Where the Corner of Fourth and Jackson Begins
Emmanuel Baptist Church has called the corner of Fourth and Jackson Streets home since 1896. The downtown Alexandria address, with its 1950 Gothic Revival sanctuary listed on the National Register of Historic Places, anchors a Baptist congregation that traces its roots back to 1881 and has been shaping the religious and civic life of Central Louisiana ever since. Today the church describes itself as a "vibrant, hope-filled and grace-focused intergenerational community," and that identity is the through line that ties the choir loft, the classroom wing, the day school, the Wednesday night supper, and the monthly parking lot outreach together.
A Gothic Revival Sanctuary in Downtown Alexandria
The congregation's story begins on September 6, 1881, when twelve charter members gathered in a small room above a store in Pineville, Louisiana, and organized what was then called the Alexandria and Pineville Baptist Church. In its early years the group met in members' homes, schoolhouses, and the town hall before erecting its first wood frame building in 1884 on Second Street in Pineville. In 1892 the church voted to change its name to Emanuel Baptist Church and cross the Red River into the growing town of Alexandria. By 1897 a small wood frame structure had been built on the corner of Fourth and Jackson, and by 1913 the congregation had grown to 450 resident members and called for a larger space. In 1920 a three story brick building rose next door, with worship on the second floor, baptisms in the fellowship hall below, and classrooms throughout.
The current sanctuary was dedicated on September 10, 1950, after World War II delayed construction plans that had been drawn up in the early 1940s. The Gothic Revival building stands on the same spot as the 1897 wood frame structure, and its cast stone tracery, interior ogival arches, rose window, and Jacoby Studio stained glass windows depicting the life and ministry of Jesus give the worship space the look of a much older church. The sanctuary was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. It is one of only five Gothic Revival buildings in Rapides Parish, and the only one of the style built in the twentieth century.
The 1920 brick building was renovated in 1959, with the old sanctuary converted into two floors of classroom space, church offices, and a choir rehearsal room. The Mary Calderwood Bolton Chapel was added that same year as a gift of the Bolton family, and a preschool building was tucked behind the new sanctuary structure. In 1977 a Family Life Center rose on the church grounds and rounded out the campus, providing a gym and meeting hall for skating parties, birthday parties, churchwide dinners, children's and youth musicals, Royal Ambassador derby car races, and Wednesday night recreation. A 2015 renovation of the 1920 education building opened up the small rooms created during the 1959 remodel and reconnected classrooms and gathering areas to exterior windows and the surrounding neighborhood.
Sunday Mornings and Wednesday Nights Around the Table
Worship is the priority at Emmanuel, and the regular weekly rhythm is straightforward. On Sunday mornings, Sunday School begins at 9:30 a.m. for all ages, and the congregation gathers in the sanctuary at 10:50 a.m. for worship that lifts hearts "in congregational song, in scripture, in the spoken word, in silent reflection and in the celebration of baptism and communion." Sunday evenings add two more touchpoints: Youth SNL at 5:00 p.m. for teenagers and an hour long Women's Bible Study along with the Iron Sharpens Iron: Brothers in Christ men's group, both meeting at 5:00 p.m. in separate rooms.
Wednesday is the other pillar of the week. A churchwide supper is served at 5:00 p.m., and at 5:45 p.m. the rooms divide. Adults settle into a prayer meeting and Bible study led by one of the ministers, while children from preschool through youth head into choir practice, missions activities, and recreation in the gym. The setting is "more casual and laid back," a midweek table where the congregation enjoys and explores the ways God brings different talents and abilities together to serve.
Worship is livestreamed each Sunday at 10:50 a.m. on the church's YouTube channel, and past sermons are archived online and shared as a podcast on Spotify. A sermon archive on the Video Resources page makes it possible to revisit previous messages.
