160 Years of God's Faithfulness
In the year of 1857, the region currently known as Waterville, Minnesota was settled. The village of Waterville moved progressively forward and the population continued to enlarge. A wide variety of businesses (furniture making, ice harvesting, clothing manufacturing) and the good fishing drew a growing population base.
The following are excerpts from a church document titled Tracing the Steps of First Baptist Church of Waterville.
“On September 2, 1860 a group of believers met at the schoolhouse with Rev. E.S. Smith in anticipation of organizing a church. Two weeks later, on September 16, 1860 while meeting at Paquins Hall these believers organized the First Baptist Church of Christ in Waterville, MN. This important event in Waterville came only two years after the MN Territory became a state in 1858. This event also preceded the election of this nation’s 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, November of 1860.
In 1880 the church incorporated and the name was then changed to the First Baptist Church. Two years following its incorporation, on August 11,1882, it was voted to erect the original church building on the previous site, located on East Paquin Street. The building was to be 37 ft. wide by 56 ft. long with two 12ft. by 12 ft. towers in the front. The cost of the building, including one coat of paint, came to $325...."
In 2007 the church began a construction phase to add nearly 5,000 square feet of much needed space. The portico was added along with several classrooms, additional restrooms, offices and the lobby quadrupled in size.
The Local Church is a Gift
From its beginning, First Baptist Church has longed for our community and surrounding areas to know God individually and journey through life in a personal relationship with Him. The local church is a gift from God, given to us to participate in community together - worshipping, serving and growing together - and more into His likeness. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
Commit to God's People
Consider resolving to know God more fully in fellowship with his people, so that they might strengthen your faith and so that you might encourage theirs. As a church family, we can fully live out Scripture’s commands to love one another (John 13:34–35), show honor to one another (Romans 12:10), serve one another (Galatians 5:13), bear with one another, forgive one another (Colossians 3:12–13), and encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
