Our story
“We could talk about the overwhelming financial generosity that has fueled our staffing and facilities throughout the years. We could talk about the thousands of hours of free counseling, the thousands of hours of dedicated prayer, the thousands of hours of worship and teaching that has taken place. Or we could simply pause in this moment and say, ‘Thank you, God.’ He has been faithful to this church family, and without a doubt he will continue to be faithful as we strive to be a church where, ‘Everyone is welcome, nobody is perfect and anything is possible.’”
We all have a story. Our church is no different.
Here’s how it has all happened:
1951 | The earliest roots of our congregation come from a Bible study started by Rose Fadden and her friend Elvera Anderson, who were prompted to address the spiritual needs of the Wayzata area. The Bible study quickly grew and in May the “Wayzata Bible Class” was formalized.
1952 | The name of the Bible study was changed to “Wayzata Christian Fellowship” and “Wayzata Evangelical Free Church” shortly after that.
1953 – 1955 | Pastor Richard Beals served as the first full-time pastor for the new congregation.
1955 – 1963 | Pastor Paul Berggren accepted the Senior Pastor role and overseeing extensive growth of the congregation.
1964 – 1966 | The first building was constructed, which still serves as our Fellowship Hall and Main Office. Pastor Al Bishop served as Senior Pastor, overseeing the construction.
1966 – 1977 | Pastor Don Childs led the congregation as growth continued and the need for an education wing of the building became clear.
1977 – 1991 | Pastor John Vawter oversaw the addition of the education wing and in 1984 the current sanctuary was constructed. Church history records that, “the nurseries were overflowing, the classrooms packed, the sanctuary crowded, the parking lot full.”
1993 – 2008 | Pastor George Kenworthy led the congregation through continued growth.
2017 | The sanctuary was remodeled and the multi-purpose gym was added to the building allowing us to serve our community in brand new ways.
2022 | Wayzata Free Church voted overwhelmingly to change our name to Westgate Church. The name has been placed on a number of people’s hearts over the course of many years and signifies our goal to be a gateway for those in the west metro to enter into a deeper relationship with Jesus.
