Immanuel Bible Church is devoted to teaching the Bible in every service, every class and every special function. The pastoral staff ministered to my need for solid biblical teaching after my husband's death and now, as a member, it blesses me as I walk with the LORD Jesus and grow in Him as a member. I have found the people genuine and also devoted to growing in our LORD and Savior Jesus. If you want to know the truth about life and eternal salvation, I invite you to Immanuel. read more

As a father, a retired Marine, and most importantly a born-again Christian, I write this with a heavy heart. My daughter, who has known Christ's love since childhood, joined the campus ministry of Immanuel Bible Church at George Mason University with a sincere desire to grow in her faith. From the beginning, she found joy in the fellowship. A group of Christian students welcomed her warmly, studying Scripture with her, praying with her, and walking alongside her in faith. She often came home glowing, grateful to have found what felt like a spiritual home -- a place where she believed she was accepted as an imperfect but redeemed child of God. For months, she devoted herself to the group. She studied the Word diligently and shared how deeply she appreciated the kindness and encouragement of her peers. To her, they were not simply fellow believers; they were like family. As parents, we felt blessed, believing the ministry was living out Galatians 6:2 -- "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." But one night changed everything. During a testimony-sharing evening -- a moment meant for honesty and unity -- my daughter spoke gratefully of the love and acceptance she believed she had found. She shared how Christ's grace had carried her and how thankful she was for a group that embraced her despite her imperfections. In that moment, she also mentioned that she was transgender, something she assumed was already known or would at least be met with compassion. Her testimony was full of gratitude and faith. Yet instead of receiving Christlike love, she was met with rejection. The youth pastor told her she did not belong, that she should find another group, that she was not welcome there. The very people who had embraced her as a sister in Christ suddenly turned their backs on her. The heartbreak and irony of this are difficult to describe. The same church that preached love, grace, and redemption could not extend those virtues to someone earnestly seeking God. Where was the compassion of Jesus, who dined with outcasts and commanded His followers in John 13:34-35 to love one another as He loved them? Where was the spirit of Matthew 11:28 -- "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest"? What my daughter experienced was not love. It was rejection masked as righteousness -- the painful hypocrisy of preaching grace while practicing exclusion. Christ reached out to the people society deemed unworthy, loving them without conditions. His followers should do the same. Since that night, my daughter's once-bright faith has been shaken. I have watched her question not only the church's love but God's love. She has asked me through tears whether God still cares for her. The pain of that rejection drove her into darkness, leading to self-harm and suicidal thoughts. No child of God should ever be made to feel unworthy of fellowship, especially by those who claim to represent Christ. To the leaders of Immanuel Bible Church and your campus ministry, I speak not from anger but from grief and hope. I do not deny that your church may do much good. I believe many within your congregation sincerely desire to serve the Lord. But in this moment, the church failed to uphold Christ's command to love without condition. Matthew 25:40 reminds us: "Whatever you did for one of the least of these... you did for me." When you turned my daughter away, you turned away one of God's beloved children. My prayer is that your church -- and all churches -- would reflect on the heart of the Gospel: grace, mercy, compassion, and unconditional love. Do not discard those who do not fit the mold you expect. Be a refuge for the hurting, not a source of their pain. Christ's church is meant to be a hospital for the broken, a haven for the lost, a home for all who seek Him. I pray that no other young believer experiences what my daughter endured -- being told she is unworthy when Christ Himself has already called her worthy. In the end, God's grace is greater than human judgment. Psalm 34:18 promises, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." I hold tightly to that promise for my daughter, and I pray that the church will someday truly reflect the love Christ freely gives to all. read more

