On Sunday, March 12, 1895, 13 people, having a passion and love for God and a love for one another, got together in one of their homes, and a mission Sunday School was born. With that passion fanned by the flames of God’s Word, soon others began to attend and new facilities were needed.  It wasn’t long before 17th Street Baptist Church soon blossomed and continued to grow.  Another facility was needed in 1948, and so pooling their resources, they purchased a building at West Main and 24th Street in Belleville, Illinois, and renamed the church, Westview Baptist Church.  A new sanctuary was dedicated on July 30, 1967, and God continued to bless!

During this time, the people of Westview started four Missions that eventually became churches: Eastview Baptist Church, First Baptist Church of New Athens, First Baptist Church of Freeburg, and Gateway Baptist Church.  And with the same passion that beat in the hearts of the people a hundred years earlier, the people of Westview, believing that God was directing their path, purchased 17 acres of land in Swansea, Illinois, so that God could receive more Glory! Ten years later, they opened up the current multi-purpose facility, and four years following, built and dedicated the Educational Building.

That same flame, the God-driven passion that the Holy Spirit ignited so long ago, still burns in the hearts of the people of Westview. It is a flame that will never be extinguished, because it is God-planted, God-inspired, and God-fueled!

Understanding that history is really…His Story, we are looking forward to the pages that God will write upon and through our lives as God continues to fan His flames! There are incredible things ahead for this group of people called Westview Baptist Church, and we hope that you will join us in continuing to fulfill the mission and vision that God has given to Westview in furthering the Kingdom of God.