Long before there was a Bartlesville, there was a church.  In 1867 the Delaware Indians bought rights in the Cherokee Nation and moved here from Kansas with their Principal Chief and spiritual leader, Charles Journeycake.  In 1870 buildings were built on the east shores of Silver Lake, including a log school building for the Indian children.  In 1871 the building was moved to north of the lake at the south end of the present Hillcrest Country Club.  In this building the Silver Lake Delaware Baptist Mission was established with Sunday School and preaching every other Sunday.  After a tornado in 1876, a new building was completed and known as the Silver Lake Delaware Baptist Church.

Members from this Delaware church founded two other Baptist churches in this area.  The First Baptist Church of Bartlesville in 1891 and the First Baptist Church of Dewey in 1899.  Later the community built the Rice Creek School near the current intersection Rice Creek Rd. and Highway 75.  Because of deterioration of their old building, the Silver Lake Baptists met in the school.  On September 26, 1915 the Silver Lake church was re-organized out of the old Delaware Baptist Church and voted to build a new building, which was located about a mile south of the school and was known as the Silver Lake Missionary Baptist Church.  Again, a tornado struck and completely destroyed this building.  In 1921 a new building was dedicated God's work.  This was at the present site of Silver Lake Baptist church, as it is known today.