My family attended IBC years ago when Andy Christensen was the lead pastor. My children grew up in the Sunday School; I helped out in the Sunday School class for disabled children. We moved out of the area before the pastoral change. We recently moved back to the area and I tried IBC again. At that time, my grandson had recently died by suicide. I tried to join the grief group but was told it was already half-way through the session so I might not get much out of the remaining sessions. :( :( After a Sunday sermon by the lead pastor I stopped him briefly in the hall just to say how much I enjoyed his teaching. He was far too busy trying to connect with a passing Elder to even ask me my name or if I was a visitor, etc. Unfortunately - and sadly - when I needed a church family the most, no one at IBC gave me much encouragement or direction as to how I might plug in. From what I can tell, IBC has changed dramatically from what I remember many years ago. It is very clickish. read more

Solid expository Biblical teaching. All of the pastors are gifted teachers. Great kids and adult programming. Although the church is large there are plenty of ways to get involved and get to know people. read more

Warm, friendly and definitely is true to teaching truth from the Word of God every week.

I have not visited this church for a very, very long time. When I was thinking about joining, I received a message from the Minister, when I inquired, "Do you not have one Woman Minister?" I was looked at by him like I was terrible for not knowing the answer was, 'no' 'no woman minister as 'the Bible says it.' I wonder if it is still that way? read more

This is not the place for you...if you are looking for a country club with perfect people. If, however, you are looking for a place to learn how to read and understand your Bible and worship God with other imperfect people then you've come to the right place. I'm a quiet, private person so I appreciated the fact that my first couple of times visiting the Immanuel I could come and go without anyone prying into my business. The music ministry is amazing; the talent in this church is noticeable however the whole time it is about worshiping God. I found I wanted to keep coming back. The teaching that happens in the pulpit is awesome! Immanuel periodically changes around the preaching Pastors, and I've found all of them engaging. I find myself taking notes and going back to review what we have read. I also appreciate that the sermons are posted on the website within the week so I can go back and listen again. Having to work on Sundays I appreciate that they offer an 8am Bible Study. It is the only one I attended and again I found myself surrounded by others seeking to grow in their relationship with God. The church provides a shuttle which I found very useful. You park and walk right onto the shuttle, and it takes you right to the door...especially handy in bad weather. It has taken me some time to venture out to get to know other Members of this church but as God reminds us, "A man who has friends must himself be friendly." Whatever it is they are doing it must be working because the church added a 3rd service on Sundays. I will be moving away from the area soon and I know I will miss so many things about Immanuel Bible Church. read more

VERY unfriendly, clicky congregation. I came alone looking for Christian fellowship. I tried making eye contact and they don't even look at you, let alone smile or say a simple "Hello!" or "Welcome!" The only person who said anything to me said, "You're very brave for wearing flip flops." At first I thought she meant because it was cold out, but I looked at her feet and she was wearing sandles. She obviously didn't approve of my fashion sense. It felt more like an affluent country club than a Holy Spirit-filled church. John 13:35 says "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." There is no discernable love there. In fact, I doubt if even Jesus would be welcome at Immanual Bible Church. Very, very sad. read more

This Church is Bible based. There are many very kind people here..however it is surprisingly clicky for a big Church. If you home school this is a good Church for you. If you don't home school it may be difficult. If you are in the Military it will be a good Church for you also many Military families go to this Church. If you don't fall into these two groups It may be difficult for your family particularly teenagers or children to find friends. The military and homeschooling groups perfer to socialize among themselves. read more

Been going here for 28 years. My family has gone for about 40 years. Its my home virtually. The pastor that brought the bad reviews is gone. I donate here regularly. They give freeee cloths and items to families in need. They have a gym. Bookstore Daycare School Park Several church studies and activities Plenty of things to do and worship for ALL ages. School from pre k to 8th grade. The parking is average for a church. They also have several bus shuttles. So parking is easy. If you want to be more social with the fellowship. Go to the 5oclock sermon. Less people. More social. This church has given back. When i had a house fire in 06. They were there to help. When we needed help raking leaves or shoveling snow for my paralysed dad. They were there. New car. There. Etc etc etc Go to this church. God bless read more

I have been attending Immanuel for about 6 years. The church is welcoming and the teaching is Bible based. We just finished our Easter Pageant and the Word of God reached so many people. I invited a friend who attends another church and she was shocked at the friendliness of the people and the great selection in our bookstore. Please stop by. Services are at 8am, 9:30am and 11am. I play in the orchestra most Sundays, so stop by and say howdy. read more

