About Us

We Are People Changed by Jesus Christ to Share His Life with Others.

Our Beginnings

A decision had to be made. The year was 1953, and the people of Central Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Illinois faced a turning point. During this time, many within the church had decided to move away from the Southern Baptist Convention. A few were certain that this was a mistake. Convinced, a small group of twenty-two people started down the path of becoming Lincoln Avenue.

Initially, they met on S. Mauvaisterre Street in Jacksonville, but had relocated to Hardin Avenue before 1955 where they were known as Immanuel Baptist Church of Jacksonville. During those early years, the church experienced growth through many transitions. They knew their location was temporary and were actively searching for a more permanent home. In 1958, they purchased the Lincoln Avenue property, and began the process of changing the name of the congregation to Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church.

Even in those early days Lincoln Avenue knew that there was no standing still. The church has been an active partner of the Sandy Creek Baptist Association and the Illinois Baptist State Association since its inception. By 1961 they had begun the first of their mission churches, Northeast Baptist Chapel on the corner of Center and Howe Streets. Since, Lincoln Avenue has planted new churches throughout the area, with plans to launch new campuses in the near future.

As you look at the history of Lincoln Avenue you see that it is filled with examples of God’s people sacrificing for the expansion of the Kingdom. Dozens of men have been called out of the church to serve other congregations. The people have faithfully followed God into building campaigns and new ministry launches repeatedly. The reality of Lincoln Avenue’s bold faith has been demonstrated time and again.

There are a few important ideas that you will notice throughout the history of Lincoln Avenue that persist even today. Hopefully you noticed a few of these as you read. God’s work in this congregation has crafted the values and culture that shape us, and that you will grow to embrace. Let’s spend a few moments discussing how our history is shaping are current reality and our future ambitions.

Our Beliefs

As you have seen, our past is important and informative in our present. Beyond what we have already discussed, we think it would be good for you to see a more developed set of doctrinal beliefs. On the "What we believe" link below, you can read a few of our beliefs fleshed out. There are two main sections that follow. The first will introduce you to those beliefs that connect us to the historic Baptist movement. These are distinctive that each Baptist congregation will affirm. The second section will help flesh out a few of the doctrines we hold. For more information about these doctrinal convictions, you can find the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 online.