Summary - We have been part of San Francisco for nearly 60 years. Originally named First Southern Baptist Church, it was organized on January 10, 1943, in a rented building at 1793 Haight Street. The property at 208 Dolores Street was purchased from the Ebenezer Lutheran Church and became our church home in December of 1953. It was destroyed by fire in 1993. We met for six years in a storefront on Valencia Street before settling in to shared space with Bethany United Methodist Church in Noe Valley in the Summer of 2000.

Detailed History - Our church grew rapidly in the early 50's due to the insurgence of factory workers from the South. By the end of the decade, San Francisco had begun a transition from an industrial-based economy to one based on banking and tourism. As a result, the church's membership base eroded, and by 1970, average attendance had declined to less than 100.  In 1971, the Southern Baptist Home Mission Board initiated a revitalization of our church, and we called a Board-commissioned missionary as a pastor. The Board provided one-half of the pastor's salary, a half-time seminary intern, and special ministry project grants to the church. This relationship between the Board and our church continued until 1986.

During the early 70's, the church focused on liturgical renewal and increased community awareness, integrating the arts into worship and implementing such programs as a senior activity center and a mental health project. Reflecting this community focus, we changed our name to Dolores Street Baptist Church in 1974. Bolstered by an influx of Golden Gate Seminary students, our church enhanced its ministry through music and the arts in the late 70's. We initiated a neighborhood coffee house, occasional dinner theaters, and a vocal ensemble which performed throughout the area. Using the Church of the Savior in Washington, DC as a model, we reorganized around lay-led mission groups whose tasks included worship-planning pastoral care, and various ministry projects.

In 1980, the Dolores Street Baptist Church was compelled to address the issue of sexual orientation. Upon learning that a staff member was gay, a few church members called for his resignation; we voted, however, to affirm his ministry with us. As a result of this process, the church voted to accept anyone who professes Jesus Christ as Lord into our life and ministries, regardless of sexual orientation.

The 1980's brought an increased focus on social justice and community ministry. Dolores Street addressed a broad range of issues, including nuclear disarmament, hunger and homelessness, women's equality, Central American refugees, gay and lesbian rights, and AIDS. We responded by participating in civil disobedience, protesting nuclear weapon proliferation and US involvement in Central America. We also opened a shelter for homeless refugees and created an outreach ministry and support group for lesbians and gay men. Committed to a stewardship of resources, we began sharing its facility with other community organizations and service providers. At the time of the fire, three congregations and over 40 community groups shared office and program space in the church.

As a result of our involvement in the anti-nuclear movement, our work with Central American refugees, and our affirmation of lesbians and gay men - our church began losing its denominational support. Both the Home Mission Board and the California Baptist Convention withdrew financial support. Golden Gate Seminary terminated its internship program, discharged the pastor from his teaching position, and prohibited students from doing supervised ministry projects at our church. In April of 1987, the California Baptist Convention refused to accept any future missions offerings from the church, effectively severing us from the State Convention.

In June of 1988, we established a separate nonprofit organization, Dolores Street Community Center. The church charged the Community Center with managing its facility, funding and staffing its community programs, and serving as an extension of the Church's ministry into the community. The formation of the Community Center enabled our Church to maintain both our congregational life and a viable community ministry independent of denominational financial assistance.

Dolores Street Community Center later changed its name to Dolores Street Community Services. Today, it runs 120 beds of homeless shelter each night in four locations for primarily Latino men, a 10-bed residence for people with AIDS and a Community Center on Valencia Street. Although it is no longer affiliated with Dolores Street Baptist Church, many of our members continue to volunteer and support the important work of Dolores Street Community Services.

On August 2, 1993, our historic church building was destroyed by an arsonist's match. Three days prior to the fire, we received an arson threat from an individual claiming he was from the Aryan Brotherhood. His stated reasons were that the church did not care about white people.

In 1993, on the 50th anniversary of the founding of the church, we "withdrew fellowship" from the Southern Baptist Convention shortly after it removed two North Carolina Churches for having a similar open stance toward the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender communities. Our application to become a Cooperating Congregation with the American Baptist Churches, USA through the American Baptist Churches of the West was tabled by the ABCW from 1987-1995. We formally withdrew our application after the ABCW moved to disfellowship four ABC Congregations for being Welcoming and Affirming of all people regardless of sexual orientation. Although we have no denominational backing, we find community and a new sense of home in the Alliance of Baptists, The Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, The Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists and the Pacific Coast Baptist Association.

After the fire, we went through a discerning process about our next steps as a congregation. We knew that San Francisco did not need another little Baptist church on the corner of 15th and Dolores Streets. In the meantime, we have moved to a new partnership with Bethany United Methodist Church on Clipper and Sanchez Streets in Noe Valley. Both congregations share a vision of building a new facility. We have moved to their site to enhance our worship and community life and also to test the relationship with this progressive congregation as we both move toward the possibility of partnership.