The First Baptist Church had its beginning on Sept 22, 1898 when a small group of people met in the chapel car, Glad Tidings, with the objective of organizing. Two officers were elected at this meeting. T. G. Hallowell of Park Rapids was appointed moderator.
In July of 1898, Rev. E. R. Pope, general missionary of the Minnesota Baptist convention, had asked the Rev. C. G. Cressy to become the district missionary of Beltrami county. His salary was to be paid by John D. Rockefeller of New York City.
Rev. Cressy came to Bemidji in November of 1898 over the Great Northern railway by way of Duluth soon after the close of the war between the Bear Island Chippewa near Walker and the U. S. Army.
Bemidji people who are interested in the Baptist church building will be glad to know that a building 30 x 40 feet with stone foundation will be built this fall and will be ready for use about November 1st. (September 14, 1899)
Sixteen members attended another organizational meeting on Oct 16, 1899. William Francis was elected as Chairman and C. L. Knox as clerk. The Articles of Incorporation were filed with Matt Phibbs, County Register of Deeds on October 23, 1899.
The American Baptist Home Mission Society helped out with plans and funds for a small church. The Bemidji Township Company gave a lot to Rev. Cressy, at 8th Street and Beltrami Avenue. The timber was donated by the lumber company and two lumberjacks offered their services to get the lumber to the Swedback mill where it was sawed.
Many people assisted in the building of the first church and the last board was laid just before midnight of Thanksgiving and a union service was held on Thanksgiving Day.
The church was dedicated on the evening of December 10, 1899, the Baptists having assisted the Presbyterians in organizing their dedication service in the morning of the same day.
For a time the church was served by missionaries and visiting evangelists, but early in 1900 it was decided that a resident pastor should be secured. Rev. M. Bailey accepted the call, but only continued for 11 months, resigning on Oct 1, 1900. He was succeeded by Rev. C. H. Steinhoff, who served one year, and then by Rev. Bloomfield in 1902 to 1907.
The church building was enlarged in 1904, and a chancel and a bell tower were erected. The church was wired for electricity during the same year. The church organ was bought in March of 1905.
Rev. H. Robinson McKee came to Bemidji in September 1907. Mr. McKee was born and educated in the North of Ireland, where he had a few successful years in evangelistic work. As a young man he came to the United States in 1902. After working in connection with Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman in the eastern states, he came out to Minnesota to accept a call to the First Baptist church of Parkers Prairie, where he labored for almost four and one-half years, and from there he came to Bemidji in 1907. He ministered at Bemidji until he was called to Brainerd in March 1911.
In 1909, there were about 100 members. They had one of the best all-round Sunday schools in the state. Bemidji could lay claim to the banner “Sunday school of the state of Minnesota”, having won the “State Banner” for three successive years.
The church building was improved again in 1911, and a dedication of the improved church was held Feb 12, 1911. The music was an important part of the program and Dr. Rood sang two solos which were much appreciated. The Baptists of Bemidji expressed gratitude to all who in any manner contributed money or time to the enlarging of the church edifice.
Rev. Foley served the church from 1911 to 1912; Rev. Chandler from 1912 to 1914; Rev. Alva Alvord from 1914 to 1917; Rev. Witby from 1917 to 1919; Rev. Kehoe from 1919 to 1924; and Rev. Deake from 1924-to 1932.
At the Baptist Convention held in Bemidji in 1922, Rev. Thos. Frizelle, of the American Baptist Publishing Co., spoke of when he was a resident of Bemidji twenty years earlier, having made his home at that time with his uncle, Rev. Thomas Bloomfield, who was then pastor of the Baptist church in Bemidji, and he preached his first sermon in the Bemidji Baptist church.
Ground breaking for the present church in a beautiful setting in the pines west on Highway 2 took place in October, 1971 and the church was dedicated July 23, 1972.