History
In March 1953, several Park Forest couples led by Mr. and Mrs. Harold Hill asked Dr. James D. Mosteller, then associate professor of church history at Chicago's Northern Baptist Seminary to lead weekly Bible Study in their homes. By June of that year, the group had grown so large that it had to start meeting at 26th and Western. That October, the group began to meet at Rich East High School.
The church was formally organized on March 7, 1954. A construction was adopted and officers were elected. These officers included Dr. Mosteller who acted as an Interim Pastor, an assistant pastor, a moderator, twelve deacons, three trustees, a church clerk, a church treasurer, and a financial secretary. Department superintendents and teachers were also approved by the church. The first full-time minister replaced Dr. Mosteller on August 1, 1955.
Fo approximately three years, the church met at the Little Theater at Rich East and when necessary other schools and area churches. Plans were drawn up to include three buildings (education, sanctuary and a separate small chapel) and a parking lot. Construction began on February 3, 1958. In the end, only two of the three planned buidings were built. The educational building was constructed first and in August 1958 school District 163 contracted to use the building during the week for a rental charge of $7,500 a year.
The church patronage was acquired in the summer of 1960 and ground was broken for the new sanctuary in 1964. The church cornerstone was laid during a special service on July 11, 1965 and the Santuary dedicated on September 19, 1965.
As are all Baptist churches, First Baptist is an autonomous church. This means it, among other things, selects its pastoral leadership, determines its worship form, decides financial matters and directs other church-related affairs without outside control or supervision.
