PHILADELPHIA, PA – On June 22, 2022, Emmanuel Christian Center Inc. hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony announcing its new church building, place of worship and fellowship in University City, West Philadelphia. Emmanuel Christian Center is closing on a 10,000-square-foot property that used to be the Home of Hickman Temple AME.
This corner property dominates 50th Street and Baltimore Avenue. The property is in an area that is experiencing stabilization. Baltimore Avenue has evolved, and is the primary commercial corridor for locally owned businesses in West Philadelphia. It currently serves as an epicenter of commercial activity for this section of the city.
Overseer William Brownlee Sr., the Founder and Visionary of Emmanuel Christian Center Inc., is a native of West Philadelphia, and he started the ministry in 2016. Through his leadership and extensive community impact, his congregation has expanded; and is recognized as one of the top millennial and young adult ministries in the Philadelphia area.
Prior to and during the pandemic, Emmanuel Christian Center Inc. successfully provided free school supplies, scholarships, food giveaways, clothing donations, tutoring, mentorship, and financial literacy courses to members of the church and community. Overseer Brownlee’s vision has always been to move into a building that long-awaited his congregation to have more access to these services–and much more.
“At Emmanuel Christian Center Inc., our Godly mission is to have a place of no judgment but love and compassion. The square footage of our new church home will allow us to renovate this space to hold thousands of people, with: large classrooms to host our leadership academy that will educate our future leaders, a state-of-the-art recreation center, office space for entrepreneurs, community space for town halls and forums, event space, food bank and more.”
