A Kankakee church that has outlasted two centuries of change
Immanuel Baptist Church sits at 1300 West Hawkins Street in Kankakee, Illinois, on a corner that has been home to the congregation since 1960. The people who gather there today are heirs to a church that organized on March 12, 1864 and that, by its own count, has now passed 160 years of ministry in Kankakee County. Senior Pastor Philip Gardner, who has served the church since 2010 and stepped into the senior role in March 2014, often reminds visitors that Immanuel still sees itself on a mission rooted in three words: Know Jesus, Grow in Jesus, and Show Jesus.
Since 1864: from a German Baptist chapel to Immanuel Baptist Church
The story begins in the Green Garden countryside west of Kankakee, where members of the German Baptist Church planted a mission in town. The First German Baptist Church of Kankakee incorporated on March 12, 1864 under the leadership of the Reverend E. Tschirch, with ten charter members present: Mr. and Mrs. Gerdes, Mr. and Mrs. F. Jansen, Mr. August Seedorf, Mr. and Mrs. Stukas, Mr. and Mrs. F. Seedorf, and Mr. Otto Krueger. They purchased a small chapel at the southwest corner of Schuyler Avenue and Bourbonnais Street from the Episcopal Church, and the first service was held on Good Friday, March 25, 1864. A parsonage followed a year later.
In 1889 a new church building was erected under the direction of Reverend A. Vogel at a cost of $6,000 and dedicated debt free on the church's 25th anniversary, with all seven of its former pastors present. By 1914 membership stood at 163, and the evening service had already begun shifting toward English "about 1912." The pressure of World War I sped up the transition: in 1916 the church moved from a single communion chalice to individual cups, the Bible School (Sunday School) began using English, and on January 1, 1918 the congregation took the name Immanuel Baptist Church. By July of that year all services, business meetings, and official minutes had moved to English, though a once-a-month Sunday afternoon German service continued for those who wanted it.
The congregation remodeled its Bourbonnais Street building in 1922, adding a three-story front addition, a new heating and lighting system, a Moeller pipe organ, and the Good Shepherd stained glass window that still hangs in the back of today's sanctuary. In 1950 the church purchased part of the Krueger farm from a descendant of one of its charter members and then, when property on Hawkins Street became available, acquired that larger site for about $28,000. Ground broke on the current building on June 14, 1959 and the corner of Curtis and Hawkins was dedicated on Sunday, May 29, 1960, closing 96 years of ministry on Schuyler and Bourbonnais. The mortgage was burned on June 3, 1973, and by the late 1980s church debt was under $100,000. The sanctuary was remodeled again in the 1990s, the projector and screen were added, the pews were replaced in 2003 and 2004, and the congregation marked its 150th anniversary on March 12, 2014 with a service in which Philip Gardner officially became Senior Pastor. As Gardner wrote in the anniversary message, Immanuel stands "once again at a crossroads, looking to the future, yet remembering our past."
Sundays at Immanuel: Sunday School and a blended worship service
The Sunday rhythm begins at 9:30 a.m. with Sunday School for every age. The school uses the Gospel Project, a chronological, Christ-centered curriculum, and meets in classes grouped by life stage: a combined adult class, Junior/Senior High, grades 4 to 6, K to 3rd grade, and PreK. Worship follows in the sanctuary at 11:15 and runs about 45 minutes, ending around noon. The service blends traditional hymns with praise choruses and is accompanied by piano and at times by the pipe organ. Visitors arriving for either hour will find the building open on the corner of Curtis and Hawkins, with greeters and a fellowship hour following the close of worship.
AWANA on Wednesday nights for kids age 3 through 6th grade
AWANA, which stands for "Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed" from 2 Timothy 2:15, has been part of Immanuel Baptist for more than 30 years. The clubs meet on Wednesday nights from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. between September and April. Cubbies is for three- and four-year-olds who are potty trained and turning three before September 1; Sparks covers kindergarten through second grade; and T&T is for grades 3 through 6. Weekly dues are suggested at 50 cents per child, with a uniform and handbook that usually total no more than $25, and a sponsor can be arranged for any family that needs one. Children must be walked into their classroom door by a parent or guardian and picked up the same way at 7:30; a bus is no longer available. Immanuel's Awana missionary, Ken Krup, serves as the local field representative for the program.
