Our History

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The History of Family Baptist Church

Our Early History

The Family Baptist Church originated as a church plant of the Fourth Baptist Church. The church was started in 1998 when Fourth Baptist relocated from North Minneapolis to its present location in Plymouth, Minnesota. The Family Baptist Church is a testimony to the ministry of many faithful believers who ministered in North Minneapolis since 1885.

Its predecessor, Fourth Baptist started as a Sunday School mission of the First Baptist Church of Minneapolis, it met in members' homes until it grew large enough for its own building. The Jewett Chapel, on the corner of 11th Avenue North and Lyndale Ave , housed the church until it was large enough to build a new sanctuary at 18th Avenue North and Dupont Avenue in 1885.

In 1920, the Fourth Baptist church voted to buy land and build on the corner of Fremont Avenue North and 21st Avenue . A long period of growth and expansion followed; by 1954 the church averaged over 700 for Sunday services. In 1974, Fourth Baptist Church constructed a 2,000 seat auditorium adjacent to the original auditorium on Fremont Avenue North . It remained there until 1998 when the congregation voted to sell the old properties and build new facilities in Plymouth , a suburb of Minneapolis . A new ministry, Family Baptist Church , was planted in the original north Minneapolis neighborhood, and many of Fourth Baptist's members remained to strengthen this new inner-city ministry. It was from this group of remaining members Family Baptist was started.

Our Present History

When the Fourth Baptist Church relocated in 1998, they left behind a small body of members who were committed to ministering to the communities of North Minneapolis. Originally, the group met in separate services beginning the fall of 1996 in the Clearwaters Chapel at the old Fourth Baptist site (2101 Fremont Ave N, Minneapolis, Minnesota). The first service was on September 8th, 1996

The Church became an independent church when it chartered in the following spring of 1997. Family Baptist Church was chartered on June 22nd, 1997. It remained at the Clearwaters Chapel location until the late fall of 2002. Through God's providence the church purchased its present location (2201 Girard Ave N, Minneapolis, Minnesota). God graciously provided for the Immanuel Lutheran Church to sell its campus to Family Baptist Church. The site was prized by Family Baptist Church because of its location to the old Fourth Baptist site and its connection to the neighborhood.

Its first and only pastor has been Senior Pastor Lee Ormiston. At the church chartering service he was offically installed as Pastor of the Family Baptist Church by an unanimous vote. Pastor Lee Ormiston was instrumental in the planting of Family Baptist Church. He was appointed as the overseeing pastor during the time before Family Baptist chartered as its own church. God has allowed him to be an intregral part of the Family Baptist ministry.

God has graciously provided and watched over this ministry through it brief history. Today, Family Baptist has realized the next step in it's history by planting another ministry in the inner city of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. This new ministry is an independent church and is called All-Nations Baptist Church. It is pastored by Pastor Jason Ormiston and is located near the University of Minnesota campus. If you are interested in joining this journey of ours, contact us at (612) 964-3449.