The church was founded in 1948 as a house Bible study group called the Bethany Baptist Mission, then First Baptist Church, led by Sam and Ethel Hane in White Bear Lake, Minnesota.[1][2] In 1991, Bob Merritt became the senior pastor of the 300-member church.[3] In 1995, the church was renamed Eagle Brook Church.[4]
The church relocated in 2005 to a new building in Lino Lakes, Minnesota, featuring seating capacity for 2,100.[5] One year later, in 2006, the original church building in White Bear Lake reopened due to rapid growth.[6] Upon opening a third location in Spring Lake Park, the church began simulcasting weekend services from the Lino Lakes building to the other campuses.
In 2020, Jason Strand became the senior pastor.[7]
According to a 2023 church census, it claimed a weekly attendance of 20,923 people.[8] It has opened 10 campuses in different cities in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area.[9]
The church founded the Eagle Brook Association in 2006. Its mission is to help other churches reach more people for Christ—locally and around the world. They provide other churches with free resources created by Eagle Brook Church for church partners to share with their own congregations. Since starting in 2006, church partners have in total reported to the Eagle Brook Association that over 118,000 people have become followers of Christ.[6]
Eagle Brook Finances
According to its financial reports, in 2022–2023 the church collected $58 million and gave $3.8 million to charitable works.[11] In 2024, it paid $12 million for a 52 acres (21 ha) plot of residential land in Plymouth, MN.[12]
Eagle Brook Music
Eagle Brook Music is a contemporary worship music collective from Eagle Brook Church in Lino Lakes. The collective writes and produces its own music as well as leads worship in weekend church services at the church. Eagle Brook Music also submits their songs to several major streaming services.
