Locations
This church first started meeting in late 1939 and was known then as West Flint Mission. Its Services were initially held at the Old Gym Theater (Utley School) on Corunna Road and was pastored by Eld. Earl Kinney. On January 5th, 1940, the name Friendship Missionary Baptist Church was adopted. In the spring of 1940 the church had purchased two lots of property on Lambden Road to build its first building for dedicated worship. During construction of this new building, the congregation continued to meet at Utley school until the end of the school year. Services were temporary moved to the Corunna Road Store in June 1940. On September 22nd, 1940, the first services were held at the newly constructed location on Lambden Road near Corunna Road. Throughout the 1940’s – 1970’s numerous renovations and additions were made to the Lambden Road building.
By the 1980s, the vision moved towards finding a building a newer and larger facility with parking and land to accommodate a growing church. In January of 1980 the church voted to purchase nearly 8 acres at 5176 West Court Street (our current location). Ground-breaking began in October of 1986. The building on Lamden was successfully sold and services were temporarily help at the Flint Township Senior Center at the intersection of Graham and Brown St. near Corunna Rd. The first services at our present location were held in 1987.
Missions Formed
Friendship has been directly involved in sponsoring the formation of several churches:
- New Hope Missionary Baptist Church on Lorado Ave, Flint, MI.
- New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, Lansing, MI – 1949
- A church in Collinsville, Illinois – 1951
- Calvary Baptist Church, Flint, MI – 1954
- Shields Missionary Baptist Church, Shields, MI – 1954
- Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, Davison, MI – 1966
- Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, Hemlock, MI – 1972
Missions Supported
Through the years, Friendship has been active in regular support and aid to a number of other works throughout the State of Michigan, across the continental United States, and in numerous countries like Kenya, Mexico, Ukraine, New Zealand, and Japan to name a few. Most recently, this church has taken on lead support for missionary families educating their children while on the field. The reach from this present ministry is world-wide and actively growing.
Associations
Friendship is involved with and has contributed toward the ministerial outreach that the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 commands. Whether right here in Michigan, elsewhere in the United States or across the “uttermost parts of the earth”, we join hands in associated efforts with numerous other churches. Our association history is shown here.
Nationally:
1941-1949 American Baptist Association
1950-1968 North American Baptist Association
1969-1989 Baptist Missionary Association of America
1992–Present American Baptist Association
Locally:
1943-1974 Michigan State Missionary Baptist
1975-1987 Great Lakes Baptist Missionary Association
1991-Present Landmark Missionary Baptist Association of the State of Michigan
Pastors
- Earl Kinney 1939-1949
- Grover Gean 1949-1952
- J.A. Lawson 1952-1954
- Earl Kinney 1955-1972
- Charles Terry 1972-2001
- Martin Watkins 2001-2018
- TJ Blankinship 2020-Present
Friendship Missionary Baptist Church continues its commitment to herald locally and abroad, baptize, and teach disciples of Christ as the great commission charges us. In this we look ahead to the return of our LORD.
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
-Matthew 28:19-20