Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis

Bethlehem Baptist Church is a 19th-century institution headquartered in Minneapolis, with two satellite campuses in Lakeview and Mounds View. Often hailed as a heavyweight among the Baptist General Conference (BGC) congregations, it traces its roots back to a small group of Swedes who, after being baptized by immersion in 1870, started their own Swedish Bible class. By June 22 the following year, they officially founded the First Swedish Baptist Church of Minneapolis-later known as Bethlehem Baptist Church.

Under the leadership of Pastor John Ring, the fledgling congregation purchased land in 1872 for $1,000 and set about building a modest wooden-frame church, completed the next year at a cost of $4,000. Tragedy struck in 1885 when the original building burned down, but the church quickly rebounded, snapping up a new property at 8th Street and 13th Avenue South. By the 1890s, Bethlehem began weaving English-language services into the mix, though Swedish services lingered until the 1930s.

As the years rolled on, the church kept growing. By 1955, they’d expanded their educational facilities, and in 1991, a brand-new sanctuary was unveiled. Not content to stop there, the Education for Exultation campaign funded yet another expansion in 2003. The North Campus in Mounds View opened its doors in June 2005, and by the following year, a third campus was hosting worship services at Burnsville High School.