A Tiffany-Lit Sanctuary in the Heart of Downtown Milwaukee

Immanuel Presbyterian Church has occupied a corner of downtown Milwaukee at 1100 N. Astor Street for more than a century, and the congregation itself has been a faithful presence in the city since 1837. Five hundred and thirty-five active members gather in a soaring 1875 Gothic Revival sanctuary where four original Tiffany stained glass windows cast color across the pews and an 1881 Hook and Hastings pipe organ fills the air with music that has shaped this church for nearly a century and a half.

As a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA) within the Presbytery of Milwaukee, Immanuel calls itself "a community of memory and hope, living out of our tradition and living into a vision of God's purposes." The church welcomes diversity as a sign of God's varied grace and celebrates all couples who choose to build their lives together, including LGBTQ+ couples. Visitors are invited to come as they are, in their finest or most comfortable clothes, with doubts and faith, and to expect to encounter the Divine in music that soars, in silence that speaks, and in the faces that welcome them home.

The 1875 Sanctuary by E. Townsend Mix

Immanuel's home is a High Victorian Gothic masterpiece designed by prominent Milwaukee architect E. Townsend Mix and completed in 1875. The Wauwatosa limestone exterior, soaring Gothic arches, intricate woodwork, and vaulted ceilings were all designed to lift the eyes and hearts of worshipers heavenward. The vertical emphasis of the towers and the upward-pointing windows create a space where the sacred feels palpable, and four original Tiffany stained glass windows bathe the sanctuary in luminous color that shifts with the sun's movement throughout the day.

These Tiffany windows are theological statements in glass, telling stories of faith through color, light, and sacred imagery. They glow through Christmas and Easter celebrations and create an atmosphere of reverence and wonder that words alone cannot convey. Members and visitors alike worship surrounded by beauty that has been lifting prayers for 150 years.

An American Classic Hook and Hastings Organ

Immanuel's magnificent pipe organ dates to 1881 and has undergone three major renovations, each one honoring its heritage while expanding its capabilities. A new console was installed in 2005, new leather valves on the pipes in 2009, and during a major restoration of the chancel in 2012, a new pipe facade was added to be more reminiscent of the original architecture. Today the Hook and Hastings organ features 77 ranks and is considered an "American Classic" instrument. The Chapel houses a two-rank Kilgen organ, and the church also has four Steinway grand pianos.

Organist Steven J. Jensen presides over the organ with artistry that spans the entire spectrum of the repertoire, bringing this historic instrument to life each Sunday. Beyond regular worship, Jensen offers mini organ recitals during special events, sharing the musical heritage housed within the sanctuary. Music is treated here as both an act of worship and a living connection to the generations who have lifted their voices in this same sacred space.

The Chancel Choir

Music Director Dr. Dimitri Shapovalov, a professor of musicology at Carthage College, leads the Chancel Choir in a program that ranges across the full spectrum of sacred music, from Renaissance motets to contemporary anthems, from traditional hymn arrangements to challenging modern works. You might hear Handel one Sunday and a newly composed piece the next, each selection chosen to deepen the worship experience and connect to the day's scripture and sermon.

The church employs bass, tenor, alto, and soprano choral scholars who support and lead the volunteer voices of Immanuel members and friends who love to sing. The choir rehearses every week from September through mid-June on Thursday evenings from 6:00 until 7:30 p.m. in the Choir Room on the lower level (use the covered entrance from the parking lot), with a Sunday morning warm-up rehearsal in the choir loft at 8:55 a.m. New singers are always welcome, and no audition is required.

Sunday Morning Worship at 10:00 AM

Worship at Immanuel has a traditional feel, with organ and choir leading the congregation through a service structured around four recurring themes: adoration, where the accent is on God's powerful love and grace; confession, where the accent is on the congregation's own self-centeredness; proclamation, where the accent is on the actions God has taken to forgive and call; and response, where the accent is on what worshipers may do in response to what God has done. The act of worship involves physical, emotional, cultural, and intellectual sensitivities, drawing the community together into a public witness to the meanings and values of Christian faith.