I have been going to this church for 5 years now. I have delved into many numerous denominations (Catholicism, Baptist, Methodist, Non-denomination, Episcopal, Christian Scientist, and more. The vast majority of the reviews on here are over 5 years old and many over 10 years old. None are as current as mine. So here are the good points and bad points: Good Points: -Wonderful loving church members who truly make you feel at home -Many bible studies offered -Many functions that allow for new attendees to meet members of the congregation -Free counseling -Many programs for the needy that give items ranging from food to clothing to even a car -Many classes on debt management, marriage classes, raising children, and more -State of the art sound system installed 2 years ago -Christmas pageants, Easter pageants, concerts, and more -Summer camp for children I could go on and on because the list of good points is endless Now for the bad points: N O N E, let me repeat N O N E If you dont feel the love and warmth of our Heavenly Father within the walls of Immanuel Bible Church, it would only be due to your not opening your heart to what He has to offer those that worship here... P Massey 12/2021 read more

I hate to leave a bad review, especially for a church but this feels more like a business than a place of worship. For genuine Christians seeking to grow with God, don't come here. I've met a select few who truly wants to follow God, but this church and it's people have little to no spirit or zest for God here. This place is filled with religious people coming each week for a daily Sunday. This place holds a religious spirit and there is no fire for God. It seems like how good the church looks and pleasing the crowd is more important than the TRUE gospel of Jesus. The TRUTH is telling the church when God is displeased or about his standards, anger, wrath, judgement, AND love, mercy, forgiveness, about continuously growing in Christ. It's not about giving people a prosperity or watered down gospel every week. Jesus NEVER guaranteed you will have a good or comfortable life because you follow him, he says you will be mocked, persecuted, shamed, hated because the world hates HIM. I've been here four times, but each time was disappointed by the same essay scripted preaching and low energy singing and the lack of zest for our Lord. Church wake up! Luke warm "Christians" wake up! It's all or nothing, Jesus said He will SPIT the lukewarm Christians out of his mouth. True Christians are better off seeking God alone than here at this spiritually dead church. read more

Starting going to this church based on their statement of faith, Article 5 of the IBC constitution. All the basic doctrines of the Christian faith are stated there and are historically and biblically solid. There is an underlying Calvinistic tone here and there, but as long as it doesn't change their statement of faith, I reckon I will continue to fellowship here. But be alert and vigilant and beware of subtle calvinistic teachings. For instance, a recent ABF (adult bible fellowship) had a fun game of jeopardy with categories listed on the board. One of them was "doctrines". Unfortunately, all the subjects under doctrines were about TULIP, a subtle way to get calvinistic doctrine taught, and the teacher acted as if these doctrines were Christian and did not tell the audience that they were part of Calvinism. read more

My husband and I are looking for a church home, and Immanuel popped up on my google search. I was raised southern baptist, and the hubs is Presbyterian. *Pros* -We prefer a large church, and this fit the bill. -The sermon was great. We easily identified with the pastor, and the sermon had some substance. We're looking to grow in our spiritual journey, so it's nice to find a church that is not only catering to seekers. *Cons* -Parking was chaotic. I joked to my husband that something just doesn't feel right having to navigate a zoo of a parking lot to go to church. Especially in Northern Virginia. It felt like we were in downtown DC! It doesn't leave you with the Holy Spirit walking in there after that. -The church is old, dated, and seats uncomfortable. Does that sound shallow? I'm sorry. But, I'm going to be going there every Sunday for hours at a time. Especially now that I'm pregnant, those seats left me with quite the ouch! We missed the begging for money shinding during our visit. We visited late this summer, but it appears from other reviews they have now started an aggressive building fund to update the seating. -The choir was pretty uninspiring. -No one spoke to us. We come from a megachurch in Atlanta, and people still spoke, and made us feel welcome. Instead, there was a member sitting in front of us, her friend sitting next to us, and they gossiped the entire 15 minutes before service. Really!?! Not even a simple hello or acknowledgment to us. The pastor als made no welcome to visitors either. Is there something after church for visitors? Who knows. Doesn't impart any desire for someone new to the area to join a place like this.I can't imagine a seeker would feel very comfortable here either. *Verdict* -Our search continues. read more

