A Tale of Two Churches
Shiloh Hills Fellowship, in Spokane, WA, was created by the merger of two churches, Shiloh Hills Baptist and Cornerstone Fellowship in early 2002. The story of this merger is a story of new beginnings and faith that started in Spokane in 1894.
Shiloh Hills Baptist Church had its beginnings as the First Swedish Baptist Church of Spokane, which was organized by seven church pioneers in 1894. The church had been meeting at a mission station of First American Baptist downtown. Later, the church rented a storeroom in the Norden Hotel on Riverside and took the name Swedish Tabernacle. The church grew quickly and soon moved to the Cottage Hotel (later renamed the Arlington Hotel). A branch Sunday School was soon organized in the Union Park area and enrollment at the two locations was 225.
In 1899, property was purchased near the Spokane County Courthouse. It was completed in 1902. It was called First Swedish Baptist. They soon planted another church in Union Park. In 1919, the church began to replace Swedish with English as the primary language used in services. In 1931 the name was changed to Broadway Baptist church.
In 1958, despite 3 different building expansions, the church was overflowing, and a church plant was started at Loma Vista Grade School. They later built their own building across from Salk Middle School. In 1982, the church purchased property in the Shiloh Hills area because the neighborhood had been taken over by county buildings and people had moved out of the area. The name was changed to Shiloh Baptist. While the building was being built, services were held at Lilac Plaza Retirement Center and the Linwood Seventh Day Adventist Church. The first service in the new building was Christmas eve, 1985, with construction planks for seats and no heat.
In 1997, the name was changed to Shiloh Hills Baptist church be identify more closely with the neighborhood. Somewhere in this timeframe, Loma Vista Baptist closed and rejoined Shiloh Hills Baptist.
Cornerstone Fellowship began on May 6, 2001 with a group of about 20 people meeting for a Bible study in a home. Within a few weeks, they had outgrown the house and were looking for a place to meet. Crossover Baptist Church had outgrown their building at Division and Hastings and were meeting at Shiloh Hills Elementary while their new church was being built and Cornerstone Fellowship was allowed to use the building. They remained there from July 2001 through March 2002, when the building was sold. In a “chance” meeting between an attender of Cornerstone Fellowship and the retiring pastor’s wife of Shiloh Hills Baptist, they realized that Shiloh Hills Baptist had a building, but would soon be without a pastor, while Cornerstone Fellowship had pastors but no building. After various meetings between the elders of both churches, a nearly unanimous vote was taken to merge. The first service of the new church was on Easter 2002 in what is now the gym.
Soon the church had grown out of the facility and broke ground on the portion of the building you are now sitting in. The first service in the facility was on Mother’s Day, May 9, 2004. This was a significant date because 18 years earlier, on Mother’s Day, Shiloh Hills Baptist had held their first service in their completed building.
May God continue to use us for his glory in carrying out the Great Commission in the Shiloh Hills neighborhood and beyond. May we be found faithful.
Shiloh Hills Baptist Church had its beginnings as the First Swedish Baptist Church of Spokane, which was organized by seven church pioneers in 1894. The church had been meeting at a mission station of First American Baptist downtown. Later, the church rented a storeroom in the Norden Hotel on Riverside and took the name Swedish Tabernacle. The church grew quickly and soon moved to the Cottage Hotel (later renamed the Arlington Hotel). A branch Sunday School was soon organized in the Union Park area and enrollment at the two locations was 225.
In 1899, property was purchased near the Spokane County Courthouse. It was completed in 1902. It was called First Swedish Baptist. They soon planted another church in Union Park. In 1919, the church began to replace Swedish with English as the primary language used in services. In 1931 the name was changed to Broadway Baptist church.
In 1958, despite 3 different building expansions, the church was overflowing, and a church plant was started at Loma Vista Grade School. They later built their own building across from Salk Middle School. In 1982, the church purchased property in the Shiloh Hills area because the neighborhood had been taken over by county buildings and people had moved out of the area. The name was changed to Shiloh Baptist. While the building was being built, services were held at Lilac Plaza Retirement Center and the Linwood Seventh Day Adventist Church. The first service in the new building was Christmas eve, 1985, with construction planks for seats and no heat.
In 1997, the name was changed to Shiloh Hills Baptist church be identify more closely with the neighborhood. Somewhere in this timeframe, Loma Vista Baptist closed and rejoined Shiloh Hills Baptist.
Cornerstone Fellowship began on May 6, 2001 with a group of about 20 people meeting for a Bible study in a home. Within a few weeks, they had outgrown the house and were looking for a place to meet. Crossover Baptist Church had outgrown their building at Division and Hastings and were meeting at Shiloh Hills Elementary while their new church was being built and Cornerstone Fellowship was allowed to use the building. They remained there from July 2001 through March 2002, when the building was sold. In a “chance” meeting between an attender of Cornerstone Fellowship and the retiring pastor’s wife of Shiloh Hills Baptist, they realized that Shiloh Hills Baptist had a building, but would soon be without a pastor, while Cornerstone Fellowship had pastors but no building. After various meetings between the elders of both churches, a nearly unanimous vote was taken to merge. The first service of the new church was on Easter 2002 in what is now the gym.
Soon the church had grown out of the facility and broke ground on the portion of the building you are now sitting in. The first service in the facility was on Mother’s Day, May 9, 2004. This was a significant date because 18 years earlier, on Mother’s Day, Shiloh Hills Baptist had held their first service in their completed building.
May God continue to use us for his glory in carrying out the Great Commission in the Shiloh Hills neighborhood and beyond. May we be found faithful.