Emmanuel Baptist Church was founded in 1957 with 79 charter members and a vision for gospel ministry in our community. Under the leadership of our first pastor, James Dunn, the church purchased land on South Main in 1958 and constructed its first building. As Emmanuel grew, so did our facilities, adding education space in 1964 and again in 1975.
A season of growth began in 1969 with Pastor Bob Farrell, and by 1982, the church celebrated 25 years of ministry—completely debt-free. During the 1990s, Pastor V.A. Trussell led Emmanuel to deepen its commitment to missions, giving generously and hosting associational events. This missions focus continued into the next decade, including Emmanuel’s first youth mission trip in 2001, which launched a culture of sending. Since then, Emmanuel has taken part in over 40 mission trips, both across the U.S. and internationally.
The 2008 financial crisis brought challenges, but also a time of renewal. In 2010, intentional interim pastor Jimmy McLeod helped Emmanuel refocus on its mission. In 2011, the arrival of the C2 college ministry breathed new life into the church. Pastor Gary D. Ward was called in 2012, ushering in a season of revitalization and growth. This included the sale of the original property and the construction of a new building, with the first worship service held there in 2015. That same year, Emmanuel adopted an elder-led model of church leadership.
In 2018, Pastor Ward transitioned toward retirement, and in 2019, Pastor Will Becknal was called as Lead Pastor. That year also marked Emmanuel’s first international mission trip to Panama. Like many churches, Emmanuel faced hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but by God’s grace, still gave a record $40,000 to missions.
In 2021, the Becknal family was sent to the mission field with the International Mission Board, and Ken Nichols was called as Lead Pastor. The Bizzells retired from staff in 2022 after years of faithful service, and continued serving on mission. In 2023, we celebrated the joy of sending two families—the Bizzells to Mexico and the Laughmillers to South Asia—as international missionaries.
In 2024, in response to the transition of several families and leaders, Emmanuel launched a Leadership Pipeline, a Biblical Eldership cohort to invest in the next generation of leaders, and entered into a season of reflection called Recalibrate in 2025.
Through seasons of growth, challenge, and change, one thing has remained: Emmanuel exists to Reach, Teach, and Send—all for the glory of God.
