Emmanuel Baptist Church in Brooklyn's Clinton Hill

Emmanuel Baptist Church rises at the corner of Lafayette Avenue and Saint James Place in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, where it has served as one of the neighborhood's largest congregations for more than three decades. Under the leadership of Senior Pastor Anthony L. Trufant, who arrived in November 1990, the church has grown into a 4,000-member body whose worship, education, and outreach reach from its Brooklyn campus through New Orleans, Haiti, and post-apartheid South Africa.

The motto that opens its printed materials - "Transforming Lives Through the Love of Jesus Christ to Make a Better Me, a Better We, and a Better World" - captures the spirit of a congregation that combines a full sanctuary on Sunday morning with an intimate small-group culture the rest of the week, a deep arts program across every generation, and a counseling center that treats mental health as part of discipleship.

Located at 279 Lafayette Avenue (with a side entrance at 36 Saint James Place), Emmanuel is a B38 bus ride from downtown Brooklyn and a short walk from the G train's Clinton-Washington stop. The building houses a sanctuary, classrooms, and offices. Members come from the USA, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, and Africa, giving the body a multicultural texture that Pastor Trufant has described in a single sentence as the bulk of his 4,000-member Emmanuel Baptist Church.

A Better Me, a Better We, a Better World

The vision is more than a tagline. It defines the four-step rhythm that organizes life at Emmanuel, known to members as the 4G's.

• Gather happens weekly in corporate worship and daily in personal devotion.
• Grow happens through small groups, study groups, and the DDI courses.
• Give happens through tithes and offerings as well as through the gift of time.
• Go happens when members share the love of Christ in word and deed with family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers.

The driving purpose behind all four is straightforward: "Connecting People to Jesus Christ." That purpose shows up in a seeker-oriented service, in a sanctuary full of robed choir singers, in a counseling session about memory, and in a member walking down the street to knock on a neighbor's door.

The Convictions That Shape Emmanuel

Seven core values double as both description and compass for the church.

• Christ-Centered. Jesus Christ is the highest and clearest revelation of God and the ultimate reference point for personal and collective decisions. (Mark 9:1-8)
• Biblically-Based. The Christian Scriptures are authoritative in all matters of belief and practice. (2 Timothy 3:16)
• Mission-Oriented. Christ has called and equipped the church to minister to the needs of people both within and beyond the congregation. (Matthew 28:18-20)
• Culturally-Relevant. The gospel should be presented in the cultural forms with which the audience identifies. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)
• Gift-Based. God has shaped each believer to fulfill His purpose for the church and the world. (Ephesians 4:1-17)
• Excellence in Ministry. God has called the church to strive toward excellence in ministry and mission. (Malachi 1:6-14)
• Partnering through Prayer. God works change, both personal and societal, through the prayers of believers. (Acts 12:5-17)

Worship services use the New Revised Standard Version. The preaching is rooted in a Bible-based worldview shaped by Pastor Trufant's Chicago boyhood, his San Francisco theological formation under the Rev. Dr. Amos Brown at Third Baptist Church, and a lifelong engagement with the struggles of people of African descent.

Worship on Saturdays and Sundays

Three services anchor the week.

• Saturdays at 5:00 p.m. A smaller, seeker-friendly gathering designed as a comfortable entry point for those exploring faith.
• Sundays at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. The principal weekend services, each running about ninety minutes, with preaching from the Senior Pastor or guest clergy, music from the Worship Team and Total Praise choir, and programming for children and youth.

Children's Sunday School begins at 9:00 a.m. for ages three through elementary. Adult and High School Sunday School meets at 11:00 a.m. Children's Church also opens at 11:00 a.m. Visitors are not asked to stand or identify themselves, and the dress code is whatever makes a person most comfortable; jeans and sneakers sit comfortably beside suits and dress shoes.

Services are livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person.

The Sacred Arts Ministry

The Sacred Arts Ministry is the engine behind the worship experience. Through intricate ministries of song, dance, acting, technical arts, greeters, gracious guides, and ushers, plus a full instrumental band, the congregation presents its finest gifts and talents to the Lord.

