OUR COMMUNITY
Hessel Community
Nestled along the sheltered waters of the Les Cheneaux Islands in Michigan’s eastern Upper Peninsula, Hessel is a quiet waterfront village rich with history, maritime tradition, and small-town charm. Originally inhabited by the Ojibwa people for thousands of years, the area later drew French Jesuit explorers in the 1600s before becoming home to Swedish, Irish, and Italian settlers during the logging and commercial fishing boom of the 1880s. The community was eventually named after early settler “Honest John” Hessel, and by 1888, the establishment of a post office marked Hessel’s emergence as a permanent settlement along the northern Great Lakes shoreline.
Over the decades, Hessel evolved from a rugged lumbering and fishing village into one of northern Michigan’s most beloved summer destinations. Deeply tied to boating culture, the town became nationally known as the home of America’s first Chris-Craft dealership, established by Mertaugh Boat Works in 1923. Today, Hessel’s identity remains rooted in the water, with antique wooden boats, historic marinas, and the annual Les Cheneaux Islands Antique Wooden Boat Show drawing visitors from across the Midwest each August. Historic landmarks such as the restored 1937 Hessel School House — now home to the Avery Arts & Nature Learning Center — reflect the community’s commitment to preserving its heritage while embracing arts, education, and eco-tourism. From fishing and boating to culinary experiences and natural festivals, Hessel continues to offer a timeless glimpse into the character and beauty of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Lighthouse Baptist Church
Lighthouse Baptist Church was founded in the early 1950s through the ministry of Hiawatha Land Independent Baptist Missions. This organization was headquartered in Escanaba and was used of God to start numerous Baptist Churches in Northern Michigan and Wisconsin. Now known as Continental Baptist Missions, CBM is still alive and well, headquartered in Grand Rapids and assisting churches and their missionaries in planting, revitalizing and building churches across North America.
Homer Baker was the original pastor of Lighthouse Baptist Church. He was a builder of both buildings and souls. Pastor Baker built the existing church building and parsonage during his tenure. Several other pastors led the church in succession over the following years until Bob Shaw became pastor in 1999. His son Glen Shaw succeeded him and pastored LBC from 2013 to April of 2026.
In July of 2026, Pastor Jack Powless and his wife Brianne became interim pastor and began working with the Lighthouse Baptist Church family to revitalize and build the church. They are excited to see what God will do in the coming days!