A Choir for Every Age
Music is woven into the life of the church at every age level. Preschool choir introduces musical concepts to children ages three through five, while graded programs carry first through third graders in Music Makers and fourth through sixth graders in Young Musicians. Children learn by listening, singing, creating, and playing instruments, and the choirs build on one another so that children emerge with both a love of music and a way to express their worship of God. When sixth graders graduate into the youth group, each is presented with a hymnal as a reminder that the church's faith is a singing faith.
The Youth Choir rehearses on Wednesday evenings and welcomes youth from other churches whose programs do not include youth music. The Sanctuary Choir sits at the heart of Emmanuel's music ministry. Made up of adults of all ages who love to sing and are willing to rehearse weekly, the choir prepares music for worship and often invites the congregation into the deeper moments of the service. Dr. Brenda Rudd has served as Music Director and Pianist since 2023, having served as Pianist since 2019. Richard Rudd joined her on staff in 2023 as Associate Music Director. Ellene Owens serves as Organist.
Children and Youth
The children's ministry is built around the conviction that all people are created in the divine image. Preschool Sunday school welcomes infants through kindergarten and uses songs, books, art, and guided play to teach about God's love. On Wednesday nights preschool students participate in Mission Friends, learning to honor God through music and service. A nursery cares for children age six weeks through kindergarten during most worship services and church events, with carefully screened, CPR certified staff and a child security system in place. Vacation Bible School, a Palm Sunday Easter egg hunt, and the annual church picnic are highlights of the preschool calendar.
Grade school Sunday school covers first through sixth grade with age appropriate material, and the teachers know each child by name. A graded choir program meets on Wednesdays at 5:45 p.m., right after the churchwide supper, and the children occasionally lead worship on Sunday mornings. Mission groups meet at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and give the children hands-on opportunities to make a difference in the community and the world. Emmanuel marks the transitions of childhood in tangible ways. Rising first graders are presented with a Bible by the deacons, and graduating sixth graders receive a hymnal as they enter the youth ministry. The children have their own float in the Alexandria Mardi Gras Children's Parade every year, traveling under the name "Krewe of Emmanuel."
Youth ministry is led by Kenneth and Regina Ervin, who have served as Co-Directors since 2020. Sunday mornings at 9:30 a.m. bring committed adult leaders together with students for Sunday School and discussion. Sunday evenings from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. are reserved for games, fellowship, and outings like bowling, escape rooms, and visits to local parks, with parents supplying a "snack supper." Wednesday nights begin with the 5:00 p.m. community meal, then move to the gym for games at 5:45 p.m., Youth Choir at 6:15 p.m., and group Bible study at 6:45 p.m. The youth serve the community through the local food bank, storm cleanup for elderly church members, and Christmas caroling. Each summer the group travels to Passport Camp for five days of mission projects and fellowship, and back at home HomeLife keeps the group close by rotating Sunday evenings among different church members' homes.
Adults Who Want to Keep Learning
Adult spiritual formation at Emmanuel centers on Sunday School, with classes meeting at 9:30 a.m. each Sunday. The classes are organized by curriculum preference and age. Adult 5, led by João Moraes in Room 216, alternates between Bible studies and book and topical studies and draws mostly members in their thirties and forties. Adult 3, taught by Mickey White in Room 110, is a co-ed class for seasoned church members that takes an active interest in missions, including medical mission trips to Mexico. Adult 4 Women, led by Linda McKee in Room 202, is a close-knit women's community built around Scripture and mutual support. Adult 4 Men, led by Jay Bolen in Room 206, offers researched Bible and topical studies with focused lectures and open discussion.
For those who prefer silence to discussion, the Contemplative Hour meets in Bolton Chapel and uses ancient prompts like lectio divina and visio divina to shape an hour of prayer and introspection. Wednesday morning women's Bible study and Sunday evening Women's Bible Study and Iron Sharpens Iron men's group add more small group rhythms to the week, and Emmanuel 101 introduces newcomers to the life of the congregation. Connect Groups bring members together for hobbies like painting, hiking, disc golf, game nights, and supper clubs.