• A.C.T.S. (A Christian Theatrical Society) brings drama and dramatic writing to the life of the church, exploring acting skills in a workshop setting under Servant Leader Alysia Powell.
• Gracious Guides serve as contemporary ushers, welcoming visitors, seating members, and collecting the offering with a smile. They meet on the third Sunday after the 11:00 a.m. service.
• Open Arms is the greeters ministry, preparing hearts with a smile and a kind word as worshipers step inside.
• Servants of Servants offers hospitality, hosting monthly birthday mini-celebrations and meeting emergency needs across the Emmanuel family.
• Temples of Praise is the dance ministry, teaching modern, contemporary, and African dance forms and fusing them into praise choreography.
• The Children's Choir teaches young voices how to lead the congregation into praise and worship.
• The Sign Language Ministry interprets God's Word for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, participates in song, dance, and drama, and assists Deaf individuals with job interviews, housing, ADA rights, Social Security benefits, hospitals, and bereavement. It meets every third Sunday following worship.
• Total Praise is the main choir, led by Director of Music Terrel Stone, with rehearsals on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m.
• The Triple "G" Band provides the rhythm section and is always looking for new instrumentalists.
• Traditional Ushers serve as doorkeepers in the house of the Lord, meeting on the first Sunday of each month after the 9:00 a.m. service.
• The Worship Team, led by Kimberly Lopez, Anissa Crooms, and Charisse Larke, builds a unified sound and a culture of worship unique to EBC, with devotionals on the last Tuesday of the month and rehearsals every Tuesday from 8:30 to 9:45 p.m.

Rev. Pamela Holmes oversees the Sacred Arts portfolio, with Jacqueline Brown-Sinclair coordinating logistics across the eleven ministries.

Becoming a Disciple: The Membership Path

Emmanuel uses a four-step process to walk newcomers into full communion with the church. Whether someone walks down the aisle during worship or stops by during the week, a minister or deacon welcomes them, prays with them, and offers detailed information about the ministry.

1. Connect to the Community. New members join a Small Group for New Members, where Bible study deepens alongside Christian fellowship.
2. Complete the Course. Three courses - Building Believers, Emmanuel Essentials, and Managing God's Money - cover the basics of the Christian faith, the inner workings of EBC, and biblical financial principles.
3. Celebrate at the Twice Born Celebration. Candidates for baptism and fellowship gather with family and friends for a special worship service and reception. They submit to the ordinance of baptism and receive the Right Hand of Fellowship, marking their connection to Christ and their acceptance into the Emmanuel family.
4. Maintain the Connection through the 4G's: Gather, Grow, Give, and Go.

Baptism typically takes place on the fourth Sunday of each month, beginning with the 11:00 a.m. service.

A Church for Every Season of Life

Emmanuel organizes much of its small-group life around what it calls Lifecycle Ministries - fellowships designed so that each member can experience Christian friendship regardless of age or stage.

• Children's Sunday School at 9:00 a.m. and Children's Church at 11:00 a.m. provide age-appropriate formation for the youngest members.
• YLE - Youth Leaders of Emmanuel is the ministry for ages twelve through eighteen, offering a safe, comfortable, and exciting environment to engage with one another, develop life skills, and discover a unique and authentic voice. YLE meets on the second and fourth Fridays from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. under Rev. Stefan Weathers.
• The 20/30s Young Adult Ministry gathers adults in their twenties and thirties for fellowship, community service, civic engagement, and spiritual formation. Members meet on the first and third Fridays from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., with community-service Saturdays and fellowship outings rounding out the month. The group has its own Instagram and Facebook community, plus small groups called LEAP, Guy Talk, and Squads, and an annual retreat.
• Prime Time Ministry is an intentional ministry for adults fifty and over, launched in January 2000 with ninety attendees on the coldest day of the year. Membership now exceeds 200. The ministry operates eight sub-ministries - Education, Finance, Health and Supportive Services, Recreation/Social, Spirituality, Hospitality, Intergenerational, and Employment and Career Development - and includes A.G.A.P.E. (A Grandparent As Parent Again Enlightenment), a ministry for grandparents raising grandchildren.
• CHOSEN is the women's ministry, in which First Lady Muriel Goode-Trufant is an enthusiastic participant. Frontliners is its parallel ministry on the other side of the aisle.

Turning Point: Counseling, Healing, and Mental Health

Turning Point Counseling Ministry blends professional psychotherapy with Biblical truth to restore broken relationships, heal wounds of the past, enhance the Christian lifestyle, and strengthen individuals, families, and churches in the community. The team offers supplemental counseling, educational workshops, and seminars, and serves as a resource for anyone dealing with mental health concerns.

