Bethlehem Baptist Church (Minneapolis)
| Bethlehem Baptist Church | |
|---|---|
| 44°58′9″N 93°15′18″W / 44.96917°N 93.25500°WCoordinates: 44°58′9″N 93°15′18″W / 44.96917°N 93.25500°W | |
| Location | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Baptist General Conference |
| Website | hopeingod.org |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | First Swedish Baptist Church of Minneapolis |
| Founded | 1871 |
| Founder(s) | J. L. Johnson |
| Clergy | |
| Pastor(s) |
Jason Meyer, Pastor for Preaching & Vision |
Jason Meyer, Pastor for Preaching & Vision
Ken Currie, Lead Pastor for Downtown & Strategic Implementation
Dan Holst, Lead Pastor, North Campus
Bethlehem Baptist Church, is a multi-site church headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, founded in 1871. Dr. E. Glenn Wagner, Chancellor of Oxford Graduate School, has referred to it as a "flagship congregation of the Baptist General Conference", and C. Douglas Weaver, Director of Undergraduate Studies and Associate Professor of Religion at Baylor University, has called "the best-known congregation in the Baptist General Conference at the turn of the 21st century".
It is also affiliated with the Minnesota Baptist Conference. The church has three campuses: the main campus in downtown Minneapolis and satellite campuses in Mounds View and Lakeville. From 1980 until January 2013, its senior pastor was John Piper. Pastor Jason Meyer succeeded him on January 1, 2013.
In the early 1870s, J. L. Johnson became the first Swede baptized by immersion in Minneapolis—in 30-below weather. He and a growing number of Swedes joined First Baptist Church (Minneapolis), and eventually formed a Swedish Bible class.
On June 22, 1871, they branched off, with First Baptist’s blessing, and founded Bethlehem—originally as the First Swedish Baptist Church of Minneapolis. This was 7 years after the American Civil War ended, and 13 years after Minnesota became a State, in a hall at 2nd Street and Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis, with 22 charter members. Pastor John Ring laid the foundation for the church, which was the first Swedish Baptist church in the Twin Cities area. In March 1872, the church bought a lot at 6th Street and 12th Avenue for $1,000 ($19,992 today); they broke ground in March of the following year on a new $4,000 wood frame church building.
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