Dayton Poe

Dayton and Ann Poe are the lead pastors of Church in the City, a new church plant in Wichita, Kansas, set to launch its first service on Sunday, March 1, 2026. With a deep passion and calling to reach people in inner-city Wichita, they are excited to share the vision of Church in the City and connect with others who feel called to serve alongside them. In the months leading up to March, they would love to meet you—whether at an upcoming interest meeting, a prayer gathering in their home, or simply over a meal or cup of coffee—to share how you can be part of what God is doing through this new church.

Dayton and Ann have served in a variety of ministry roles over the last twenty-three years in Kansas. Most recently, Dayton served as a U.S. Missionary with F.R.E.E. International, an anti-human trafficking organization that works to rescue individuals caught in trafficking. Over the past three years, he has traveled across the country to aid in searches for missing and exploited children, speak in churches to raise awareness about trafficking, and lead basic self-defense classes for women.

Before that, Dayton spent seven years as the director of Wheat State Retreat Center, where thousands of students encountered God’s presence, power, and freedom during summer camps. This role also included traveling across Kansas to share testimonies of life change and invite churches to partner in the ministry. Prior to that, he served at Generations Church in Andover, KS, first as youth pastor for seven years and then as lead pastor for five. As a lead pastor, Dayton’s heart was to inspire people to both love God and love others. In youth ministry, he led many students to Christ and invested deeply in discipleship and leadership development.

Alongside Dayton’s ministry, Ann has faithfully served in a variety of roles, including leading women’s ministry, leading worship, teaching Bible studies, and serving as a church secretary. In recent years, Dayton and Ann have also volunteered in several ministries at Bethel Life Center, the church they have been grateful to call home.

Dayton and Ann have been married for twenty-nine years and are blessed with two adult sons, a daughter, a daughter-in-law, and another soon-to-be daughter-in-law. Now that their children are grown, they treasure every opportunity to spend time together as a family—whether enjoying the outdoors, playing games, shopping, or gathering around the table for a meal.