Pastor for Central Baptist Church of Augusta
Pastor Steve and Rachel Hollingsworth
Steven E. Hollingsworth received a Diploma of Theological Studies from Central Baptist Theological Seminary on May 21, 1993. A journey in the ministry of God to spread the Gospel to many people was begun. A great many people have been touched by Steve’s ministry.
Steve was raised in Grandview, Missouri and graduated from Ruskin Heights High School. In the mid 1960’s Steve joined the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. He was stationed in Ankara, Turkey as a communications specialist. After the military service, Steve worked as a salesman selling culvert pipe and metal guard rail first in Kansas City and then in Paola, Kansas. A week after Steve was discharged from the Air Force his mother passed away and his father, in a matter of weeks, remarried. He then told Steve he would no longer take care of Steve’s brother who was in high school. Steve and his brother were now on their own with only $25 a month from his father for support. Then Steve’s younger brother joined Steve’s household. Once the boys graduated from high school Steve moved to Paola.
It was in Paola that he met Rachel Slawson who was teaching math at Paola High School. Rachel graduated from Tonganoxie High School and the University of Kansas with a degree in math. She has taught high school and college night classes.
Steve was active in the local Paola Civic Theater and it was at a tryout for a play that he and Rachel met. Steve was a member of the Paola First Baptist Church where he became a youth leader. He served as a youth leader for seven years at First Baptist. He felt the calling to fulltime ministry at Paola where he was also member of the church choir and gospel singing group. Steve started into the ministry at age 39 in answering God’s calling to go into the ministry. Steve and Rachel started a family in Paola and three boys were born in Paola. Philip was their first child followed by Nathan and Micah.
While Steve was attending Central Baptist Seminary a new opportunity developed to start his ministry as a pastor at a small church near Paola. Steve became an interim pastor of the Elm Grove Baptist Church while he continued his ministry studies. It was a challenging time to attend seminary classes and serve part time as a minister of a small rural church.
Upon Steve’s graduation from seminary he accepted the calling of the Lord to become the pastor of the First Baptist Church at Sheffield, Iowa. It was at Sheffield First Baptist Steve developed his ministry to communicate the word of God to the people of Sheffield. With his skill from his days as an actor in plays in Paola he found another way to convey the message of the God by bringing to life a personality from the Bible. It was an exciting time to have Jonah, Elijah, or Noah run down the aisle of the sanctuary hollering to heavens. While in Sheffield the church’s membership grew as more people accepted Christ as their Savior.
As opportunity beckons Steve and Rachel’s journey in the ministry continued when he was called to serve as the minister of the First Baptist Church of Atchison. There was a need to grow the church in Atchison and Steve was the right person to develop a message of the Gospel to community.
In January of 2009 the journey in the ministry continued for Steve when he accepted the pastorate of Central Baptist Church of Augusta.
Over the course of time Steve has had the privilege to baptize over 200 people in the last twenty years, many of whom are still in churches and serving God in a variety of ways. This year in time marks several milestones for Steve and Rachel. Steve turned 60 on June 9th and Steve and Rachel celebrated their 30th anniversary of marriage on May 24th. This year marks the 20th year Steve has been a minister for God and conveying the message of the Gospels. Steve has enjoyed directing summer camp for many youth who have enjoyed Steve’s humor and his unwavering commitment to the word of God. This summer will mark the 10th year Steve has led young people at camp to a new understanding in the teachings of the Bible.
The journey to spread the word of God continues June 13, 2010 when Steve Hollingsworth became an ordained minister at Central Baptist Church of Augusta, Kansas. May God bless you.
