OUR HISTORY

Emmanuel Baptist Church began in the 1950's.

Three Christian ladies began meeting regularly to ask the LORD to open a closed Lutheran Church in the town of Ivoryton, CT. Their prayers were answered when He sent a missionary with an organization called Opening Closed Churches Mission to Ivoryton.

God used a Christian businessman to provide the funds needed to purchase the building and the first service of Hillside Bible Church was held on a rainy Easter Sunday morning in 1955. Very soon, a Pastor was chosen and the Church began to grow.

In the late fifties, the LORD sent Rev. William Berkeiser to minister and under his leadership, the Hillside Bible Church decided to sell their property in Ivoryton and move the Church to Old Saybrook, CT.

In March 1960, land was purchased and a building was built in 1963 where it presently stands. Today we are known as Emmanuel Baptist Church and minister to the community of Old Saybrook.