85th Anniversary

It’s our 85th Anniversary!

This year, Edna Martin Christian Center proudly celebrates 85 years of faith, service, and community impact. From humble beginnings to generations of families supported, EMCC continues to honor Edna Martin’s legacy by creating opportunities, strengthening neighborhoods, and building brighter futures together.

The Story of Our Founder

Explore the rich history and how Edna Martin Christian Center came to be.

1897

Edna Mae Barnes is born
Edna Mae Barnes is born on November 25, 1897, near Mount Vernon, Indiana. Her family later settles in Indianapolis.

1937

The loss of her daughter, Doris
Edna’s 14 year old daughter, Doris, dies in January 1937. Her death becomes a deeply significant moment in Edna’s life and faith.

1940

A renewed sense of purpose
Following the loss of her daughter and later her mother, Edna experiences a renewed sense of faith and purpose that leads her toward ministry and service.

 

1941

The beginning of a ministry
At age 43, Edna rents a one room apartment for $14 a month and begins a Christian daycare for two young girls on Roosevelt Avenue. This is the beginning of what would become the Edna Martin Christian Center.

1942

The little room becomes too small
The daycare quickly outgrows the apartment. Edna moves the ministry into a large rented tent, continuing to serve children and families.

 

1946
Sub Label

The East Side Christian Center is born
Edna’s growing ministry gains support from the All Baptist Fellowship and Indianapolis Baptist churches. The ministry becomes officially known as the East Side Christian Center and moves into a three room house on Martindale Avenue. After school programs and a children’s choir are added.

1949
Sub Label

A new home on Arsenal Avenue
ESCC outgrows its Martindale Avenue location and moves to 1537 North Arsenal Avenue, providing more space for its growing programs.

1950s
Sub Label

The ministry grows across generations
ESCC expands beyond children’s programs. Seniors activities, Bible studies, sewing and cooking classes, recreation, and other programs become part of the Center’s work. Community members, churches, and local businesses increasingly support Edna’s ministry.

 

1955
Sub Label

Programs continue to expand
Playground equipment is added, sewing and cooking classes begin, and Vacation Bible School serves hundreds of children.

1965
Sub Label

Edna’s longtime dream becomes reality
ESCC opens a new purpose built facility at 1970 Caroline Avenue, made possible through years of community support and partnerships.

Edna receives an honorary doctorate
Franklin College awards Edna Martin an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, recognizing her work and service.

1968
Sub Label

A moment in the Civil Rights era
ESCC youth and volunteers travel to 17th Street and College Avenue to hear Robert F. Kennedy speak. During the gathering, Kennedy announces the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis.

 

1970
Sub Label

New programs for youth
Soul Ark, a youth program for teenagers, opens in its own building on Roosevelt Avenue. ESCC continues expanding its services to young people.

1972
Sub Label

Edna travels to the Holy Land
Edna visits the Holy Land, seeing places she had learned about throughout her lifetime of reading the Bible.

Edna is recognized as an Indiana leader
Edna is inducted into the Indiana Academy, recognizing her contributions to the Indianapolis community.

1974
May 25
Sub Label

The passing of Edna Mae Barnes Martin
After more than three decades of service, Edna Martin dies at age 76. She leaves behind a ministry that had grown from a one room daycare into a major community center.

East Side Christian Center becomes Edna Martin Christian Center
Following her death, the Board of Directors renames the organization Edna Martin Christian Center in her honor.

Click the image to learn more about our founder, Dr. Edna Martin

Why is Edna Martin Christian Center Important?

Edna Martin Christian Center is important because it has spent 85 years helping Indianapolis families access education, youth programs, workforce support, food assistance, and other resources that strengthen the entire community. Founded from Edna Martin’s determination to care for children and families who were often overlooked, EMCC continues her legacy by creating opportunity, supporting neighborhood growth, and helping people build more stable and hopeful futures.

Learn More

Martindale-Brightwood 85th Anniversary Newspaper

2026

Discover the people, stories, and moments that shaped Martindale Brightwood. Read the Martindale Brightwood Paper to explore the community’s history and the role the Edna Martin Christian Center has played in it.

Read Now

Donate to our 85 for
85 Campaign!

2026

The Edna Martin Christian Center is currently doing an 85 for 85 campaign! We are raising funds for our 85th year, which is focused on preserving our history and teaching more about what makes EMCC, EMCC. Please consider donating today! 

Donate

Children's Book for EMCC

2026

A Children’s Book for EMCC is coming soon!

