NPHX Church celebrates 75th anniversary

North Phoenix Baptist Church celebrated their 75th anniversary, Oct. 17. The day consisted of a celebratory service, messages from both current and former pastors, and festivities for those who live in the community.

The celebration began with a blended style of worship, from classic hymns to contemporary praise. Worship pastors from multiple NPHX Church campuses collaborated for the joint worship experience.

In a video, John Shillington, NPHX Church Executive Advisor shared the history of the church and how God has used different pastors and church members since 1946 to pursue the northern Phoenix area with the Gospel.

“God is blessing in tremendous ways,” Shillington said. “The future is bright, and the best is yet to come.”

NPHX Church then integrated a series of baptisms into the message to further display how God has transformed lives at the church. Seventy-one people were baptized, including 16 who made decisions during the service to be baptized that day.

Noe Garcia, lead pastor of NPHX Church, approached center stage to introduce former Richard Jackson, who was pastor of North Phoenix for 26 years. Garcia first addressed Jackson’s wife, Wanda, and thanked her for her years of sacrifice to the church. He then honored Jackson by telling about Jackson’s impact on the church.

“You’re about to hear one of the greatest communicators – the greatest evangelists of our time,” Garcia said.

Jackson was then welcomed to the platform to preach the celebratory message for the anniversary. The former pastor shared a lot of the history of NPHX Church and honored many of the former church leaders, but he especially highlighted the importance of faithful church members.

“The North Phoenix story is not about pastors, shepherds, leaders, evangelists,” Jackson said. “It’s about the people of God who have made all of this happen, all across these 75 years. We are blessed to be pastors, shepherds, leaders of the people who have made all of the sacrifices that were necessary.”

After Jackson’s message, Garcia welcomed individuals to the front who wanted to give their lives to Christ. Several people approached the front as the church erupted in applause.

“This is the greatest part of the service!” Garcia said.

After the service’s conclusion, the church was then encouraged to participate outdoor activities. The campus grounds contained free food, carnival rides, inflatables and a pastoral dunk tank. People from the community were also invited as guests to partake in the service and festivities.

Many church members were moved by the 75th anniversary experience.

“NPHX is a special place because God’s presence is felt whenever you step foot on campus. People at NPHX love and are loved,” Deacon Justin Kinsey said. “I was moved but not surprised to see so many of the church members pitch in and volunteer to support the event.”

For years, Garcia has been painting a vision of the church’s future. After the celebration, the church was left with yet another glimpse of how God can use NPHX Church to transform the city of Phoenix.