Three Campuses, One Family in West Tennessee
Englewood Baptist Church has spent more than seven decades planting its life into the city of Jackson, Tennessee. The Highland Campus, launched in 1950 on North Highland Avenue, remains the flagship location and gathers nearly 4,000 people across three Sunday morning services. From there the church family has spread to a Medina Campus in nearby Gibson County and an East Campus on Highway 70 East in Jackson, both operating under the same mission: to love God, love people, and serve the world by living out and sharing the life-changing realities of the gospel in every place, every day.
That mission is more than a tagline. It frames everything from the way greeters welcome families on Sunday morning to the way volunteers load vans for mission trips to Brazil. Englewood is a large church with a small-church instinct for personal connection, and its size shows up in the depth of its ministry list rather than in a desire to feel big. Walk through the doors and the building hums with choirs rehearsing, kids playing in Treehouse Theater, college students gathered at The Inn, and a fellowship hall filling up with families for the Wednesday night meal.
A Mission Shaped by the Gospel
The church's mission statement is built on three commitments that trace back to the teachings of Jesus. "Love God" expresses Englewood's conviction that worship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the first reason the church exists. "Love People" carries the gospel outward to neighbors near and far. "Serve the World" sends the congregation into Jackson, across West Tennessee, and onto multiple continents where church planters and relief workers share the good news of Jesus Christ.
Englewood states this commitment plainly: "We exist to Love God, Love People, and Serve the World by living out and sharing the life changing realities of the gospel in every place every day." Members are encouraged to make that mission concrete through the LEADER pathway, a six-step spiritual growth strategy that moves people from learning the basics to reinvesting their gifts in ministry, missions, and the next generation.
Beliefs Rooted in Scripture
The Statement of Faith, available in the church's published documents, is an intentionally biblical and evangelical confession. Englewood believes in one holy, loving, and sovereign God, eternally existing in three persons: the Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. The Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is held to be the inspired, fully truthful, and only infallible guide in faith and practice, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged.
The church affirms the historic Christian doctrines of creation, the fall of humanity into sin, and salvation through Jesus Christ alone. Members confess the full deity and full humanity of Christ, his virgin birth, his sinless life, his miracles, his representative and substitutionary atoning death, his bodily resurrection, his ascension to the right hand of the Father, and his present ministry as Lord of all, High Priest, and Advocate.
Salvation is offered freely to all who trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, with justification, regeneration, and progressive sanctification by the Holy Spirit. Those accepted in Christ are kept by the power of God and will persevere to the end. Two ordinances are observed: believer's baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper. The true church is manifest in local congregations whose membership is composed only of immersed believers and whose officers are pastors and deacons. The church also looks forward to the personal and bodily return of Christ, the resurrection of the just and unjust, and the everlasting blessedness of God's people.
Sunday Mornings at Highland
The Highland Campus, located at 2239 North Highland Avenue in Jackson, opens its doors wide on Sunday mornings. Three services run at 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00 AM, each gathering around 1,300 people in the main Worship Center for a blended service of congregational singing led by the choir, band, and orchestra, along with expository preaching from the pastoral team.
Senior Pastor Dr. Adam Dooley often teaches through extended series such as the Sermon on the Mount, while other pastors bring guest messages and topical series on prayer, the covenants, and the life of Christ. Live preaching is reinforced by an active online presence, with services livestreamed at englewoodlive.church and replays archived on the church's Vimeo page.
Visitors are intentionally welcomed. The church describes itself as "fairly casual," and people come in everything from suits to jeans and t-shirts. A reserved guest parking lot sits in front of the main entrance. Inside, a Connect Desk and Guest Services area answer questions, help families check in children, and point first-time guests toward a Life Group, an Equip class, or a Wednesday night meal. The church asks visitors to arrive at least 20 minutes early to be sure of a seat.
Sunday Mornings at Medina
Just north of Jackson in the town of Medina, the Medina Campus at 501 Blackmon Street extends the same mission into Gibson County. The campus gathers on Sunday mornings at 9:00 and 10:30 AM, with childcare available from birth through fifth grade during both services. Worship is led by Medina Campus Worship Pastor David Trent and a worship team that follows the same blended style as Highland.
The atmosphere is intentionally described as warm and easy to enter. Guests are encouraged to come as they are, grab a cup of coffee, and let volunteers help them find a seat. Pastor Ashley Ray and her team oversee the campus and preach in rotation with the other pastors. Student and adult Life Groups meet on Sunday nights in homes throughout the community, and a meal is shared before the study begins.
