Who We Are
Lakeshore Baptist Church
Our Purpose
To glorify God through worship of Him, through building up of each other through teaching and fellowship, and through spreading the good news of Jesus Christ in our community and to the world.
Our History
Lakeshore Baptist Church traces its roots back to four fisherman families, immigrants from East Prussia, who arrived on the shore of Lake Michigan in St. Joseph in 1856. They had cast off from the Milwaukee area with hope for better fishing and an easier life than they had found in the "bush" country of Wisconsin. St. Joseph was thriving, and at first there was no housing available for the new arrivals, so they lived on their boats until a vacant house was finally procured. All four families lived in the house, and it was there that they held their first services. After a few years, the families convinced their former pastor, a missionary who had also come from East Prussia, to join them. He moved in with them in 1859 and lived the life of a fisherman. Soon afterward, the First German Baptist Church of St. Joseph was established.
In 1933, the influence of younger members brought about the adoption of English as the primary language used in the services, and the name of the church was changed to First Baptist Church of St. Joseph. Then in 1963, Lakeshore Baptist Church was established as a daughter church. In September of 1963, the congregation began meeting at Lakeshore High School, and in 1965, the present gymnasium and Sunday School wing of the church building were finished. In 1972, the sanctuary was added. In 1999, LBC called Duane Anderson as pastor. Pastor Duane's commitment to serving the Lord is well known, and his desire to work to bring spiritual growth to our local community reflects the desire of the church members.
It is LBC's desire to provide an environment that is warm and friendly and one that makes it relatively easy for people to develop relationships. We are grateful to the Lord for each opportunity He provides to help the people of our community to learn more about Him. Our ancestors worked hard as simple fisherman, but it is our privilege to strive to be fishers of men. It is our continued desire to bring to our neighborhood, community and the world a better understanding of the God who loves them and whom we serve.
Our Vision
Lakeshore Baptist Church will become a place where we will...
WORSHIP God with all our heart, soul and mind,
NURTURE people to a sense of belonging in God's family,
ALLOW God to equip people for ministry,
TEACH people to grow through discipleship,
WIN new people to Christ to grow God's Kingdom.
Our Pastor
Pastor Duane Anderson grew up on a farm in western Nebraska and studied Animal Science at the University of Nebraska. He earned a Master of Theology degree at Dallas Theological Seminary. He has served in various posistions since entering full-time ministry in 1974, including campus ministry, theological education in Africa and pastoral ministry.
