The Cedar Street Baptist Church was begun as the Emmaus Baptist Chapel in October 1981 as a mission of the Victory Baptist Church in Lansing. Pastor Leo Evans was the leader. They started in the former Sycamore Street Baptist Church, built around 1965, at 4331 Sycamore Street in Holt. In September 1982, Dennis Taylor became the pastor and led the church through 1985. In anticipation of constituting a church, Bob Carpenter became the pastor in January 1986.

In June 1986, the congregation was founded as a church and took on the name Cedar Street Baptist Church in September 1988. They moved into their new building in September 1988 at 1705 Cedar Street and out of their original Sycamore Street building. An addition was made to the Cedar Street building in the fall of 1992. Staff in 1992 were Randy Millwood, Minister of Education and Music, and Russell Clark, Family Ministry Coordinator.

Cedar Street Baptist started two new churches - Meridian Baptist in Okemos and Mason Baptist in Mason.