The East Campus and a Pickleball Court
The East Campus at 1646 Highway 70 East, launched in 2016, represents the newest expression of Englewood's reach within Jackson. Sunday worship services are not currently held there, but the campus hosts a thriving indoor pickleball program that fills its three climate-controlled courts multiple times each week.
Pickleball at Englewood is open to anyone, regardless of age, skill, or church background. Beginners, intermediates, and advanced players all find courts and partners, and the program's stated purpose is as much relational as athletic. "Pickleball may also be the perfect way to create Real Change by introducing someone to Englewood that may never come to church on a Sunday," the church explains. The East Campus also houses the Adult Life Group that previously met there; it now gathers at 9:30 AM in room WEB 201 at the Highland Campus.
Wednesday Nights Around the Table
If Sunday is Englewood's front porch, Wednesday is the family dinner table. Each Wednesday at the Highland Campus, a hot meal is served, followed by Bible studies, choirs, kids' programs, student worship, and a late evening college gathering. The full schedule is intentionally stacked so that an entire family, from preschooler to grandparent, has somewhere to go.
The Wednesday Night Meal rotates weekly through comfort foods like meatloaf, rotel chicken, and poppyseed chicken, with sides, dessert, and rolls. Registration opens Thursday and closes Monday, and a weekly text reminder is available by texting MENU to 79181.
After dinner, the church opens a wide range of studies. Senior Pastor Adam Dooley leads a teaching through the Book of Hebrews at 6:00 PM in the Jett Fellowship Center, a study that is also livestreamed. Equip Classes meet across the campus in everything from women's Bible studies on Genesis, Revelation, and the life of King Saul to men's studies on the essentials of the Christian faith and a Beginning ASL class for those who want to reach the city's deaf and hearing-impaired neighbors. A Christ-centered Celebrate Recovery group meets for anyone working through hurts, hang-ups, and habits.
Kids, Preschool, and Parents Day Out
Englewood Kids exists to help children from birth through fifth grade "develop into the leader God designed them to be." Programming is offered at every service on both campuses and again on Wednesday evenings.
At the Highland Campus, Preschool Park runs in Treehouse Theater, Bible Rock classrooms, and a Jungle Gym room during all three Sunday morning services and on Wednesday evenings at 5:45 PM. Babies through pre-kindergartners experience Bible stories, worship songs, and crafts in a secure environment with a check-in system that uses parent pick-up tags. Grade schoolers rotate between large-group worship and small-group Life Groups at 9:30 and 11:00 AM.
On Wednesday evenings, the program Ignite gathers at 5:45 PM with high-energy worship, scripture memory, and games, plus a choir option for kids who love to sing. A monthly Starting Point class helps children who are beginning to ask questions about faith, sin, forgiveness, and salvation understand the gospel and what it means to follow Jesus.
A Parents Day Out program runs Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM for children birth through pre-K, combining biblically focused learning with basic skill-building. Registration is $50 per year, with tuition of $175 per month.
The Medina Campus mirrors this rhythm at 9:00 and 10:30 AM on Sundays and from 6:00 to 7:00 PM on Wednesdays. Preschool playdates on Monday mornings from 9:00 to 11:00 AM open an indoor playground for preschoolers and parents looking for community over coffee.
Special Buddies and Special Friends
Englewood's Special Needs Ministry reaches families who often feel overlooked by larger churches. Special Buddies is the children's and students' ministry for those with various special needs, meeting on Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM in WEB 122 and on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 PM in the same room. Trained volunteers provide biblical teaching and engaging activities.
Special Friends is for adults ages 17 and older. This group meets Sundays at 9:30 AM in WEB 126 for Bible study, fellowship, and gospel teaching. Once a month they gather outside the church to build real community and are encouraged to serve in other ministries when they are able. The ministry is led by Special Buddies Coordinator Laura Riddell.
Students in Middle and High School
The Englewood Student Ministry serves middle and high school students at both campuses. Blake Fondren oversees middle school ministry at Highland, Camden Nephew leads students at Medina, Abby Bitterling directs the Student Ministry for girls, and dedicated directors give focused care to ninth and tenth graders and to eleventh and twelfth graders.