Mission in Alexandria and Beyond
Emmanuel partners with a wide range of local organizations that work to support the homeless population, foster care programs, interfaith dialogues, and tutoring programs. The church hosts a monthly H2O Homeless outreach in its parking lot, offering prayer, food, clothing, and necessities to Alexandria's homeless community. Beyond Louisiana, the church sends resources and people to refugee resettlement efforts in Texas and medical teams to rural parts of Mexico. Missions is led by a committee, and "anyone can join in our efforts of being the hands and feet of Jesus in our world."
Congregational Care is woven through four deacon ministry teams: home members ministry, hospital visitation, the tool box ministry, and new member ministry. Homebound members stay connected through paired volunteers who visit, call, and send cards, and Advent season brings the whole church together to carol and deliver poinsettias. An internet prayer chain quickly circulates urgent prayer requests, and Wednesday prayer services include a focused time to lift up the joys and concerns of the congregation.
Pilgrimage to Bethlehem and the Holy Rowers
The church shares its life with the wider Central Louisiana community in big and small ways. Pilgrimage to Bethlehem is one of its most visible gifts, a free walk-through experience that takes visitors into the city of Bethlehem and lets them find themselves inside the story of Jesus' birth. All ages of the congregation participate, making the event both a gift to the community and a way of being church together.
Emmanuel's "Holy Rowers" dragon boat team has competed in the Alexandria Museum of Art fundraiser since 2011, taking the championship in 2016, placing second in 2022 and 2023, and consistently finishing in the top ten. The congregation is a familiar sight in Mardi Gras season as well, with its float in the Alexandria Children's Parade and its place in the Pineville Light the Night parade, complete with beads hanging in the trees right outside the sanctuary doors.
Seven Identifying Traits
Emmanuel shares a profession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, a belief in a faithful God who calls us to be faithful people, and an emphasis on gathering for worship, service, fellowship, and spiritual growth with other congregations. What makes Emmanuel distinctive, in its own telling, are seven identifying traits: intentionality of worship rooted in the rich traditions of congregational singing, scripture, prayer, and the liturgical year; being church to one another through differences and conflict; God's mission made flesh in downtown Alexandria; formation of the heart, mind, and soul; every member a minister; reflecting the creative spirit; and sacred presence in the ordinary, including laughter and conversation around a table.
Emmanuel Baptist Day School
On the same campus, Emmanuel Baptist Day School has been serving families with young children since at least 2008, when Director Gayle Carroll took the helm. The school provides a comprehensive curriculum for children ages one through three that integrates academic, social, creative, and spiritual learning. Weekly thematic units build phonological awareness and pre-reading skills, language and discovery learning are woven throughout the day, math is taught through a hands-on theme-based curriculum, and multi-sensory experiences develop problem solving and self-expression. Music classes meet weekly, and Wednesday enrichment classes give one year olds a foundation in sign language, two year olds a combination of sign language and movement, and three year olds a blend of science and movement. Spiritual growth comes through regular visits to the sacred spaces of the campus and daily prayers. The school is a Type 1 licensed facility and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, national origin, handicapping conditions, ancestry, or whether or not a child is being breastfed.
What to Expect When You Visit
Emmanuel meets at 430 Jackson Street in Alexandria, at the corner of Fourth and Jackson in downtown Alexandria. Sunday School begins at 9:30 a.m. and worship begins at 10:50 a.m. Nursery care is provided for infants through kindergarten during most services and church events, with trained, CPR certified staff and a child security system in place. The Welcome page describes the community as "a sacred space for everyone to show up exactly as they are," and the Connect page invites anyone who is curious to "put us to the test." Sunday worship is livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person, and a sermon archive is available online and as a podcast on Spotify. The church office can be reached at (318) 442-7773 or ebc@emmanuelalexandria.org.