Evangelism Among those converted in the Johnston crusade was the Texas evangelist
Jay L. Lowder Jr. (born 1966), of
Wichita Falls.
Pastor Launched in 1996, First Family Church saw exponential growth, and the church broke ground in 1999. The sanctuary was completed at a cost of $10.1 million. Another $8.5 million was spent in 2006 on expanded facilities. The congregation peaked at four thousand members and was described as among the fastest growing churches in America. In 2007, the
Kansas City Star reported issues relating to concerns over financial accountability within
First Family Church, leading to hundreds of members leaving. After the constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in Kansas passed in 2005, Johnston was highlighted as a proponent of the amendment and openly voiced his opposition to abortion. Journalist Jack Cashill, executive editor of Ingram's Magazine, agreed with Johnston's assertions that the pastor was a political media target because of his position as an influential conservative.
Tax liens filed by the
Internal Revenue Service related to more than $107,000 in unpaid payroll taxes from 2007 were resolved quickly in 2008. The elders of the church stated that even while the church was current in its monthly payments, Regions Bank accelerated the mortgage maturity from 30 to five years due to the
2008 financial crisis and demanded the full payment of the loan. The elder board said that AG Financial made a cash offer to Regions Bank to finance First Family Church's mortgage, but Regions Bank rejected the offer. Regions Financial Bank had not yet repaid the 2008
TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program) loan from the federal government when it sold First Family Church's loan to Blue Valley School District. On September 5, 2011, Jerry Johnston announced the church was losing its building. On September 11, 2011, First Family Church building closed its doors. T The church started hosting services at
Olathe East High School and changed its name to New Day Church Kansas City.he bank paid back its $3.5 billion in the spring of 2012. The church closed in September 2012. ==Recognition==