At the Highland Campus, Life Groups for sixth through twelfth grade meet at 9:30 AM in the Warehouse, separated by grade and gender. Wednesday nights bring Elevate, a high-energy worship and teaching service at 6:00 PM in the same space. At the Medina Campus, students gather in Life Groups on Sunday nights at 5:00 PM in homes and on campus, and on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 PM in the Worship Center for a combined middle and high school service.
College: Sojourn and Grow Groups
Englewood College, led by College Pastor Shawn Chandler, runs a tight three-touch weekly rhythm. College Life Groups meet Sunday mornings at 9:30 at the Inn across the parking lot from the Highland Campus, in a room called The Gathering. Students dig into Scripture together and then head over to the 11:00 AM worship service.
Wednesday nights at 7:27 PM, the same space fills for Sojourn, a student-led worship service and message tailored to college students. Grow Groups are small accountability groups of three to four students that meet weekly to pray for one another and dig into questions that move faith from head knowledge to daily practice. The Englewood College Podcast carries teaching beyond the campus through Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Women's Ministry
The Women's Ministry at Englewood, directed by Melinda Stewart, creates spaces for women in every season of life to connect to God, to His Word, and to one another. Weekly Equip Classes, special events, and ongoing community groups like Secrets Savored bring women together around Scripture and around tables.
Highlights include the Going Beyond Live virtual event with Bible teacher Priscilla Shirer, women's studies through the books of Genesis and Revelation, and ongoing Bible studies using books such as Anne Graham Lotz's Jesus in Me and Lisa Harper's The Lie You Don't Know You Believe. The annual EBC Women's Ministry operates an active Instagram and Facebook presence to keep women connected.
Men, PrimeTime, and Generations
The Maximum Man Bible Study gathers men from across Jackson on Thursday mornings at 7:00 AM in the Jett Fellowship Center at the Highland Campus. Led by Gary Taylor, the group is open to men from multiple churches and is built around honest study of Scripture and accountability.
PrimeTime is the church's ministry for adults 60 and older, directed by Dan Morris. Monthly meetings, annual banquets, day trips, extended trips across the country, and ongoing community service projects give the group a full calendar. "We are living longer, working longer, and many are retiring with time and ability to do Kingdom work like never before," the ministry describes. Essential Truths of the Christian Faith, a Wednesday night class covering salvation, eternal security, prayer, the Holy Spirit, and related topics, anchors the men's and adult teaching lineup.
Worship and the Arts
Worship Pastor Greg Hines leads a worship ministry that the church describes as Christ-centered and cross-focused. The Englewood Choir, a multi-generational group that rehearses on Wednesdays from 6:00 to 7:15 PM in the Worship Center, leads singing in all Sunday services and at special worship nights throughout the year. Choir members describe the group as more than a choir, calling it a ministry group that sings, prays, celebrates, and shares meals together.
A Band and Orchestra rehearses Wednesdays from 5:00 to 6:00 PM. The rhythm section is open by audition to any member of Englewood, while the orchestra welcomes brass, woodwind, and string players from eighth grade through adult. Rotating Praise Teams drawn from the choir lead worship in services and at special events. Worship U, a leadership development track, runs alongside Children's Choir under Worship Associate Dr. Tammy Grant.
Life Groups Across the City
Englewood's small-group ministry is the engine room of its adult discipleship. Life Groups meet at every Sunday morning service hour, in the evening, and throughout the week in homes across the Jackson area. The Highland Campus alone offers more than 40 Life Groups across three morning service blocks and one evening block.
Groups are organized by season of life: couples in their 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s; women of all ages; men of all ages; and mixed co-ed groups. Some groups focus on the present sermon series, others walk through books of the Bible, and still others emphasize encouragement and prayer. The Medina Campus organizes Sunday evening groups in host homes for fellowship, a shared meal, and a discussion of the morning sermon, with childcare from birth through fifth grade available on campus.
Equip Classes and Bible Study
The Equip Classes menu functions as a year-round school for Christian growth. Offerings change with the calendar but follow a steady rhythm: men's classes on the essentials of the faith, women's classes that walk verse by verse through books of the Bible, topical classes on prophecy and last-days theology, and short-term studies that pair books with discussion.
Recent courses include studies on the Book of Hebrews with Pastor Adam, a 10-week journey through Genesis 1-11 with Jen Wilkins at the Medina Campus, an ASL class equipping members to share the gospel with the deaf community, and women's studies on the lives of Jacob's wives and the kings of Israel. The church also runs a church-wide Bible Reading Plan that walks the Old Testament chronologically from January through December.
