In June of 1896, four men sat on a log, in a grove of trees at the corner of Walnut and Lime Streets in Waterloo, dreaming of what God could do and considering the place as a site for a church building.  Soon after, that piece of land was purchased for $350.  By October of the same year, the people of what was named Walnut Street Baptist Church began meeting for worship in their newly constructed building

To meet the needs of a growing congregation, a brick building with room for 1400 people in the auditorium was constructed in 1908 at the same location.  “A Church for People” was engraved at the base of the church tower.  The celebrated evangelist Billy Sunday conducted evangelistic campaigns in this building in 1910 and 1932.