Our History

Legacy Church was formed by the merger of First Baptist Church and Orchard Hills Baptist Church of Novi, Michigan. We hold in high esteem the Christ-centered history and heritage of both churches, and continue our mission of reaching this community and the world with the message of Jesus Christ. You can read our history below.

The Story of First Baptist Church

First Baptist Church began in February of 1846 as American Baptists moved west on the newly completed Erie Canal. The first church building was erected near the corner of Grand River and Novi Rd. In 1957 the church became an independent Baptist Church. Later, First Baptist moved to the corner of Taft and Eleven Mile roads, where Novi Christian School was added, along with a daycare and home school programs. In 2004, the school building was renamed Novi Christian Community Center and extended its ministry to the growing Novi community.

 

The Story of Orchard Hills Baptist Church

Orchard Hills Baptist Church began on January 20, 1963, when a small group of Christians started meeting at Orchard Hills Elementary School in Novi. Dr. Francis Dubose was the area missionary at that time, and his family formed the nucleus of what would become Orchard Hills Baptist Church. By October of 1964, the church was constituted and began meeting at 23455 Novi Road. Willard Martin of Livonia Baptist Church then served as interim pastor, followed by Fred Traschel, who would be Orchard Hill's first official pastor. The Orchard Hills family has cherished and loved many pastors over the years, including Floyd Collins, Tom Martin, Robert Green, Gary Switz, Ken Stevens, Lee Vandenberg, Charles Dill, Jerry Straight, and Jon Hix. As the church family grew over the next two decades, there became a need for more space. In 1984, a new worship center was constructed.

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The Story of Legacy Church

Orchard Hills Baptist Church and First Baptist Church merged in 2013, forming what is now Legacy Church. Our name honors the legacy of the two churches, and the legacy of the gospel that we intend to leave in Novi, Michigan. Legacy Church is more passionate than ever about reaching our community with the precious gospel of Jesus Christ.