Our Story

Pulaski Heights Baptist Church

“The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood…” - John 1:14 (The Message)

The same words from scripture can be said of Pulaski Heights Baptist Church. Even prior to its incorporation into the city of Little Rock, the fledgling Pulaski Heights neighborhood was rapidly growing into a thriving community. Yet, the presence of a neighborhood Baptist church was nowhere to be found. Seeking God’s direction, four Baptist women developed a prayer group and Bible study, and after a considerable period of discernment and growth, a congregation formed in 1913.

After four decades of gathering in an auditorium, the members of PHBC entered the new sanctuary at Kavanaugh and Cedar, where our church building remains to this day. Our location and large facility have always been tremendous assets, enabling us to “seek the welfare of the neighborhood” and open our doors to others. If you ask the locals about our church, some of them might use adjectives like “funky” or “weird.” We have a long legacy of thinking outside the box, even from the start with women leading the charge to found a Baptist church!

We have always been a church that prays, listens, and acts —even if our actions run against the grain of established customs. Some might call us “progressive,” but we would rather say that our endeavors emerge from the process of discernment. Whether affirming women in ministry, seeking racial justice, or confronting poverty, our actions are undergirded by the promptings of Jesus Christ, in faith that we might echo the words of the early church that “It seems good to the Holy Spirit and to us” (Acts 15:28).

Our sincere conviction is that Jesus Christ is the author of our story, and it is our joy and delight to participate in His Kingdom work here at the corner of Kavanaugh and Cedar.