Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church offers a place where you can make a difference — in your community, in your family, in your spiritual life. We work together to create a vibrant, active and welcoming congregation that reflects the diversity of Oakland.
Since our inception in 1860, our work and actions have demonstrated a strong commitment to work for peace in Oakland, to reach those most in need of help, and to affirm a place for all in religious life.
Lakeshore has gone through many name changes since its inception in 1860. The church began as the First Baptist Church of Brooklyn — until that small community near Lake Merritt was annexed into the City of Oakland. Lakeshore moved to its current location in 1945, and added the Lakeshore Children¬ís Center in 1972. Since 1920, Lakeshore has had five senior pastors. Our current pastor, The Reverend Doctor H. James Hopkins, has served as our senior pastor since 1989.
Our Baptist history and identity continues to shape our ministry. We are committed to the Four Freedoms at the heart of the Baptist tradition: Bible Freedom, Soul Freedom, Church Freedom and Religious Freedom. We are members of The Pacific Coast Baptist Association, The American Baptist Churches of Metropolitan New York, The American Baptist Churches in the USA and The Alliance of Baptists.
Lakeshore’s Long Range Planning Committee offers the following report as we envision where God is leading us in the next five to seven years.
