Fellowship Baptist Church began when Mr. and Mrs. Walson Clark and Mr. and Mrs. Kay Williams desired to have a Regular Baptist Church in Lakeland.  They started a Bible study on March 6, 1966 and by August, Pastor Charles (Chuck) Cuthbertson had come to be the pastor of this new group.  They held their first full schedule of services on August 21, 1966 at the Tuesday Music Club building on Success Avenue, near Lake Hollingsworth.  In December of 1966 the group purchased three acres for future construction.  They unanimously approved a Constitution and By-Laws on September 27, 1967.  The Ground Breaking Service was held on December 3, 1967 and construction on the first church building began the following week.  A Recognition Council met on April 29, 1968 and declared Fellowship to be a duly organized Baptist church.  Fellowship Baptist Church (FBC) occupied its new building on June 16, 1968.

In the spring of 1971 God led Pastor Cuthbertson and his wife, Joy, on to another ministry.  Dr. G. Arthur Woolsey served as interim pastor from April through August 31, 1971 when Rev. H. Joseph Miller became the new pastor.  The church also ministered by radio and sponsored two new churches that were under the direction of former pastor Chuck Cuthbertson.  In 1974 Pastor Joe Miller resigned and accepted the position of Academic Dean at Spurgeon Baptist Bible College.  (Spurgeon was originally located in the current education building at FBC).

 Pastor Ronald L. Cochran from Ames, Iowa was called to the pulpit beginning the first Sunday of December 1974.  As the ministry of the church continued to grow, Pastor Dan Wallin of Pennsauken, New Jersey joined the staff as Minister of Youth and Evangelism.  AWANA Clubs began in 1974 with Don and Rose Hubbard serving as Co-Commanders.

 On July 4, 1976 a Land Mortgage Burning Service was held and plans were soon made for a new sanctuary.  On April 17, 1977 FBC held a Ground Breaking Service for the new sanctuary and dedicated it on April 2, 1978.  On October 5, 1977 Bill Dooley and Brian Shenk were called to be assistants to the pastor. The Fellowship Baptist Christian Learning Center opened on February 14, 1979 to minister to families of preschool age children.  The Learning Center operated in the current education building until June 16, 1987.

 In August 1979 Pastor Jack McCurry took over the pastoral reins.  During the next several years God blessed in the growth of Fellowship.  Armand Ternak became the temporary assistant to the pastor on May 23, 1982 and on September 15, 1982 Ken Kraft was hired as the interim part-time youth pastor.  On August 31, 1983 Dan Warner was called as the Assistant-Youth-Evangelism Pastor.  Pastor Jack McCurry’s ministry at Fellowship concluded November 4, 1984.  Pastor Don Moffat served as interim pastor until the next pastor was called.

 In August of 1985 Dr. David Nettleton became the senior pastor of FBC.  Purchase and installation of a new organ and sound system enhanced the worship services, and a new roof was put on the sanctuary building.  Mel Lyons was called in March 1986 as assistant and apprentice in the areas of visitation, administration, and extension.  Dan Woughter was youth pastor for a short time.  On October 7, 1987 Ted Tompkins was called as Assistant to the Pastor for Youth Ministries and continued in this position until March 10, 1991. From April 23, 1991 through the end of 1993 Otto Reitnauer was the assistant to the Pastor in Youth, Christian Education, Visitation, and Music.  Pastor Nettleton took part in organizing the Chuck Cuthbertson Memorial Fund with monies from the sale of Faith Baptist Church in Bartow.  These monies were used to help an area Regular Baptist church with a building project and to support several missionary families.  The youth group took a missions trip during the summer of 1992 to the Baptist Children’s Home in Valparaiso, Indiana.  In the fall of 1992 a new air conditioning system was installed in the Fellowship Hall. Dr. Nettleton served the church as pastor until he was promoted to glory in August 1993.

 Mark Shaw served as interim pastor from August of 1993 until February of 1994.  Missionaries and students from Spurgeon Baptist Bible College served as pulpit supply during the absence of a pastor from February until August of 1994. 

 In August of 1994 Pastor Richard C. Piatt, II began shepherding the church.  On June 14, 1998,  FBC celebrated with a Mortgage Burning Service.  Continued improvements of the church property include relocating the nursery, kitchen and staff offices, painting the interior and exterior of all the buildings, remodeling the Fellowship Hall, renovating two new youth rooms, re-flooring the gymnasium, installing a new sign out front, and resurfacing the parking lot.  The church also adopted a cabin at Camp Sparta, which was built in memory of Kelly Tucker, one of FBC’s college students who passed away unexpectedly.  The missions program continues to grow, with the latest addition being the Asian Scholarship Fund that helps support nationals studying at the Bible Institute in the Philippines.  FBC also greatly rejoiced to send its own members, Andrew and Tassie Comings to the field of Brazil.  The youth/college groups have taken missions trips to Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Bahamas, Brazil, and to other locations within the United States.  In 2002 the church took on Daniel Comings as a part-time Associate Pastor, changing his status to full-time Associate Pastor in 2005.  Pastor Piatt received his Doctorate in Ministry in 2005.  FBC looks forward to God’s continual spiritual blessings on the church as it reaches out into the local community and around the world to edify believers and reach the unsaved for Christ.

 We praise God for His goodness to us as we celebrate the fortieth anniversary of Fellowship Baptist Church.