The Pluralism Project at Harvard University

History

This Baptist church began in the late 1950s on donated property near downtown Phoenix. The congregation grew steadily, and in 1976 the church moved to its present forty acre site, still in the central part of the city. This mega-church is marked by its innovative ministry and full-service facilities. The church site contains a chapel and sanctuary along with classrooms, a family life center, a cafe, bookstore (and an on-line store), broadcasting technology, an athletic center and other amenities.

Unlike the majority of the large-scale churches that have emerged recently in the Phoenix area, the North Phoenix Baptist Church is not at the growing edges of the city or in the expanding bordering communities. It is instead an example of a well-established congregation in the heart of the city that, far from losing ground to new suburban congregations, has transformed itself into one of the largest church communities in the Valley.

Activities

The church promotes a "Broadcast Ministry," with a television spot broadcast on Sunday mornings and two radio segments, one aired on Sundays and the second on Wednesdays.

The church supports a full range of different activities geared for particular groups. Bible Study classes for particular age ranges, in English and Spanish, are available, as are special organizations and programs for single adults, young families, students, seniors and pre-schoolers. The tone of the church and the kinds of services it provides -- such as aerobics classes and computer skills courses -- marks it as one of the new worshipper-centered religious communities growing up around the nation.