From "One Room" Video

This short anniversary video will tell the story of Edna Martin Christian Center through a cinematic journey between past and present. Beginning in 1941, we follow Edna Martin (played by Tiffney Norris) as she steps into a small apartment with little more than faith and purpose, where one woman’s love for children becomes the foundation for something so much greater.

The film transitions into present-day EMCC, revealing how that single act of service has grown into a thriving community center that supports children, families, and seniors across generations. Through staff voices, real moments, and everyday impact, the video shows that EMCC is more than a building; it is a living legacy of care, stability, and belonging.

At its core, this story is about transformation: how one woman’s grief and compassion became a lasting movement that continues to shape and uplift the Martindale-Brightwood community today (2026).

Storyboarding Efforts

How was this video made? Well, it was first made with one core message in mind: At its core, this video is about how one woman’s compassion and faith in 1941 became the foundation for a living legacy of care, community, and transformation. Edna Martin Christian Center is more than a place. It is the continuation of that original vision, where small acts of love grow into lasting impact across generations.

Tran Huynh Vo, the Communciations and Marketing Coordinator (est. 2026) wanted to make a video that highlights the history and the present of Edna Martin Christian Center for the 85th anniversary. She recruited staff, wrote her vision and detailed it using presentations, this was a few month long project. 

One Room touched the hearts of many, especially those who knew Edna Martin’s story. It had a great audience reaction from staff. The video consisted of acting from Edna Martin’s past, now in the vibrant center and legacy she led on, the interviews that many staff and community members who spoken about their experiences with EMCC, as well as what EMCC does and provides. Making a story that can be told many years to come. 

Thank you for everybody who helped make this video a reality!

Thank You to those Who made it possible!

Thank you to the staff members who took time out of their day to help create our 85th Anniversary Video.

Read Edna Martin Christian Center's Autobiography Today!

Read Sister of the Solid Rock by Wilma Rugh Taylor and discover the inspiring story of Edna Martin, who founded the East Side Christian Center in Indianapolis to support children, strengthen families, and serve her community.

Read More

We Want to Thank Our Staff and Community!

We extend our heartfelt thanks to our incredible staff, families, partners, volunteers, and community members who make the work of Edna Martin Christian Center possible. Your dedication, support, and commitment have helped strengthen our neighborhoods and create brighter opportunities for generations. As we celebrate 85 years, we are deeply grateful to everyone who continues to carry Edna Martin’s legacy forward.

Richard Bray • President, Community Partnership Manager, IUPUI

Crystal Hart • Vice President, Business Administrator, New Era Church

Zach Kubly • Treasurer, Director, Katz, Sapper & Miller

Rodney Burns • Secretary, Director of Youth Ministries, Grace Memorial Missionary Baptist Church

Thakena Hogue • Attorney, The Magi Group

Vickie Franklin • EMCC Senior Angel

Malcolm Orton • Retired Supervisory Accountant

Andrew Seibert • Executive Director, Kipp Indy Public Schools

Vincent Ash • Chief of Staff, Indiana Economic Development Corporation

Cindy Brumbarger • Interim Chief External Affairs Officer and HealthNet Foundation Executive Director

Bernice Valentine-Watts • QA Consultant/Auditor, Eli Lilly and Company

Robert Weyreter • Corporate Compliance & Regulatory Officer, Precinmac (Major Tool & Machine)

Rev. Lisa Harris-Lee • Director of Healing and Transforming Communities, American Baptist Home Mission Societies

Mark Thompson • Exec. Minister, ABC of Indiana/Kentucky

Barato Britt • Executive Director, EMCC

Rev. Dr. Michael Friday • Executive Minister, ABCGI

Connie Tingle • President, ABW Women’s Ministries
 
Jay Geshay • CHORUS, Inc.
 

Donate today!

Edna Martin Christian Center began in 1941 when Edna Martin, a 43-year-old trailblazer, rented a one-room apartment and started a daycare to support families. She fed children, taught them about Jesus, helped parents with life skills, and inspired others to give back. The Center grew under the American Baptist Churches in 1945, and Edna continued uplifting the community until her passing in 1974.

Today, we continue her mission in Martindale-Brightwood. We rely on generous supporters like you—please consider donating to help us carry on this important work. Thank you!

Donate

 

EDNA MARTIN CHRISTIAN CENTER
Address: 2605 E 25th St, Indianapolis, IN 46218
Main Office: (317) 637-3776

Menu

Programs

Stay Informed