First Baptist Church Garden Lakes began as a mission of First Southern Baptist Church, Avondale in February, 1953. Jack Grant was called to serve as the mission’s first pastor. The congregation, then known as Cashion Southern Baptist church, met in the home of James and Martha Landers. In its first month, the church purchased two lots on the south corner of Third and Central Avenue in Avondale, Arizona to build its future sanctuary.

On August 5th, 1953, with 26 members, the church moved from mission status to an organized church and became First Southern Baptist Church of Cashion, Arizona. The church secured a $6,500 loan from the Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention for the building of the new sanctuary. By October 1955, the growing church needed to expand in order to accommodate its Sunday school. Another loan was secured and by 1956 the church added 2,000 square feet of space for Sunday school.

Looking to move to an area with room to grow, the church purchased 5 acres of land on 107^th Avenue, just south of Thomas Road in Avondale, Arizona. The members of First Southern Baptist Church of Cashion rallied together to build their new 10,000 square foot building at 2517 N. 107th Avenue and they moved into their new location on Easter Sunday, April, 1980. In 1982 they changed their name to 107th Avenue Baptist Church.

A new master planned community called Garden Lakes was being built just northwest of the church. Under the leadership of pastor Jerry Dunn, 107th Avenue Baptist Church saw an opportunity to have the name of the church reflect the community it so desired to serve, so in 1987, the church changed its name to First Baptist Church Garden Lakes.

The community was growing, and so was First Baptist Church Garden Lakes. On July 21, 2003, the church voted to begin the planning phase to add a new Worship and Education Center to the current church campus. On October 5, 2003, the church celebrated its 50th Anniversary with an outdoor worship service and groundbreaking ceremony for the new Worship and Education Center. Construction began in August, 2005 and the Worship and Education Center was completed in October, 2006.

In 2007, the church added to its ministry to the community by opening Garden Lakes Christian Academy. The academy (now operating under Avondale Christian Preschool) serves children preschool ages 6 weeks old to 5 years old and offers before and after school care and school break camps for kindergarten through 6th grade.

After 24 years of service, Jerry Dunn retired November, 2008 and Jeffrey Stachmus became the next pastor of First Baptist Church Garden Lakes. He served faithfully from April 2011, until February 2019, when he accepted a pastoral position in his home state of Texas. On May 31, 2020, the church chose Troy Wilkinson as their next under-shepherd to continue to lead First Baptist Church Garden Lakes for God’s glory.