Two young women, members of First Baptist Church, Wenatchee, Washington, stood before three children to conduct Sunday School in the East Wenatchee City Hall late in June, 1952. This was the nucleus that became East Wenatchee First Baptist Church.
Six months later, when fifty-two people attended a Christmas program given by the Sunday School, it was clear that the Lord desired a work begun in East Wenatchee. Mr. Thomas Miller was asked by First Baptist church, Wenatchee, to begin this work as a home missions project.
The following spring, property on the corner of Grant Road and Kentucky Street was purchased for $1,200. By Sunday, July 15th just over a year from the time the first Sunday School class was held, the Sunday School moved from East Wenatchee City Hall into the new building.
Although the building was still unfinished, the first church service was held there on November 20, 1953. At the conclusion of the service, seventeen individuals signed the charter and Mr. Thomas Miller was called to pastor the church.
Mr. Miller served faithfully with limited support until 1960 when he accepted a call to pastor a church in El Cerrito, California. When Mr. Miller left, the church was debt free.
Clifton Farnworth was then called to take up the work as pastor. During his ministry, with a loan from NW Baptist Revolving Fund of six thousand dollars, an addition to the original building for Sunday School classes was built using mostly volunteer labor. After Pastor Farnworth resigned, there was a dramatic drop in attendance. However, under the ministry of the next pastor, Linn Loshbough, the work stabilized. When he left in March of 1968, Carl Hill took over the pastorate. Carpeting was installed throughout the building and paneling, new light fixtures, and platform draperies were installed in the auditorium. Pastor Hill served for approximately fifteen months before leaving for another area of Christian service.
While the pulpit committee searched for another man to lead the congregation, Rev. Carl Knutson served as interim pastor.
In July, 1970 Martin Jensen was called as pastor. It was during his ministry that the final payment to NW Baptist Revolving Fund was made and a building fund established for a new building.
When plans were completed by an architect, the church voted to proceed with a new building, putting up a presentable frame within the limits of thirty thousand dollars which was available at that time. Excavation was begun on the east end of the property on October 30th, 1976. On Sunday, October 31st, the building project was dedicated to the Lord.
In March 1978, the church voted to borrow $40,000 to be used for mechanical and electrical work. The goal set in the hall 1979, to occupy the building by Easter Sunday 1980, was met.
When Pastor Jensen accepted a call to a church in Renton, Washington, in 1985, the building had been completed and the church was progressing well. Pastor Richard Riffle became interim pastor while the pulpit committee searched for another man to fill the pulpit.
Robert Edmondson, newly graduated from NW Baptist Seminary was called as pastor in January 1986, and served until December, 1992. The congregation grew under his ministry to the point where additional pews were needed and installed in the back of the auditorium. Parking space was at a premium, so when the lot adjacent to the church became available in 1990, it was purchased.
With increasing church growth, the need for a youth pastor was addressed. As a result, Kim Anderson was chosen and served in this capacity from December 1980 until July 1991.
On August 11, 1991 Jim Jensen, son of Martin L. Jensen, and a member of East Wenatchee First Baptist Church, was selected to replace Kim Anderson as youth pastor. He served until September 2000.
Joseph Parkinson, a graduate of Northwest Baptist Seminary, became pastor in August 1993. This was his first pastorate. During his ministry the church constitution was revised. At this time the parking lots were blacktopped and cement curbing put in along the sidewalks. The church celebrated its 41st anniversary November 20, 1994. It was a time of remembrance and thanksgiving for the Lord for His leading in the life of East Wenatchee First Baptist Church. Pastor Parkinson resigned in the fall of 2000 when he felt the Lord leading him into a church plating ministry in the Northwest. East Wenatchee First Baptist Church commissioned him for that ministry on October 22, 2000.
After a short time with pulpit supplies filling in the church voted to ask Pastor Virgil Vater, Pastor to Seniors at First Baptist Church in Wenatchee, to come as our interim pastor. Pastor Vater served from January until October 2001.
William Cook accepted the call to become pastor and began his ministry to the church on November 4th, 2001. The church celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2003. Speaking at the celebration were Dr. David Miller, son of our first pastor; Thomas Miller; Hilda (Kyostia) Miner, one of those who taught the first Sunday School classes in 1952; and former Pastor Martin L. Jensen brought the main message. Bill cook retired at the end of August, 2017 after serving over 15 years.
With Bill Cook’s retirement, the Deacons voted to call Pastor Dewayne Lebow as the interim Pastor and to help guide the pastor Search Committee. Pastor Lebow served from October, 2017 to January, 2018.
The Search Committee recommended the calling of Pastor Adam Harris in May, 2018 and Adam accepted the call and began his ministry in August, 2018.