Ipswich Baptist Church

The Ipswich Baptist Church had been established in 1859; without a location for services to occur. After approval to start the church was given on the 23rd of June it was decided that they should find a meeting place. They rented a bowling alley, and the first service was held on the last Sunday of the month. The first pastor was Rev. T. Deacon, and he built a chapel in his garden for the use of the church. The West Street Baptist Chapel was opened in August 1860. The church quickly outgrew the chapel, so they sold the old property.

On the 11 December 1876 the foundation-stone for the Baptist Church was laid. There were large crowds, and several people visited from Brisbane. The event included a procession along West-street with members of the congregation waving banners and singing. The site in Brisbane street was purchased for the cost of £100, and the building itself would cost approximately £863. Half of the costs had already been covered by the church, but the congregation was asked to donate for the rest of the funding. During the events at the church site it was reported in the Ipswich Observer and West Moreton Advocate that two little boys "received a slight sunstroke" but were "almost completely recovered" the next day.

After the official speeches and prayers were conducted on the church site the congregation reformed to travel to the Temperance Hall, where they were provided lunch at 2:00. There were 200 people in attendance.

In 1876 the church had 88 members, including the members from the Rosewood congregation.

In March 1877 the church held a Bazaar in order to raise funds for the church, at this point they still needed to raise £400. The members of the church had donated some money, but had also donated items, which would be what was sold at the markets. They raised £50 from sales on the first day of the event, but would open again on Saturday the 17th. By October 1877 the new, brick chapel was open, and hosting social tea-meetings for the members of the church. It was also consecrated in this year.

Anniversary celebrations were held in October of 1878. These included a morning sermon by Rev. T. L. Davies, an afternoon service by Mr. Thomas Spurgeon at the School of Arts, and a final service by Rev. T. L. Davies at the church in the evening. The School of Arts service was so popular and the hall so full that a couple of ladies fainted and others had to leave the service before it was completed.

On Friday the 3rd of June 1938 the Telegraph published a photograph of the new Art Deco facade added to the Ipswich Baptist Church. the congregation had first started planning the renovations twelve months earlier and £300 of the total £800 needed for the renovations was donated by a single member of the congregation. The church was reopened on June 19 of that year. The renovations added the facade, but also added a "...full length vestibule in silky oak and fitted with stained glass leadlights..." and the ceiling altered, the pews repolished and stained glass being added to all the windows (The Telegraph, 1938). A photograph of the church, from 1905, without the facade can be found in the John Oxley Collection at the State Library of Queensland.

The church was in this location until 2003, when the congregation relocated to 34A Workshops Road, Brassall, adaptively reusing a former sports club.

In 2012 the church was sold and refurbished before being taken over by the Studio 188 theatre company.

The church has since rebranded as Beacon Community: A Baptist Church.