Programs under the Turning Point umbrella include:

• Healing Our Hearts, a bereavement support group open to anyone who has experienced death, divorce, breakup, job loss, or other loss. The eight-week sessions begin in November (for holiday grief) and May (for Mother's Day and Father's Day grief), with monthly check-ins afterward.
• Chat and Chew, a monthly open-space group that meets on the third Saturday of each month to discuss topics such as anxiety, stress, relationship conflict, PTSD in the Black community, and mental health in the Bible.
• The Mental Health Conference, a three-day annual event that brings workshops and information to the community.
• The Veteran Luncheon, held in November to honor veterans who have served the country.
• Childhood Trauma Workshops for adults who have suffered childhood traumas.

Marking Life's Milestones

Emmanuel considers marriage "one of God's most profound expressions of love," and the church hosts weddings both on campus and at locations chosen by the couple. Couples must complete premarital counseling with one of the church's ordained clergy, sign a wedding agreement accompanied by a $500 deposit, and pay all remaining fees in full one month before the ceremony.

For families with infants and young children, Infant and Child Dedication is offered for children up to five years of age. Parents attend a Saturday morning class on campus and then participate in a dedication worship service on the following Sunday. Classes and services are scheduled quarterly throughout the year, with a maximum of three families per service. The class fee is $35 for the first adult and $15 for each additional adult; children under eighteen attend free.

When families experience loss, Funerals and Memorials are coordinated through the church office, and the Healing Our Hearts bereavement program complements pastoral care.

The Senior Pastor and the First Lady

Senior Pastor Anthony L. Trufant first preached in July 1981 and was ordained in May 1988 by Third Baptist Church in San Francisco, where he had interned under the Rev. Dr. Amos Brown. He arrived at Emmanuel in November 1990 after two and a half years as pastor of the Church of Christian Compassion in West Philadelphia.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Morehouse College, a Master of Divinity from Colgate Rochester Divinity School, and a Master of Arts in Strategic Leadership and Communication from Seton Hall University. He is currently a doctoral candidate in Transformational Leadership at Bakke Graduate University, a certified Conflict Resolution Mediator, a former adjunct professor at New York Theological and Auburn Theological Seminaries, and the sole owner of Tru4U, LLC, an organizational consulting and executive coaching company.

His preaching, teaching, and outreach ministry stretches from New York City to New Orleans, from Haiti to post-apartheid townships in South Africa. He has been profiled in David Ritz's "The Messengers," inducted into the Morehouse College of Ministers, and published in "Oxford Sermons, Volume 3."

His wife of more than thirty years, Muriel Goode-Trufant, is the Managing Attorney at the New York City Law Department, overseeing the budget, personnel, and facility operations for one of the largest municipal law offices in the country. A graduate of the Temple University School of Law and the University of Pennsylvania, she is an enthusiastic member of CHOSEN and convenes several women's retreats and conferences for the congregation. The Trufants have two grown daughters, Sharise Emmanuelle and Toni Niara.

Plan a Visit to 279 Lafayette Avenue

Emmanuel welcomes first-time visitors at every service. The sanctuary sits at 279 Lafayette Avenue (at the corner of Saint James Place), with a side entrance at 36 Saint James Place. Visitors arriving by subway take the G train to Clinton-Washington; by bus, the B38 stops directly across from the Lafayette Avenue entrance. Parking is available on surrounding streets.

Virtual Office Hours are Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; the office is closed on Fridays. The main phone line is (718) 622-1107, and the general inbox is info@ebc-ny.org.

Worship services run about ninety minutes. Visitors are not asked to stand or introduce themselves, and there is no dress code. Children's Sunday School at 9:00 a.m. and Children's Church at 11:00 a.m. provide programming for the youngest guests. The Sign Language Ministry interprets each service for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Members and friends can give online, by texting EBCNY (amount) to 844-610-1300, through the Givelify mobile app, or by mailing a check to 279 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11238. Giving supports the Mission and Benevolence Fund, which awards grants to community-service organizations serving Central Brooklyn, and the Fellowship Fund, which assists members in financial difficulty. All of it advances the vision of a better life, a stronger church family, and a transformed world.