How Holiday Shores Baptist Church Came To Be

In March of 1985, a group of interested individuals from the Holiday Shores community met with the Missions Committee, the Pastor of the Meadowbrook First Southern Baptist Church, the Director of Missions of the Alton Industrial Baptist Association, and a consultant from the Baptist Sunday School Board to make plans for a Bible Study in the home of the Art Reames family, members of the Meadowbrook Church.

The first Bible Study was held in the Reames' home in September of 1985. Calvin Reynolds, Pastor of Meadowbrook Church at that time, and Paul Davis, Director of Missions for AIBA, conducted the Bible Study until Ed Haynes was called as a Church Planter to pastor the group in May of 1987.

Many prospects were discovered in a survey of the Holiday Shores community in September of 1987.

On January 24, 1988 the first Sunday School and Worship Service was held in the Reames' home with twenty persons in attendance.

Dow Southern Baptist Church donated a double-wide modular building to the Chapel in April of 1988. The building was placed on a leased lot on St. James Road in which the first services were held in May of 1988.

With the help of the Illinois Baptist Association, 4.6 acres of land were purchased on Moro Road in May of 1989 for the new sight of the Holiday Shores Baptist Chapel. In September of 1989, the temporary building was relocated to the new site.

Ground breaking for a new building was conducted on February 24, 1991 and dedication services were held in the new building on May 19, 1991.

The chapel was constituted into a Southern Baptist Church on April 26, 1992.

Pastor Ed Haynes resigned in December of 1992 and returned to school. Richard Farrow came to serve as our interim pastor in July of 1993.

Pastor Bob Burton and his wife Dana were called to Holiday Shores Baptist Church in February of 1995.

In July 2001, Pastor Bob Burton resigned to enter Home Mission work with the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board. In October 2001 Richard Farrow came to serve as our interim pastor.

In September of 2002, our current pastor Rev. Wes Pinkley was called to Holiday Shores. Discipleship and Bible study have been themes during his tenure.

The Future

Looking to see where God is at work tends to be the theme of the future. We are focusing on finding God’s activity as our horizon and map, as well as striving to show the relevancy of scripture to the world.

The Holiday Shores Baptist Church is a group of people who love the Lord, are dedicated to reaching this community and the world for Jesus Christ, and nurturing these people to a closer relationship with their Savior.