All People | All Spaces

Since our founding in 1854, Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Baltimore has established itself as a welcoming and affirming church. Modeled on the radical hospitality shown by Jesus, our long tradition of being open to all people on their faith journey is borne out in our reasoned theology; our welcoming community; our support and sponsorship for a wide variety of programming and community groups; and the diverse, eclectic parishioners who have made this their church home over the years. In striving to meet our mission as a welcoming place, our worship welcomes visitors and our building provides a regular home for service, support, and arts organizations needing space.

That openness, however, does not extend to all of the spaces within Emmanuel’s footprint, many of which are inaccessible for too many members of our community. The building’s many different levels and maze of staircases make it difficult, if not impossible, for many to attend events in the Great Hall, join in outreach activities, or even find a restroom. If we truly wish to welcome all people and practice a ministry of hospitality, we must address the accessibility issues in our physical plant.

Over the last several years, a committed group of Emmanuelites, at the direction of the Vestry, has engaged in a deliberative process to develop a plan to make Emmanuel Church accessible. Their work, with the respected Baltimore firms of Moseley Architects and Southway Builders, has resulted in a blueprint that solves many of our building-based challenges and will allow churchgoers and visitors alike to use all of Emmanuel’s spaces, unobstructed.

Now, with a plan in place and inspiring new leadership in our rector, it is time to commit to this vision. In order to provide the funding to move forward with the Emmanuel Accessibility Project and open the church building to all of its users, Emmanuel invites you to participate in our capital campaign:

All People | All Spaces: Emmanuel’s Campaign for Accessibility

With this project, we have the opportunity to remove obstacles that prevent people from participating fully in the congregational life of Emmanuel, and at the same time to open our doors even more widely to our neighborhood and community.