Pulaski Heights Baptist Church sits at the corner of Kavanaugh Boulevard and Cedar Street in the Hillcrest neighborhood of Little Rock, Arkansas, a corner that has anchored the congregation since the early 1940s. The church is a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship congregation with a worship style it describes as "traditional," drawing on hymns, choral anthems, and organ and piano music, while staying open to creative and contemporary elements. Over more than a century, PHBC has built a reputation as a neighborhood church that prays, listens, and acts, often running against the grain of convention. Today, that spirit shows up in a Saturday farmers' market, a Little Free Pantry on the front sidewalk, and an ambitious new effort called The Hillcrest Commons, through which the church is opening its buildings to the wider community.
A Hillcrest Story That Began with Four Women in 1913
PHBC traces its beginning to 1913, when the Pulaski Heights area was still growing into the neighborhood that would eventually be absorbed into Little Rock. At the time, no neighborhood Baptist church existed nearby. Four Baptist women began gathering for prayer and Bible study, and after a season of discernment, their group became a congregation. For roughly four decades, the church met in an auditorium before moving to its current sanctuary at Kavanaugh and Cedar, the building that has housed PHBC ever since.
The church is candid about its character. Ask longtime neighbors about PHBC and some may use words like "funky" or "weird," and the church wears those descriptions lightly. From the start, women led the way in founding a Baptist church, and the congregation has continued to affirm women in ministry, pursue racial justice, and confront poverty in the years since. "It seems good to the Holy Spirit and to us," drawn from Acts 15:28, is a phrase the church repeats often and uses to capture the discernment style that has shaped decisions across generations.
Sunday Mornings at Kavanaugh and Cedar
The rhythm of the week centers on Sunday morning. Sunday School classes meet on the second floor at 9:30 AM, and worship follows at 10:45 AM in the main sanctuary. Most people enter through the doors facing Kavanaugh, though side entrances near the front office and Hyde Parlor also lead into the sanctuary.
Worship at PHBC is described by the congregation as "traditional" in style, embracing the story of Christ through the hymns members know by heart. The music ministry features choral anthems accompanied by organ or piano, with solos and ensembles adding variety. "Traditional in style, we are innovative and creative with joyful innovation," the church says, and visitors may notice elements drawn from beyond the Baptist tradition. Scripture readings and sermons aim to inspire and encourage faithful living as disciples of Christ, and the gathered congregation gives thanks, seeks mercy, and shares in the sacraments together.
A First Sunday Lunch follows worship on the first Sunday of each month, a free fried chicken meal in Hicks Fellowship Hall, and is one of the simpler ways newcomers find their way into the life of the church.
Welcoming the First-Time Visitor
Visitors are warmly welcomed and given plenty of room to be themselves. The dress code is intentionally relaxed: some members wear suits and skirts, others arrive in t-shirts and basketball shorts, and the church encourages newcomers to come dressed however they feel comfortable. Children are welcome in worship, including infants, and greeters will direct families to changing areas. Worship bags are available for younger children to use during the sermon, and the sounds of gurgles, coos, and even cries mixed into the songs of praise are considered a sign of life, not a problem to manage.
Parking is straightforward. The main lot sits behind the building on Cedar Hill Road, and a smaller lot is in front of the building at the intersection of Kavanaugh and North Cedar Street. For neighbors who live in Hillcrest, the walk to church is short.
The building is fully accessible. A ramp is available on the front side of the building facing Kavanaugh, to the left of the steeple. Another ramp on the North Cedar Street side leads to the sanctuary and front office. Those entering from the back of the building can use an interior ramp that leads to an elevator.
The congregation's view of visitors is summed up in a sentence from the church itself: "You are welcome here at God's house."
Baptism and a Four-Step Journey of Discipleship
Baptism holds a central place in the life of PHBC. The church practices believer's baptism by immersion upon a public confession of faith, and baptism is described as a gift from Christ that accomplishes three things: it initiates a person into the Christian faith, commits them to a life of discipleship, and binds them to the Christian community. The church does not practice infant baptism but affirms the validity of baptisms performed in other traditions that invoke the Triune name, and members who come from non-Baptist backgrounds are not asked to be rebaptized.
