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Our HistoryComing from a Fundamentalist background, we once tried all the machinations of man to swell the church in size and pep up her enthusiasm. But after years of amusing youth programs, children’s church, VBS, summer camps, sentimental gospel songs, revival meetings, and light-hearted worship services, our suspicions grew that these things were doing more harm than good. What growth we saw was not healthy growth; we were not significantly larger in number, but we were significantly shallower. Therefore, as we entered this century, we took a new approach - or to be precise, an old one. Divesting ourselves of frivolous youth programs, we began keeping our families together. With this came an increase in sobriety, and an awed sense of God’s sovereignty flourished. Our purpose in worship changed; instead of trying to attract and retain people by appealing to their appetites, we turned our attention to God and strove to be reverent. None of these things were calculated to fill the pews; by every measure we once held, it seemed inevitable that the church would die with us. But today, by the grace of God, the church is thriving. Growing out of a Methodist work that began in Minnesota Falls, First Baptist was organized Nov. 29, 1878 with nine charter members. They met in the old court house until, on Sep. 3, 1882, they completed a house of worship on “Baptist Hill,” a corner lot on 9th Avenue (across the street and a little east of Granite Falls Lutheran). Despite much financial hardship, the congregation persevered. They first installed electric lights in 1898, stained glass windows in 1900, and in 1912, they built a parsonage. But in 1913, the church took a turn that nearly ended in its dissolution. On Sep. 20, 1913, First Baptist began sharing their pastor with the Congregational church. The two churches worshiped together, alternating locations each Sunday. Jan. 22, 1920, this relationship was formalized with articles of federation. But by 1927, First Baptist had shrunk to 12 members. Some in the federation wanted to close the Baptist church entirely and sell its property. In Sep. 1927, the Baptists severed the federation and began sharing the pastor from Sparta, who attended the Northwestern Bible and Missionary Training School in the Twin Cities during the week and commuted to this area by train each weekend. The church began to thrive. The congregation worked very hard to maintain their property as it grew older. Pastor Loewens, formerly of the Mennonite Brethren church of Mountain Lake, led the church through an extensive building and repair program in 1950-1952. Adding his own personal touch, Pastor Loewens hand-crafted a pulpit, However, with a small, 77-year-old building and no room to expand, the congregation soon decided to move. They built the current house of worship in less than a year and a half, dedicating it to God on Sep. 25, 1960. Still, each Sunday morning, you can see a part of the old facility. Pastor Loewens’ beautiful pulpit is still here, lifting high the Holy Bible in all its authority and splendor. The July, 2000 tornado damaged the meeting-house and the parsonage next-door, and the congregation worked hard to repair the damage, rebuilding the parsonage from the ground up. But the work of maintenance is never done in this world, where all creation is in bondage to decay. By God’s grace, and for God’s glory, this church continues to bring the Gospel to Granite Falls, and continues the most important construction of all – the building up of the body of Christ with the inerrant, infallible Bible. And as we lift up our worship to God, in reverence and awe, we do so in love and gratitude for the great things he has done. |
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Latest PodcastMay 13, 2012 Living the Good Life: Right Feeling, Right Thinking and Right Doing, Part 1 Philippians 4:8 Latest Journal
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First Baptist Church, 1620 10th Avenue, Granite Falls, MN 56241-1024 | |
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