First Baptist Church of Oskaloosa

03/08/2026

The sun shines down bright today on our 170 Year Old window.

01/10/2026

Lighted Christmas Parade 2025.

10/31/2025

First Baptist Church will be handing out candy to the kids tonight for trick or treat between 6:00-7:45 tonight!

09/04/2025

09/04/2025

Lighted Christmas Parade 2024.

09/04/2025

Some pictures from the past.

11/26/2024

The Apartment opening at First Baptist Retirement Home has been filled! Thanks to all who inquired!

Hunter- Property Committee

10/30/2024

Apartment opening coming December 1st!
2BD-1Bath apartment will be coming available by December 1st 2024. This apartment has furnished water, garbage, and property maintenance. Electric will be paid by tenant. Rent is $570.00 monthly. A refundable $570.00 deposit will be required upon signing of the lease. This is a nice unit, and will not be on the market very long. You may contact me through Facebook or can call the church line provided in our contact information. Thank You.

08/12/2024

The apartment at First Baptist Retirement has been rented! Thank You to everyone who applied, and all future apartment openings will be posted here upon availability.

Hunter- Property Committee

06/28/2024

Apartment opening coming August 12TH!

2Bed/1Bath apartment will be available on August 12th. Located at The First Baptist Church Retirement Home, this apartment comes with furnished water, garbage, lawn care, and snow removal. The Tenant will be responsible for Power. Rent is $550.00 monthly, with a $550.00 deposit due at lease signing. The property has on-site laundry facilities. Pictures will be posted closer to the available date. To reach out for a rental application please contact me, or call the church line. Thanks!

Hunter- Property Committee

10/22/2023

Good afternoon everyone, I figured I’d share some news on the recent renovations that have taken place these past few months. Below I’ve attached some start-finish photos of the building. As can be seen we have scraped off the old chipping foundation sealant, applied new foundation sealant, and paint matched it. Some minor tuck pointing was done also, as well as a couple of the window wells were painted. A couple new eaves troths were installed on the back to keep the rain water away from the building. As the community can see, things are starting to happen at First Baptist Church!

04/17/2023

Good afternoon everyone!
Now that our web page is on google I found it to be a good idea to publicize some of the church’s 160+ year history. In 1845 the First Baptist Association of Oskaloosa was established, and the church met in the back of the old Oskaloosa hardware store, until a wood frame building was erected somewhere in the vicinity of the current Oskaloosa Public Library/ Musco parking lot north of the library. The church met here until 1881, when it purchased the current building on the corner of South 3rd, and 2nd Avenue built by James Byers & Son Company for the Presbyterian Church whom in 1881 constructed a new building at its current location on High Avenue East. The current church building built by James Byers and son Samuel H.M Byers has major historical significance to the community of Oskaloosa, and state of Iowa. Samuel, whom helped build the church with his dad James, was a civil war veteran who was on General Sherman’s Staff, and was a United States Consul/ Ambassador to Switzerland under the Ulysses Grant Administration. Samuel also wrote several books, poems, and the wartime song “Sherman’s March To The Sea”. Our church has stood the test of time throughout some of the nation’s most hardest times (Civil War, World War I, The financial crash of 1929, and World War II). Our church in the past has had 100-150 members at a time, which in 2012 dwindled down to 12 or less resulting in a 2013 closure. In 1970 the First Baptist Retirement Home was erected by the First Baptist Church members to serve the community of Oskaloosa with decent affordable housing for ages 50+. After the closure of the church in 2013, remaining church members have kept, and maintained the Church and Apartment Building. It is expected in late 2023-2024 after minor repairs, and remodeling, that the Church will reopen to the public, and conduct services regularly. Dates of reopen, status updates, and apartment unit openings will be posted here on our official page. Any persons with questions or comments may send messages to this page, or reach out to us at our listed contact information.

Hunter- Chairman of Property Committee