When Pastor Andy Adkison joined City Life Church as their lead pastor in Wichita, Kansas, in April 2021, the married father of three boys was welcomed with a “unanimous” vote of support from the elders. Just over four years later, City Life Church has scrubbed all mention of him from the leadership page on its website, and the leadership hasn’t publicly explained why, amid rumors he has been “disqualified.”
The last time Adkison was featured preaching on a public broadcast from City Life Church’s YouTube account was on July 20.
A week later, on July 27, Adkison was visibly absent from the pulpit. In his place was Brett Wiley, City Life Church’s pastor of discipleship, who also serves as an elder. He made no mention of Adkison, but at the end of his sermon, he bid all the visitors of the church goodbye and invited members to stay for a family meeting.
“If you’re not a part, if you’re not all the way in with us, either a member or maybe you’ve been attending for a long time, we’d invite you to go ahead and leave, and we’ll see you next week,” Wiley said.
“As for the member meeting, we will be discussing some sensitive information. So, we are continuing kids’ ministry through that time. We’d invite you to leave your kiddos there. If you’re a member or you’re staying for the meeting, or if you have kids in the room, we’d ask you to be wise as parents.”
City Life Church did not respond to multiple requests from The Christian Post for comment on Adkison’s removal from leadership amid online speculation that he disqualified himself from ministry.
City Life Church, which was planted in 2011, is a member of the Harbor Network, which is “a family of churches committed to launching, leading, and multiplying thriving churches.” The organization says it provides the “safety and support church leaders need through relational coaching, training, care, financial support” among other things.
In 2016, five years after City Life Church was launched, it merged with First Baptist Church, according to the Harbor Network.
“As a merged congregation, our vision is to demonstrate and declare the goodness of Jesus from the heart of Wichita to the world,” a description of City Life Church said. “With each person who enters our fellowship, our desire is to help them grow to increasingly know and follow Jesus, connect with others in authentic relationships, and engage in the mission of making disciples.”
Contact: leonardo.blair@christianpost.com Follow Leonardo Blair on Twitter: @leoblair Follow Leonardo Blair on Facebook: LeoBlairChristianPost