The church has organized its approach to following Jesus as a four-step journey. Step One is "Come and See," an open invitation to anyone curious about the Christian story. Step Two is "Follow Me," a commitment to showing up regularly, learning to pray, and serving others. Step Three is "Be with Me," the moment a believer becomes a disciple and prepares for baptism or a reaffirmation of baptismal vows. Step Four is "Remain in Me," a life of representing Christ, bearing witness, and using one's gifts in service to the church. Becoming a member of PHBC follows the same path and requires a profession of faith and baptism; those previously baptized in another Baptist church may join by transfer of letter, while those baptized in another Christian tradition may join by statement of faith.
The Hillcrest Commons: Sharing a Legacy Gift
The most visible expression of PHBC's outward-facing identity is The Hillcrest Commons, a major new chapter in the life of the church. The Commons is a way of gifting the church's buildings and grounds to the wider Little Rock community, opening them for learning, creating, gathering, and celebrating. "From our beginnings in 1913, Pulaski Heights Baptist Church has always sought to serve and love our neighbors with the heart of Jesus Christ. Because we have received so much from our Lord, we are delighted to share our biggest possession, our facility."
The Commons is overseen by Pete DeBuys and is meant to serve the city for decades to come, with collaborative possibilities for organizations, artists, neighbors, and others who need space in the heart of Hillcrest. Interim Pastor Rev. Kim Munns Johnson has called The Commons a sign of PHBC "rethinking life together with our community" and "serving our God with renewed joy and greater generosity."
Saturday Mornings at the Hillcrest Farmers' Market
The Hillcrest Farmers' Market began in May 2010 as an outreach ministry of the church and now draws more than 28 vendors on summer Saturdays. Open year-round, the market sets up along the front sidewalk of the church at 2200 Kavanaugh Boulevard and around the corner on Cedar Street. From May through September, hours run 8:00 AM to noon, and from October through April, the market shifts to 7:00 to 11:00 AM. The market closes only when weather brings snow or ice.
Shoppers find fresh vegetables and fruits, meat, cheese, baked goods, plants, flowers, jams, salsa, pickles, and more. The market is both a neighborhood gathering place and a way for PHBC to cultivate rich relationships with hundreds of Hillcrest residents each week. Vendor inquiries go to hfm@phbclr.com.
A Little Free Pantry on the Front Walk
Just in front of the sanctuary stands a Little Free Pantry, part of the church's Jubilee Ministry. The simple rule is "Take what you need. Leave what you can," and the pantry is stocked with nonperishable food, school supplies, hygiene products, bottled water, household goods, pet food, and baby products such as diapers and wipes. Glass containers, open or fresh food, perishables, refrigerated items, clothing, and homemade food are not accepted, keeping the pantry safe and simple for everyone who uses it.
Coffee, Questions, and Slowing Down
Beyond Sunday morning, PHBC offers a steady rhythm of small gatherings through the week. Coffee and Conversation meets on Tuesdays at 10:00 AM, two to three times a month, in Hyde Parlor or occasionally in members' homes. The group is a fluid community of women gathering for friendship, sharing, prayer, and service to the wider community.
A newer offering, Questions You Were Afraid to Ask in Church, meets Tuesday evenings at 6:00 PM in Hyde Parlor. The format is intentionally casual: pull up a chair and ask the questions that often go unspoken in church settings. Why so many denominations? What happens when we die? What happens when we pray? The church frames doubt as something to be welcomed, not silenced. "Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith," the church says. "They keep it awake and moving."
Both groups reflect a value the congregation returns to often: in an age of acceleration and isolation, PHBC wants to slow down and be present with one another, enjoying monthly meals, conversation, and time together as a family.
Young at Heart
For members aged 60 and older, PHBC hosts Young at Heart, an active fellowship of senior adults within the church. The group plans events built around fun, fellowship, and entertainment, and members are encouraged to bring guests.
A Baptist Church with Room for Doubt
PHBC is part of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, a network of Baptist congregations, and the church is clear that it governs its own life as the Holy Spirit leads. The congregation describes itself as a community that loves one another, affirms the sacredness of each person, and makes space for strangers. Worship is theologically rooted in the Triune God, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the call to follow Jesus as a disciple.
The church is candid that not everyone arrives at the door without questions. At PHBC, members are encouraged to engage their doubts with intellectual rigor and spiritual audacity, not because doubts are bad but because doubts can strengthen faith. For those carrying wounds from other faith experiences, the church describes itself as a place of healing and recovery.
Pulaski Heights Baptist Church remains a small fellowship with a long memory and an outsized footprint in its neighborhood. More than a century after four women began meeting to pray, the church at the corner of Kavanaugh and Cedar still prays, still listens, and still looks for ways to share what it has with the Hillcrest community and the city of Little Rock.