Sunday morning worship runs from 10:00 to 11:00 AM in the sanctuary at 1100 N. Astor Street. Free parking is available in the church lot off Astor Street (it fills up fast on Sunday mornings), and free street parking is also available right on Astor or Prospect Avenue, just steps from the doors. The service is also livestreamed on YouTube for those joining from across town or across the country, and online worshipers are noted as drawing from fifteen U.S. states and beyond.

Children from age 3 through 8th grade begin worship with everyone else, then head downstairs to the Peaceable Kingdom for Church School around 10:30 AM. From September through May, the Church School engages children not just in Bible stories but in figuring out what it means to love God and love their neighbors. Caregivers are always welcome to join. For the little ones, childcare is provided every Sunday from 9:30 AM to noon in the Nursery downstairs. There is also a Care Corner in the back of the sanctuary and a "crying room" on the second floor with sight and sound of the service for parents who want to stay close.

Co-Pastoral Leadership

Immanuel is served by a co-pastor team. The Rev. Robert W. Ater came to Immanuel in 2004 with a primary focus on outreach in the community and the invitation and integration of new members into the life of the congregation. He provides pastoral support to the Membership Committee, Mission Committee, Information Technology Committee, Building Maintenance Committee, Stewardship Committee, Parish Life Council, and Board of Deacons, and currently serves on the boards of Southeastern Wisconsin Common Ground and the national NEXT Church organization. He holds degrees from Franklin College, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Rutgers University.

The Rev. Teresa A. Larson was called to Immanuel in 2020 with a focus on worship and multigenerational faith formation. She regularly preaches and leads the Church School, provides pastoral support to the Church School Committee, Adult Education Committee, Finance Committee, Landscape Committee, and Board of Trustees, and serves on the Presbytery of Milwaukee's Commission on Pastoral Ministries. She holds degrees from Alma College and Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

The co-pastors were jointly installed by the Presbytery of Milwaukee, with the Rev. Lisa Lynne Kirkpatrick of Linn Presbyterian Church in Lake Geneva preaching a sermon entitled "Intertwined" inspired by John's vision of the vine and branches. The Rev. Jennifer Gleichauf and the Rev. Sarah Walker Cleaveland, Co-Pastors at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Racine, offered charges to the co-pastors and to the congregation, and nearly thirty clergy robed and processed with the co-pastors to represent their shared calling to point to God's grace and love for all people.

Faith Formation for Every Age

From baptism through confirmation and beyond, Immanuel is committed to helping every person grow in faith, ask hard questions, and discover what it means to love God and neighbor in a complicated world. Youth in grades 7 through 12 gather each month to respond to God's love through worship, study, service, and play, with mission projects around Milwaukee and beyond and week-long mission trips that change how they see the world. Students in 10th and 11th grade are invited to participate in confirmation, a nine-month exploration of faith, life, and church membership that begins each September. Confirmation is not about memorizing the right answers; it is about asking honest questions and discovering what faith means for a young person's life.

On the second Sunday of each month, families gather for a special intergenerational experience that involves parents, grandparents, and caregivers in faith formation together, with workshops, service projects, and field trips designed to help the whole congregation grow.

Adult faith formation at Immanuel provides space to wrestle with the big questions of life and faith. Past programs have tackled environmental concerns, gun violence, racial justice, urban housing challenges, transforming family structures, and disaster relief. Biblical studies that make the ancient text come alive, the stories behind the hymns, religious art, the rhythms of the church year, church history, and contemporary theological questions all find a place. Grief and loss, forming values, navigating life's major transitions, the challenges of parenting, and what it means to age with grace are also part of the conversation, all through the lens of faith and all in community. Education offerings are led by Immanuel ministers, church members, and leaders from across the city.