Care Groups for Hurting People
Care Groups step in where Life Groups and Sunday services cannot always reach. The Care Group ministry, organized through stepup@ebcjackson.org, hosts GriefShare seminars that focus on the loss of a spouse and a Surviving the Holidays seminar ahead of the holiday season. Celebrate Recovery meets Wednesdays at 6:00 PM in Annex 100 as a Christ-centered 12-step program that combines the traditional 12 steps with eight principles drawn from the Beatitudes.
Englewood is actively looking to launch Divorce Care and Cancer Care groups and is recruiting leaders for these new ministries.
Local Missions in Jackson
Local Missions is a wide umbrella of outreach to the Jackson community. Mission Jackson sends volunteers out every Sunday afternoon at 3:00 PM to multiple sites around the city for sports, crafts, and small-group Bible studies. The Lighthouse Ministry serves homeless guests, those in inner-city neighborhoods, and people living in local hotels using an empowerment-based model where guests earn points through basic tasks and use those points to shop for food, hygiene items, and clothing. Lighthouse meets the first and third Tuesday of each month from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
Hotel Outreach partners with the Scarlet Rope Project, an organization that helps women leave sex trafficking and exploitation, by grilling food, packing meals, and going door to door to share the gospel. Free English classes for beginner, intermediate, and advanced learners run multiple times a week. Andrew Jackson Elementary, the school closest to the church, receives year-round support including landscaping, repairs, a Fall Fest, a spring picnic, and a teacher appreciation banquet. Birth Choice is supported through volunteer nurses, client advocates, and donations of baby items.
Going Global from West Tennessee
Englewood currently partners with missionaries and ministry efforts on four continents, with a stated goal of engaging every continent. Mission trips have included a long-standing partnership with Pioneer Missions in Porto Seguro, Brazil, where college students and young adults lead youth events, evangelism, and community outreach; a high school team that assists Emmaus Church in Henderson, Nevada, with a kids' sports camp; and ongoing work in cities such as Las Vegas, Tucson, Boston, Ocoee, Egypt, Cambodia, and Kenya.
The Missions Pastor Robin Popplewell and a team of Missions Logistics Coordinators walk prospective travelers through preparation, fundraising, contribution letters, story-sharing, and a notarized waiver form. A van driver ministry supports airport logistics for these teams.
A Master Plan for the Decades Ahead
After more than 70 years of growth, Englewood has committed to its first formal Master Plan, a long-term roadmap for modernizing, expanding, and aligning its facilities for the next 75 years. Approved by an overwhelming congregational vote, the plan works in phases and sub-phases to match ministry growth with financial reality.
Its two guiding principles are straightforward: repurpose the buildings the church already owns to meet current needs and create space for new buildings as ministry expands. Phase renderings show phased growth at both the Highland and Medina campuses. The Facilities Vision Team's plan, supported by a 40 Days of Prayer and Devotion guide, is the latest in a series of historic milestones for the congregation.
Giving, the App, and Staying Connected
Tithes and offerings fund the church's ministry and global outreach. Members can give online through the Englewood Mobile App or the online Giving Portal, drop gifts at kiosks in each worship center, or mail contributions to the church office. Non-cash gifts such as stocks, bonds, vehicles, or precious metals can be arranged through Business Administrator Wayne Brown.
The Englewood Mobile App, available in the Apple App Store and Google Play, lets members manage recurring gifts, edit profile information, view giving statements, and register for events. The BLESS app helps members track spiritual conversations with neighbors, and the church encourages every household to download it as a tool for daily gospel witness. Messages are archived on Vimeo and on the church's online messages page, organized by series.
The People Who Lead Englewood
Dr. Adam Dooley serves as Senior Pastor, with Dr. Russ Quinn as Associate Pastor, Dr. Ashley Ray as Medina Campus Pastor, and Dr. Mike Crouch as Pastor of Adult Ministries. Mark Ramsey serves as Pastor of Operations, Blane DeLoach as Pastoral Care Pastor, and Greg Hines as Worship Pastor. Jeremy Montgomery leads the Next Gen team, with Shawn Chandler directing the College Ministry, Robin Popplewell overseeing Missions, and Laura Riddell coordinating the Special Needs Ministry.
The staff team includes dozens of ministry directors, coordinators, and support staff who keep classrooms clean, meals warm, vans running, and the gospel preached with clarity. The collective identity of the church remains, in its own words, a community "led by Christ to love God, love people and serve the world" across Jackson, West Tennessee, and the nations beyond.