What an amazing place to worship. If you are a Christian or someone who is unsure about what it means to be a Christian, this is the place to figure it all out. We have so many way to get involved and meet people in the area. When you walk in this building, even though we are finishing renovations, it is a warm and welcoming place to come. Children, youth, single adults, young adults, college, couples, engaged, everyone has a place and a group. It is accepting and so much fun. Worship services are on Saturday evening and Sunday mornings. The music is just spectacular and so are the messages from the pastor. You will be left so satisfied and you always feel as if the message you heard was meant just for you. read more

Been fellow-shipping here at IBC for a couple years now. I knew it was a Calvinist-biased church from the getgo, but they don't push it hard and their detailed statement of faith (article 5) is very unbiased in that respect. If they ever inject Calvinism into their statement of faith, I'm outa here, but until then I'm planning on staying here, loving the brotherhood, striving for the faith of the gospel, and making allowances for differences in theological opinions. read more

In the ever growing shadow of the most politically powerful place on earth where moral relativism rules the day, Immanuel Bible Church is where challenging biblical truth is taught, heartfelt worship is heard and great fellowship is welcome. Check it out. read more

God is glorified above all in this church and Jesus Christ is preached clearly and the Bible is taught verse by verse expositionally. We've been attending for 3.5 years so far and became members during our first year here. My wife and I are growing personally in our sanctification due to the biblical teaching from the pulpit and throughout its other ministries. We are very blessed to have the lead teaching pastor that we do, Jesse Johnson, whom the Lord has called to minister at IBC. The poor reviews below sadden me because they are not true regarding greed, taking offering 3 times per service, unnecessary or continuous renovations, etc. If parking is tight and the pew cushioning is worn down (and they are...though the front row cushions are still cushy), then that may indicate that many people choose to worship corporately at IBC to the glory of Jesus Christ. I cannot comment about IBC attenders not making visitors feel welcome except to say that we, as people, are not perfect and should be continually striving to increase in our service to one another...even to the "one anothers" sitting around us in the pews on Sunday morning. There is a clear emphasis on missions, evangelism, discipleship, and the inerrancy and sufficiency of Holy Scripture among other important aspects. read more

Strong biblical teaching, loving church home. If you're looking for a great place to hear the word of God clearly proclaimed and connect with other believers than this is the church for you. Great Bible studies for all ages. Strong children and youth programs. Excellent Christian School. read more

It's very unfortunate what has happened to this church. Greed has no taken over and Christ is missing, spreading the word of God is missing and it's a sad state of affairs. Once a booming Church in the 80's -90's it's sad, depressing sight now. After Pastor Michael Easley left it all went downhill. Now it's a struggle to stay awake with the pastors they have now. Literally the most boring speakers. They are only after your money for ridiculous renovations, which are not needed. What is needed is a larger parking lot; this has been needed since the 80's but has not been provided. The people here are not welcoming with open arms, they are stuck up in their own cliques and newcomers are not welcomed we found this out the hard way when we tried to attend a bible study. We were stared out like we had a horn sticking out of our forehead and that was enough for us. There is an overwhelming condescending air here they make you feel really small. Mix that with constantly asking for money for stuff they don't need to the tune of $20 million dollars it's not worth it. They often send the collection plate around three times during services. I feel like I'm being "hard sold." They have been in a constant state of construction since 1978. There is out of control spending here, is that what God wants???? Read the all the google reviews of people who left this church in haste. Nothing but rude greedy people here, God is missing and it's sad. read more

I'm looking for a home church while I live in this area. It was suggested I go here. I'm very into the KJV Bible and they use the NIV Bible. The services and activities are not run the way I'm used to but it gets the job done. read more