What Immanuel believes
Immanuel teaches that the Bible is the inspired, error-free Word of God and the supreme source of truth for belief and life. The congregation holds to one God existing eternally in three co-equal persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and teaches that human beings are made in God's image but are separated from him by sin. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, lived a sinless life, died on the cross as the sacrifice for sin, rose again on the third day, ascended to glory, and will return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Salvation is a free gift received by faith in Jesus Christ, not by self-improvement or good works, and the believer is kept secure in that salvation by the grace and power of God. The Holy Spirit indwells every Christian and gives power for living, understanding of truth, and guidance in doing what is right. Two ordinances are practiced: baptism by immersion as a public declaration of faith that does not save but symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, and Communion, in which bread and wine or juice are shared as symbols of Christ's broken body and shed blood. The Statement of Faith on file with the church is the North American Baptist Conference belief statement, adopted in 2012 by the triennial delegates, and the local Declaration of Faith and Member Covenant are shared with anyone considering membership.
Missions near and far
A large share of Immanuel's annual budget goes to missions, both locally and overseas. In Kankakee County the church supports the Kankakee Living Alternatives Pregnancy Resource Center, a life-affirming ministry that also serves women and men wounded by abortion, and Bible Witness Camp on the east end of the county, which runs Sunday School and Bible Club programs plus summer camping. Internationally, Immanuel channels mission funding through the North American Baptist Conference and supports several families on the field: Tim and Joan Carmical with Ethnos360, recruiting future missionaries across the United States; Matt and Alyssa Harris with Mission Aviation Fellowship in Papua, Indonesia (Matt grew up at Immanuel); Erick and Melissa DeLeon with Tree Ministries in Guatemala, with plans for short-term service trips in the summers of 2026 and 2027; and the work of Life in Messiah International among Jewish people. Members are also encouraged to consider personal short-term trips, and the congregation has sent teams to NAB fields such as Cameroon, Guaymas in Mexico, Japan, and Brazil over the years.
Men, women, youth, and the music program
The Men's Ministry at Immanuel is currently being retooled around three goals: fellowship, discipleship, and service, with the next service project listed on the church calendar. The Women's Ministry runs regular service projects for the Kankakee Living Alternatives Pregnancy Resource Center and provides meals for families in crisis or celebrating the birth of a baby. Youth Ministry gathers junior and senior high students for growing in the Lord together along with fun and fellowship; specific dates appear on the calendar. Music is woven into Sunday worship through a blend of traditional hymns and praise choruses, accompanied by piano and, at times, the pipe organ. The church also encourages members to read the entire Bible each year using free tools such as Bible Gateway and YouVersion reading plans.
Pastor Philip Gardner
Philip C. Gardner became Senior Pastor of Immanuel Baptist in March 2014, the day the church celebrated its 150th anniversary, after serving since April 2010 as Associate Pastor with a focus on youth and young adults. He is a graduate of Emmaus Bible College in Dubuque, Iowa, with a Bachelor of Science in Biblical Studies, and he completed a Master of Divinity through Liberty Theological Seminary in Lynchburg, Virginia in 2018. Philip and his wife Tali have four children, one of whom is married, and a grandson. In his own words, his hope for visitors is straightforward: "as people visit us here at Immanuel they will find a place filled with people they can relate to; focusing on Christ who gives us the strength and the hope to face each day. Life is too short not to be genuine."
Plan a visit
Immanuel Baptist Church is at 1300 West Hawkins Street in Kankakee, Illinois 60901, on the corner of Curtis and Hawkins. The office phone is (815) 933-6619 and the fax line is (815) 933-6983, with email at ibckankakee@gmail.com. Sunday School begins at 9:30 a.m., the worship service at 11:15 a.m., and AWANA gathers on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. between mid-September and mid-April. The congregation is a part of the Upper Mississippi Region of the North American Baptist Conference, and a Church Connect app is available for keeping up with the calendar and giving. Visitors who want to learn more about membership, believer's baptism, the church constitution, and the Declaration of Faith will find all of those documents ready to read.