Forest Lake Christian Church began under the inspiration of a spiritual movement begun by Barton W. Stone and Alexander Campbell. The Restoration Movement, as it is called, took place within Christian circles, as it sought to return to the New Testament way of “doing church”, including communion once a week and changing the organization of church government. In July of 1909, thirty-two people came together at the home of H.W. Swansons, with Julius Stone of the Minnesota Bible College serving as the spokesman; this would be the first gathering of Forest Lake Christian Church. In August of 1909, they decided to build a tabernacle for worship, which was completed in September of 1910 (however, the church met only twice in this tabernacle due to extremely cold weather; during the winter, they gathered in the Town Hall).
The Church itself was officially organized on October 9, 1909. The tabernacle was replaced by the new church building on November 20, 1910. In 1917, Bible School classrooms were added to the superstructure; in 1928, the mortgages on the building were fulfilled; and in 1930, the church parsonage was built.
On December 20, 1942, fire ravaged the church building. Services were temporarily held in the American Legion Hall until 1943, when the new auditorium—currently the basement—was constructed. Rebuilding continued for many years. In 1951, groundbreaking for the new superstructure took place, and on Palm Sunday, 1952, the first service was held in the new building. The building then constructed is the building that now sits on the property along Broadway Avenue.
While Forest Lake Christian Church is not a large church, it has helped start two different churches (White Bear Church of Christ and New Brighton Christian Church), and in 1941, the church played a key role in the development of the Pine Haven Christian Assembly camp. The church is community-oriented, and visitors will find themselves in a warm, caring, people-loving atmosphere. The church seeks to serve one another and the community according to biblical principles, and the congregants seek to stay true to scripture.