Most services are spent trying to shake you down for the $20 million dollars they are trying to raise money for movie theatre seating and other useless things WITH NO improvements to PARKING. Services are self-serving not really to spread to word. We had sickness in my family and it was communicated to the elders yet the only time we got phone calls from the church were for asking for donations for "one life" and their $20 million dollar budget we never got ONE call or letter about the sickness yet we get tons of mailing for the $. To me this is very disturbing. It was once a wonderful church in the early 80s now its been taken over by greed. Its so sad to watch this happen it breaks my heart. I used to love this church and attended it regularly for a very long time now greed has taken over. There are many fake people here, people who attend here just to check a box but not love and support God. Matthew 6:24, "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." Amen, Amen, Amen. read more

I have been a part of IBC for many years, and I love the church. I love the teaching, the worship, the music, and the opportunities to serve. The pastors and elders are committed to Christ, God's word, and caring for the flock. Immanuel is a large independent bible church. It follows a literal interpretation of the bible, and weekly messages are expository bible teaching typically focusing on a specific passages of the bible. The church posts its doctrinal statements on its website, and messages are also available, so what is taught and how it is taught is a few clicks away. The church does not use a specific version of the bible. The most common are probably NASB and NKJV; some also use KJV and NIV. Large churches have their advantages and disadvantages, and as a church of roughly 2000, Immanuel is no exception. There is a visitor reception announced during the greeting of every service and held after every service, but plugging into a church that size can be a challenge. Conversely, a church as large as IBC has opportunities such as choir, orchestra, short term missions, children's ministries and a wide variety of other ministries that smaller churches lack the resources to have. The posts commenting on the hard sell for money are simply false. There has NEVER been time when a collection plate has been passed three times much less "often." Visitors are told to put nothing more in the offering plates than a contact card. A second collection is taken monthly for the needy, but that is a tradition that is as old as the church, carries no pressure, and doesn't go to anything but those in need. In addition, the church does not pass collection plates or sell tickets for Christmas and Easter performances by its music and drama teams. Coming from a baptist background where discussion of tithing and stewardship was common place, Immanuel is very much a soft sell on giving. Yes, the church has been expanding its building the past three decades, but that's what happens when a church more than triples in size and has a school; space becomes a need. FWIW, the seats are traditional pews with padding. They have been in place for 20+ years, but there is no current fundraising campaign to replace them or any other building activity. read more

My wife and I started attending IBC about a year ago and we love it! We attended a more modern church beforehand (which will go unnamed as we have no animosity towards them and I feel would portray myself a bad example as a Christian) and we felt it lacked inspired preaching. Unfortunately, we didn't feel like we were growing as they only seemed to focus on the "Jesus loves you, forget the other stuff" message (even though the love of God is true, it lacked substance in other areas). Having said that, we find Pastor Jesse to be incredibly knowledgable in the scriptures and isn't afraid to speak God's Word even if it's not a message you're wanting to hear. I've read many reviews here complaining that it's too Calvinistic and reformed theology is taught too often. First off, I've been there almost a year and haven't heard a single message speaking on predestination or any other of the five points in specificity. Second, it's good that it is taught as it is an important piece of scripture that demonstrates God's sovereignty, His grace, and His mercy; therefore, I have no issue with it. Third, if you're bashing someone for believing and teaching something you don't like, then you're probably right about it not being the church for you, but don't dissuade others from visiting and having a chance to worship in the house of the Lord, as well as putting them down for believing in the reformed doctrine. We are now looking to become members and find everyone we've met to be friendly, and have an information desk post-service for visitors to learn more about Sunday Schools, small groups, etc. The music isn't bad, but not altogether my taste, but the content is spiritually uplifting. Contradictory to other reviews, they take the offering ONCE per service and they are very missions oriented and support those preaching the gospel domestically and abroad. Overall, we love the messages and how much intelligence the pastor retains in the scriptures, the diverse fellowship, and the location in the DMV. If you're looking for somewhere to worship and feel welcomed, it's here. read more