The Winstanley Baptist Church (WBC) started as a mission of the First Baptist Church in East St. On Sunday afternoon, September 8, 1907, a group of thirty-three Baptists met with a council of Baptist Churches of the Alton Association in a one-room frame building on 26 Street, just north of State Street, to constitute the church. Louis Association in 1917 when Julian Artwood was the pastor and Mr.
Bourland was the clerk. Part of the present sanctuary was made of cobblestones secured from the repaving of Broadway Street in East St. The church sponsored the Delmonte Mission and built its brick chapel. The pastor was James A Gerren and the minister of Education was Norman K Wallace. Marsh was the clerk and the membership was 1267. The church was located at 2801 State Street, East St. In April 1968, the church voted to relocate. Leininger, Louis Lee Sr. (Published by Collinsville Herald, Inc) “HERITAGE AND HISTORY” of the East St. Louis Baptist Association, 1968: 146-147
Winstanley relocated to the present location on Winstanley Hill.
