Mississippi’s first suburban megachurch is this three-story Classical Revival building, constructed by I. C. Garber. Its initial congregation of about 1,500 grew to over 4,000 through two expansion programs but is now in the low hundreds. A monumental tetrastyle Corinthian portico dominates the E-shaped edifice, which includes two original Sunday school wings. Inside, the auditorium is rectangular with pews curved toward the pulpit, choir loft, and baptistry. James M. Spain added a three-story Sunday school wing on the west in 1948, and in 1958, church member E. L. Malvaney designed the larger east addition, including a tower and spire.
Malvaney’s firm also designed the nearby former Holy Trinity and St. John Greek Orthodox Church (1958; 1417 W. Capitol) in a Byzantine-influenced Romanesque Revival style, with a domed corner tower.