Mission Partners Near and Far

Immanuel partners with more than twenty local, national, and international organizations. Locally, members build homes with the Presbyterian Coalition Habitat for Humanity, volunteer at the Interchange Food Pantry, tutor through Forward Scholars, support Literacy Services of Wisconsin, walk alongside the Community Center for Immigrants, serve at the Open Table Cafe, and provide volunteer hours at the Bread of Healing Clinic. The congregation's food ministries are described as feeding hundreds of Milwaukee families each month.

Globally, Immanuel is preparing to return to the First Reformed Presbyterian Church in Havana, Cuba, through Living Waters for the World, to install a clean water purification system alongside an education program for children and adults. Mission giving flows through One Great Hour of Sharing, the Christmas Joy Offering, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, the Deacons' Fund, the Interchange Food Pantry, and the Immanuel Endowment Fund, with additional gifts supporting Mwandi Mission and other global partners. Members have also collected specific donations of reading glasses, vitamins, solar lanterns, drawing pads, and other supplies to support the Cuban partners' ministries.

Weddings, Baptisms, Funerals, and the Columbarium

Immanuel celebrates weddings of all kinds in its sanctuary, with couples exchanging vows beneath the Tiffany windows where light dances in colors that seem to bless the union. The church's wedding ministry joyfully celebrates marriages of all kinds, including LGBTQ+ couples, and the ministers work with couples to craft a ceremony that reflects their values, faith, and unique love story. Couples are invited to call or email the church to begin planning.

Baptism at Immanuel is a sacrament shared in community. Baptisms happen during Sunday worship, surrounded by the whole church family. The congregation baptizes infants and children whose parents or grandparents are active members, and adult baptisms typically take place as part of worship when new members and friends are welcomed. The church's only prerequisite for infant and child baptism is that one parent or grandparent be an active member of Immanuel.

When someone has died, the ministers meet with families to listen, share memories, and co-create services that honor both the resurrection hope of the faith and the unique life of the person who has died. The Sanctuary provides a setting for both tears and laughter, and the warm Parlor hosts receptions where family and friends gather to share stories and food. The Immanuel Columbarium offers a final resting place within the church itself, and detailed guidelines for funeral and memorial planning are available from the church office.

Getting Involved

Within the church, ongoing volunteer roles include Welcome Team greeters, ushers who guide seating and distribute bulletins, Coffee Hour hosts, and the Parish Life Council, which plans everything from the September Ice Cream Social and Thanksgiving Day Dinner to the pre-Lenten Shrove Pancake Brunch, along with concerts, exhibits, and theater outings. Chancel Choir singers, Forward Scholars tutors, Youth Ministry volunteers, Meal Program volunteers, Habitat build team members, and office helpers all help sustain Immanuel's ministry in and beyond the building.

Immanuel is governed by the Session, Board of Deacons, and Board of Trustees. Session committees focus on the congregation's spiritual mission through Adult Education, Church School, Membership, Mission, Personnel, Stewardship, and Worship. Trustee committees steward the physical and financial resources through Building Maintenance, Decorating, Finance and Investment, Technology, Landscaping and Grounds, Long-Range Planning, and Stewardship and Endowment. Ruling elders and Deacons are nominated and elected at the Annual Program Meeting in May, and Trustees are nominated and elected at the Annual Financial Meeting in January.

IPC 101, an introduction to the congregation, is offered periodically after worship, with a church tour and a chance to hear about Immanuel's ministries and Presbyterian beliefs. Visitors interested in becoming members or friends can reach out to the church office to learn about the next Welcome and Orientation Event.

Visiting, Giving, and the Church Office

The church office at 1105 N. Waverly Place is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and can be reached by phone at (414) 276-4757 or by email at ipc@immanuelwi.org. Online giving is available through a secure portal for one-time gifts, recurring donations, pledge payments, special offerings, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance gifts, Interchange Food Pantry gifts, memorial gifts, and contributions to the Deacons' Fund, the Immanuel Endowment Fund, and Sunday morning Chancel flowers. Gifts can also be placed in the offering plate during Sunday worship or mailed to the church office. The annual pledge campaign helps the congregation budget its mission and ministry for the year ahead.