Church History
Several families led by Pastor Ernie & Gen Schmidt began meeting on Wednesday evenings in early August, 2006 for prayer and planning.
The church was incorporated with the State of Iowa on September 15, 2006. The first Sunday service was held on October 8, 2006 at NE Elementary School in Ankeny and held in the Art Room for several months. Wednesday evening Bible Study & Prayer was held in member homes until May, 2008 when they began to meet at the school.
The church grew considerably from that first Sunday which saw just over 30 people. Sunday services were moved from the Art Room to the Cafeteria, and again to the Gymnasium to accommodate the growing church body.
Community Baptist owns 9.5 acres of prime land on the northeast side of Ankeny located at Ankeny Boulevard and NE 47th Street. The land was purchased for $356,820 on December 24, 2008 and a mortgage burning celebration was held at the property 23 months later on November 21, 2010. Praise the Lord!
October 5, 2011 was the 5th Anniversary Celebration for the church. It was also when Pastor Schmidt, founding pastor, completed his ministry with the church. Shon Lundberg, a member of the church, was called to be the next pastor and began his ministry at Community on April 1, 2013.
In July, 2016 the church voted to establish a Building Committee. A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the property on September 10. The church was awarded a $600,000 grant from the Lasko Foundation to help with construction costs. Praise the Lord!
The first service in the new building was Sunday, May 5, 2019 with over 200 people in attendance. Dedication Sunday was held June 2, 2019 when the church joyfully and purposely celebrated our intent to use the new facility for the glory of God.
We praise the greatness and faithfulness of our God who made all of this possible. We give Him all the glory! And then we recommit, with greater intensity, to continue to Build a Community of Grace and Truth! We recommit to strengthen the body of Christ by embracing these CORE VALUES:
- Centrality of Scripture
- Culture of Prayer
- Lifestyle of Worship
- Passion for Discipleship
- Connection to Community
- Greatness of Service
- Priority of Mission
Pastoral History
Pastor Ernie Schmidt: August, 2006 - October 9, 2010
Associate Pastor Joe Earle: October 17, 2007 - November 30, 2008
Pastor Shon Lundberg: April 1, 2013 - Present
