Laying the Groundwork

Galilee Baptist Church was conceived by Spring Lake Park Baptist Church in early 1954 when members saw the need for a Baptist church in the Lexington-Circle Pines area.  Recruiting the help of Bethel Seminarian Paul Wick, they set to work canvassing the neighborhood.  Ray and Evelyn Bailey joined in by starting prayer meetings and Bible studies in their home. 

The first church service of the Lexington-Circle Pines church was held in the Lovell School on June 27, 1954 at 11 a.m. There were thirty-one people in attendance. Paul Wick gave a message entitled, "The Apostle Paul Instructs a Young Church."

Membership grew steadily over the next couple of years.  In August of 1954, the record attendance was 50.  Two months later, it had reached 80 people; and by January 1955, the attendance was a record 102!  And although the attendance continued to grow and fluctuate, more long-term results were showing as well.  Membership had grown from the fifty-seven charter members in 1954 to one hundred fifty-six committed members is 1964.

Landmarks in the Church's History

• First Vacation Bible School was held August 16- 20, 1954. Peak attendance was 102 children on Tuesday!
  
  
• First Child-Parent Dedication was October 24, 1954, and involved four infants.
  
  
• First Sunday School Christmas Program was held in the Lovell School building on December 19, 1954.
  
  
• First Youth Sunday was January 30, 1955.  Some young people from Spring Lake Park Baptist Church came over to help out the new Galilee Youth.
  
  
• In 1955, Paul Wick was ordained on January 31, 1955 to be the pastor of the new congregation. A church office was found and rented from the Pink Pony Motel. And the boys' softball team was started under Coach "Earl" Mewhorter.

Finding a Location

Searching for an empty lot on which to build the church was top priority the summer of 1955. A committee made up of Wes Wolff, Ray Bailey, the Kringles, and a few others meticulously checked out available property, sometimes driving around until midnight.  There are even reports that Pastor Paul Wick zealously climbed through the windows of several deserted buildings and barns to help find a lot.

Finally, in September 1955, the committee discovered the property on North Road and Lexington (then called Elwell Road). Pleased with what they had found, they made a whopping $200 down payment to seal the deal!

Finding a lot was only one of the exciting events of 1955. Attendance was rapidly increasing in the Lovell School for the Lexington-Circle Pines church. Sunday school averaged 85 people, while the morning worship attendance had risen to 97.

At a November 17, 1955 business meeting, several important matters were discussed. Most important were the beginnings of a church constitution, the choosing of a church name, and the decision to join the Baptist General Conference.