Fort Foote Baptist was established following a 1955 religious survey by the Congress Heights Baptist Church of Southeast Washington. The survey showed that there was a need for a church in the Fort Washington area. The Fort Foote Mission was soon started and created the Fort Foote Baptist Chapel which held its first worship service on Easter Sunday in 1956 in a converted fruit storage facility with the Reverend R. Carol Bruce presiding. Soon after the name was changed to Fort Foote Baptist Church and a sanctuary was constructed. The sanctuary served as the building where the congregation met until 2001 when the church expansion project was completed to accommodate the church’s growing membership.

Since the church was established, seven pastors have served as the under shepherd. The seventh and current pastor is Reverend Joseph W. Lyles who was called to the church on April 8th, 1990.

Under Reverend Lyles’ leadership, membership has grown from 150 in 1991 to over 1,500. Sunday School attendance has quadrupled. Wednesday night Bible Study has more than doubled its attendance. The number of choirs has increased from two to seven and the number of ministries and committees have grown from 22 to more than 40.

In 1995, the church started a child care center with 15 children. The Fort Foote Baptist Church Child Development Center now serves 100 children from the church and the community.

With the belief of worshiping locally and serving globally, Fort Foote Baptist Church does mission work in several countries including Jamaica, Kenya and Russia. Members also serve locally through Meals on Wheels program, teaming up with local nursing homes, shelters and teen pregnancy facilities. Members of the Evangelism Ministry frequently go out into the community to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

As the congregation steadily grows, Fort Foote Baptist Church continues to find additional ways to share the good news of Jesus Christ while serving the local and global community.