New Here?
Our Community
All Are Welcome at Immanuel!
Our Mission
At Immanuel we are committed to “spreading Jesus’ message of love, peace and justice and providing a safe, loving, welcoming environment where everyone can study, grow and heal.”
Our Ministry
The Immanuel Community is led by a seven member Board of Ministry elected by the congregation. We have four “Areas of Ministry” (Faith, Hope, Love and Service) in which all (including you!) are invited to participate. You can explore and learn more about each of these on this Website.
Welcoming Statement
Immanuel means “God is With Us”
If you are seeking God and a community where you can bring your complexity, we welcome you.
For example:
If you are Asian, Hispanic, Black, White or Native American;
If you are female or male, non-binary or transgender;
If you are three days old, thirty years old or 103 years old;
If you’ve never stepped foot in church, or if you are Buddhist, Jewish, Roman Catholic, Hindu, Muslim, agnostic, or a lifelong American Baptist;
If you are single, married, divorced, separated or partnered;
If you are straight, gay, lesbian or bisexual;
If you are Republican, Democrat, Independent, Socialist or not registered to vote;
If you have or had addictions, phobias, or a criminal record;
If you own your home, rent, live with your parents, or are homeless;
If you are fully-abled, disabled, or a person with differing abilities; and
If you have questions and doubts, or if you have a passion to share…
We welcome you at
The Immanuel Community!
What To Expect
Parking
There is “on street” parking on Park Avenue and on Brunswick Street. Our Church parking lot is behind the Sanctuary (off Brunswick) and has spaces set aside for guests and disability parking. There is an accessibility ramp off Park Avenue leading into the church office area and on to the Sanctuary. There are ADA restrooms on the main floor between the sanctuary and the church offices.
Following Worship on Sunday mornings we gather for fellowship and refreshments in the McDonald Room and we invite you to join us there.
Our Location
815 Park Avenue
Rochester, NY 14607
(585) 473-7664
Immanuel
Meet Our Staff
Reverend Mr. Robert B. Heppenstall III
The Reverend Mr. Robert B. Heppenstall III is our part-time Interim Pastor. Pastor Bob was invited to serve at Immanuel in June of 2024. He received his Bachelor’s degree at St. Lawrence University and his Masters of Divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary. While ordained (1978) in the Presbyterian (U.S.A.) tradition he is delighted to offer his gifts and experience to our congregation. He enjoys golf, writing poetry and playing his 12 string Guitar. Bob and Patty live in Webster, NY.
Our Director of Music
Andrew Cooke
Elizabeth Heppenstall
Elizabeth Heppenstall is our newest part-time staff member, joining Immanuel in May of 2025. She first came to Immanuel as a worship participant and when the need arose in our church office she offered her services. Elizabeth is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design. You can meet her on most Sundays running our live-feed and in the church office on Wednesdays and Thursdays preparing our bulletins and the Heart to Heart mailing. Elizabeth also lives near the church in the college street neighborhood and enjoys tending her garden, caring for two cats and cherishing her partner, Evan.
Immanuel
Our History
Origins
Although Immanuel Baptist Church was formed at a meeting held at the Rochester Theological School on the corner of Alexander Street and East Avenue on March 3, 1923, its roots go back to the early 1880s with the formation of the Park Avenue Church on the corner of Meigs Street and Park Avenue.
Its first pastor was Henry L. Morehouse, after whom Morehouse College was named. An edifice designed by famed architect, J. Foster Warner, was constructed on the corner of Park Avenue and Brunswick in 1926. Established as a community church (the only one on Park Avenue), through the years the congregation has sought to serve community needs, including providing chapel space for the Park Avenue Hospital, establishing the Park Avenue Project leading to the annual Park Avenue Festival, and providing space for the newly chartered Cobblestone.
Today
Today, our community provides space for self-help groups meeting three times a day, seven days a week, holding a joint Tuesday noon Ecumenical Mass in conjunction with Spiritus Christi and a home for the White Lotus Buddhist Society. In addition, the church sponsors the Concerts on the Park series attracting well known musicians from around the area. Recently the church began sponsoring community forums, bringing leaders of government together with the community to discuss matters of concern.
Looking Forward
As the church just celebrated its first 100 years and looks toward the second 100 years, it has launched two primary initiatives. First, the church is the recipient of a Lilly Grant to explore how the church could expand its community outreach and engagement with its neighbors. The second is a capital fund drive to shore up the integrity of the exterior of the building which is registered in the National Register of Historic Places. Smoke damage from a 2020 fire required total remediation of the interior at a cost of $914,000. Addressing the preservation of the building will provide opportunity for the church to evolve into a “community living room”, setting the stage for the next 100 years.
