Main Street Baptist Church traces its roots back to the Protestant fundamentalist movement of the early twentieth century. The congregational history says that the fundamentalist/modernist controversy “was a primary force in making Main Street Baptist Church what it is today.” The church was formed by members from five local churches of different denominations who left their original churches because of doctrinal differences. The history says that

In interviews, members echo this understanding of their congregation's history. For example, one of the elders told me that

Until 1977, the congregation had a different name and was housed in a small building on a side street in Oak Park. When a fire destroyed that building, the congregation eventually arranged to buy from a struggling Presbyterian congregation the impressive Romanesque building on Main Street where they are housed today. They changed their name and, in 1979, Rev. Billy Graham conducted their dedication service.