Emmaus Abbey Church is an American Orthodox Catholic Church (AOCC) located at 800 W. Woodland Ave, Knoxville, TN.  We moved from the Karns area to Western Heights area because God wanted Emmaus Abbey Church to reach this new revitalized area for Jesus Christ. 

Western Heights has come a long way in past 50 years.  Knoxville has poured millions of dollars into Western Heights to increase the quality of life through new housing, healthcare facilities, new fire, rescue and police, and to help working families needing help with childcare. Emmaus Abbey has been praying for years where to plant a new church right here in Western Heights Community.  Our mission is to “Care for People and Connect Them to Jesus Christ.”  We are here to be a part of this community to assist in the pastoral and spiritual care of the community. 

 Our intention is that our church can be an equipping center to teach children, youth and adults God’s holy word.  Our facility is here to provide a full scope of preaching, seven sacraments, teaching, discipleship, missions, pastoral care, children services, worship, healing prayer and evangelism ministries. It is fully self-supporting in funding through those who attend and support its mission.  Emmaus has one Archbishop a Dean of the Cathedral, deacons and staff to oversee the ministries of the Cathedral. 

In the beginning the Early Church met in homes for the first 300 years until Constantine legalized Christianity. The church consists of people. No where in the bible does it say the church were bricks and mortar. Scripture supports home churches see the first house church in Acts 1:3. Other references: Matthew 16:18; 18:17; Acts 9:31; 1 Cor. 16:19; Colossians 4:15 and Romans 16:3,5. At many points in subsequent history, various Christian groups worshipped in homes, often due to persecution by the state church or the civil government. Today as in many early churches citizens began building proprietary chapels or churches because money and land was not readily available.

In today’s climate people wish for a more personal encounter with their pastors, smaller parish models are coming back and more able to meet the needs of individuals and families. Millennials and baby boomers are wanting to return to the traditional church and worship. Western culture in America has had a major change. That being said, the culture continues to change the church rather than seeking God and his perfect plan for the church.  Any time you hear ” What can we do to be more relevant to the culture”, is a discussion from the pits of hell. God wants us to conform to his Word and sacrament, not our ideas or whims in this culture. For whatever it is worth…we are not here to conform the church to the world, but for the church to change the world. Many baby boomers and some millennials are returning to church and hopefully they will share their experiences with others to understand the church doesn’t need to change—people need to change.

We are seeing a change of people leaving the protestant entertainment of worship or the post-modern churches of today and coming home to the Orthodox Church.  Folks are seeking out the ancient faith of the early church.  They are seeking authentic worship and the millennial mindset, are coming home to the fullness of the historic church. The 1st century church is right here anew, making its presence in the lives of those seeking the Ancient Faith in 21st century. You can find that-right here!