Our Story

On July 19, 1987 at 4:00pm a congregation of 94 people met at the Tuscaloosa County Baptist Association in order to officially become East McFarland Baptist Church. They did not have their own building, but they had each other. Meeting at Hayes Chapel Funeral Home, they began having their first worship gatherings together as an official church.

Pastor Doug Reeves was elected as the founding pastor of East McFarland Baptist Church, and with a strategic vision in place, they began worshipping together and proclaiming the Gospel. It was not long before they were able to break ground with a multipurpose facility. 

It wasn't long before the need for a sanctuary became apparent. With the multi-purpose building paid off, plans were made to build a beautiful building in which to gather for worship.

On December 18, 2005 the first worship service was held in the long-anticipated new sanctuary. In a prominent spot in the city, East McFarland Baptist Church had truly become a light shining for all to see. 

With the pandemic of COVID-19, not only was every household effected, every church around the world was effected. EMBC was not immune to this. Even in one of the most difficult times in recent history, God remained faithful to this covenant community, allowing them to push through and continue ministering.

As East McFarland Baptist Church celebrated 35 years of God's faithfulness, they also hired Joseph Fowler as the new lead pastor. With a fresh vision and strategy to move forward, East McFarland Baptist Church is poised to see God do some amazing things as revival begins to spark in Tuscaloosa!