tyler PRATER | lead PASTOR

Tyler was raised in Liberal and was saved as a young boy at Fellowship.  Though he struggled with surrendering to go in to ministry at first, Tyler answered the call to preach at age 17 and pursued further training at Heartland Baptist Bible College in Oklahoma City.

 

After graduating college in 2006 and marrying his wife, Jenilee, Tyler came on staff at Fellowship as a youth pastor, a role he served in for 10 years.  Tyler then transitioned into a new role as the Associate Pastor, in which he oversees the music ministry, young couples class, and other various ministries in the church.  Tyler loves spending time with his wife and son, Kevin, as well as serving in a variety of organizations in the community.


In August of 2020, after serving on staff for 14 years, Pastor Tyler assumed the pastorate of FBC. Both he and his family believe there are great days ahead for Fellowship Baptist Church.

bill prater | staff evangelist

Bill Prater was saved as a “bus kid” at Fellowship Baptist Church in Liberal, Kansas in 1976.  He later attended Bible college where he met his wife, Katie.  The Praters were married and joined the full-time ministry staff of Fellowship Baptist Church in 1981. Bro. Prater served the church in various capacities including Minister of Music, Youth Pastor, and Associate Pastor, before assuming the role of Lead Pastor in May of 2000. In August of 2020, he transitioned away from pastoring and his son, Tyler, assumed the role of Lead Pastor.


Bro. Prater now serves as Staff Evangelist. He, and Katie, will serve as mentors to pastors around the country, preaching in revivals, missions conferences, marriage retreats, Walking Through Grief Sundays, and in various other capacities.

 

In addition to his ministry to Fellowship Baptist Church, Bro. Prater also serves the community of Liberal as a board member and facilitator for the Leadership Enrichment and Development group, and as a chaplain and patrol officer for the Liberal Police Department. In 2022, he received the Officer of the Year Award.

 

Bro. Prater and his wife Katie have two married sons, T. J. and Tyler, one daughter, Tiffany, and seven grandchildren, Boston, Malorie, Kevin, Ellie, Huck, Callie, and Leroy.

dAVID HARRIS | Associate Pastor

David Harris was born and raised in Springfield, Missouri. He came to faith in Christ and was baptized in 2006 at age 14. Sensing a burden for preaching, he surrendered his life for God's use in ministry. He served on staff at a church in Missouri from 2009-2021.


He and Hannah were married in 2015. They have two children, Evangeline and Owen. In the Summer of 2021, David and his family moved to Liberal to join the Fellowship Family. David is a graduate of the Spurgeon College at Midwestern Seminary (BA, Christian Ministry) and a student at Biola University’s Talbot School of Theology. He is passionate about reading, coffee, and listening to people's stories.

sid PRATER | Facilities Manager

Sid grew up in Liberal and has attended Fellowship since he was a small child.  Sid accepted Christ as a 6-year-old at a Sunday night service.  Feeling God's call into ministry, Sid attended Heartland Baptist Bible College in Oklahoma City and graduated with his bachelor's degree in 2008.  While in college, Sid met his wife, Miranda, and they were married shortly after graduating from college.

 

After finishing college, Sid felt like God wanted him to come back to FBC.  Sid has been on staff since 2009 and fulfills many roles, including the oversight of our college ministries.  When Sid is out of the office, he enjoys taking part of CMC ministry at Seward County Community College and spending time with his wife and three sons, Parker, Landon, and Ollie. 

Tanner walton | youth pastor

Tanner grew up in Slaton, TX and accepted Christ when he was a Sophomore in high school.  After graduating high school, Tanner moved to Oklahoma City to receive training for the ministry at Heartland Baptist Bible College, where he graduated in 2018.  While attending college, he met his wife Taryn, and they were married in August of 2017.

 


After serving at a ministry in Montana, Tanner and Taryn joined the staff of FBC in July 2019 to lead the youth department and invest in the next generation of Fellowship Baptist Church.  Tanner and Taryn have a love for teenagers and a desire to help each teen in the youth department become a fully committed follower of Christ.  Tanner enjoys playing basketball and spending time with his wife and their son, Teller.

doug knudsen | school administrator

Bro. K grew up in Harlan, Iowa, and moved to Liberal the year after he graduated high school.  After several years of attending Fellowship Baptist Church, Bro. K accepted Christ as his Savior during an evening service.  He met his wife, Crystal, here at Fellowship, and they were married in 1985.  

 

In 1987, he and his wife joined the staff of Fellowship Baptist Church to oversee the operations of Fellowship Baptist Academy.  They have been in education for over 30 years and have impacted hundreds of students over those years.


Learn more about Fellowship Baptist Academy at fellowshipbaptistacademy.org.