supports congregational singing. Orientation helps new members find their place, and Sanctuary Beautification keeps the worship space prepared week to week.
Sermons, Giving, and Getting Connected
Sermons are posted online, with recent messages titled "We Walk By Faith," "God Got It!," "Save Your Falling Kingdom," and "Family Matters: All In The Family." Giving is available in person during worship and through an online giving page. Visitors who want to learn more can fill out a New Member Registration form, and current members are invited to complete a Personal Data Information form so the church can put their skills and gifts to work. A prayer request page invites anyone to submit needs so that the prayer team can intercede.
A Body Growing Through Life Together
What makes Shalom distinctive is the story still being written - a small prayer meeting that became a sanctuary, a music minister who became a pastor, and a church family that has grown from seven to more than three hundred. The members describe themselves as people who are "faithfully proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, going into all the world making disciples of all nations." Whether through Sunday worship, Tuesday Bible study, the music ministry, or the quiet faithfulness of deacons and members behind the scenes, Shalom Missionary Baptist Church continues to point its people, and its city, to the peace of God that surpasses all understanding.