Who We Are

We are a gathering of Christians in Battle Lake, MN who welcome vacationing guests to this resort area. Battle Lake is in Otter Tail County, the lakes region of Minnesota.
     We are near Fergus Falls, 3 hours from the Twin Cities on Interstate 94 towards Fargo, 121 Lake Ave. N, Battle Lake, MN.
We worship at 9:30 AM every Sunday.
Our services are casual, so wear whatever you want. We sing old favorite hymns, share where we have experienced God's love, pray for our concerns, and learn from interesting studies of the Bible with our pastor. In the summer, we also enjoy refreshments every Sunday after worship. We look forward to meeting you!
What do we believe? Saved by the grace of God. Commanded to love one another no matter what. American Baptist affiliated, the oldest Baptist denomination in the USA.

Our History

The First Baptist Church was organized June 5, 1883, when six members holding letters from other Baptist churches met at the home of W. H. Kephart. Articles of Incorporation were drawn up and notarized by Orris Albertson on June 6th. W. H. Kephart was ordained the first pastor on July 31st. The meetings of this small group were held in the homes until January 27, 1884, when they started meeting in their newly acquired chapel, which had been the first school house of the village. It was purchased from the school on November 1, 1884, by J.A. Colehour, Adell Jones and Washington Muzzy, Trustees for the First Baptist Church. It was a log building on the east edge of the First Lutheran cemetery, and the only church in town where English was spoken. This served as their chapel until December 1893, when the present building was dedicated.
     This landmark building was designed by the famous architect, Walter B. Dunnell, who had opened an office in Minneapolis about 1881. Some of his other great works include: the state hospitals at Fergus Falls, Rochester, St Peter and Anoka; state training school for boys at Red Wing; state school for the deaf at Faribault; the state school and buildings at the Pillsbury Academy at Owatonna and the Minnesota Soldiers Home in Minneapolis.
     This little church building is pictured on page 216 of "A Guide to the Architecture of Minnesota," with comments by David Gebhard and Tom Martinson. The structure is a shingle and clapboard church; Gothic with a suggestion of colonial revival. The tower, with its pointed roof, has been treated as a dormer projection from the main roof; in terms of design the church's most interesting feature is its rear, where a shed-roof/gable wing tucks itself under the arch of the main body of the building.
     In the summer of 1921, the building was raised about two feet to accommodate a full basement, kitchen and furnace. The addition on the west end of the church was to accommodate a baptistry. It was later remodeled to provide a rear stair-way and coal bin which was later removed to make space for a washroom. Rev. Richard Grenell was pastor at the time of the church's centennial in 1983.

As printed in the Battle Lake Review December 21, 1893
The new Baptist chapel in this village which was dedicated to the service of God on Sunday morning, Dec. 10th, is certainly an ornament to the village and a credit to those who had charge since the work began. It was about a year ago when some of the lady members of the Baptist Society in this village made up their minds to have a new house of worship in a more central location. A meeting of the church members was called and it was at once decided to secure a suitable location and commence raising a church building fund. Each member agreed to raise a certain amount. It was also decided that a lot should be purchased, but that the work of building should not begin until all the money necessary had been secured. E.A. Everts, J.A. Colehour, R.B. Warfield and Dr. Jones were appointed a building committee and they at once secured the lot on the comer of Summit St. and Lake Ave. and sent to Dunnell & Elliott of Minneapolis for plans and specifications.
     The members, meanwhile, had commenced to do their work and from the start they met with splendid success. Sufficient money had been secured and promised last spring to insure success and the work of laying the foundation, P.O. Peterson commenced framing the building and there was not a day lost until it was turned over to the plasterer E.W. Hinkston and from him to Geo. W. Willie, the painter. The new church cost $1359.00. It is 24 by 50 feet on the ground. The auditorium is 22 by 36, the parlor 14 by 14. It is pronounced by those who have seen it, one of the prettiest little churches in the state and Battle Lake people think that is right.