Our Story

Tabernacle Baptist Church (renamed Immanuel Baptist Church in 1924) was organized by 33 members from Calvary Baptist Church in January 1909. Present for the first service, February 1, in a small frame, rented building on South Upper Street between High and Maxwell Streets, were 119 charter members. In 1910 a lot on the corner of High Street and Woodland Avenue was purchased and the previously rented structure on South Upper was moved to the new location.

Over the years, additional buildings near the church were purchased for educational space until it became obvious the location could no longer contain the growing church. In 1957, the leadership of the church orchestrated the purchase of 22 acres on the outskirts of Lexington on rural Tates Creek Road. The new building with an interim sanctuary seating 1,300 was dedicated on July 1, 1962. 

Beginning in 2012, Immanuel experienced exponential growth in all areas. With a renewed focus on being a welcoming church offering programs for all ages and stages of life and continuing to value the strengths of being an inter-generational congregation, Immanuel was recognized twice in Outreach Magazine's Top 100 fastest growing churches. During this time, Immanuel was recognized as a leader in generosity with an evangelistic focus. Immanuel became the lead sending church to plant new churches in the city of Chicago. The generosity of Immanuel led to unprecedented missions giving to support gospel projects in Lexington, Central Kentucky, the United States and to the ends of the earth in places like Guatemala, East Asia, and Africa.

In 2018, Immanuel relaunched the Armstrong Mill campus. With over 300 in attendance at the relaunch, the Armstrong Mill campus provided new growth and gospel presence in the city of Lexington. With a strong emphasis placed on prayer and the study of God's word, it was during this time Immanuel saw record numbers of visitors, baptisms, and people deciding to find their place at Immanuel. 

On February 6, 2022, Immanuel launched our third campus in Georgetown continuing our vision of being a multi-site church in Central Kentucky.