From an Abandoned Schoolhouse to a Worship Center on South Rural Road
Tempe Nazarene Church sits at the northeast corner of the Superstition Freeway (US 60, Exit 174) and South Rural Road in Tempe, Arizona. Drivers see a long, low building with a 450-seat Worship Center at the front of the lot and a busy preschool wing tucked behind it. Inside, a single Sunday morning service draws the congregation together at 10:15 am, while children and adults pour into Sunday School classes an hour earlier. The church has lived at 3929 S Rural Rd since 1970, but its story begins much earlier, in a children's ministry that met in an abandoned schoolhouse two decades before the present building existed.
A History Rooted in Children's Ministry
Tempe Nazarene traces its roots to a children's outreach begun by a woman named Mrs. Hiebert, with the support of Ruth Brickley. The work was small and informal, but it gave the surrounding neighborhood its first sustained Christian witness. In November 1952, the District Advisory Board purchased a one-acre commercial lot at 107 East Broadway Road for $2,500, funded by what was then the Phoenix Eastside Church (now Renovation Church). At that time, Broadway Road was a sparsely developed gravel road on the edge of town.
On October 25, 1953, the church was officially organized under the leadership of Rev. Wilbur L. Heizer. A junior annex seating about sixty was finished the following month, built for $10,427.68 by Shelley Construction Company and designed by architect Glen McCollum, who would go on to design later buildings for the congregation. The first two pastors, Rev. David and Mrs. Owen (1954) and Rev. L.W. and Mrs. Dodson (1955), each served short stints. Rev. Leo and Mrs. Kirley arrived in 1956 and stayed a decade. During their tenure, a three-bedroom masonry parsonage was built at the rear of the Broadway property, and in 1959 a new sanctuary seating 112, plus a choir area, was completed with volunteer labor.
Pastor Stan and Patty McElrath took up the work in June 1966 and led the congregation through its biggest leap yet. In April 1967 the church purchased five-plus acres at 3929 S Rural Road for $40,000, and the Broadway property was sold for $112,000. Construction at the new site began in late 1969 under supervisor Paul Madden, with Glen McCollum once again as architect. The first service in the new facility was held on Easter Sunday 1970, with 403 people in attendance. The dedication was led by Dr. V. H. Lewis, a General Superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene, and Dr. M. L. Mann, the District Superintendent.
A school was launched in 1971, originally called University Heights Christian School, serving kindergarten through sixth grade. A 450-seat Worship Center, built by R. K. Yoder Company of Fort Collins, Colorado, for $650,000, was dedicated in 1986, with the old sanctuary converted back into a gymnasium. Classroom remodeling in 1996 added integrated storage, network infrastructure, and independent climate control, and a $1.2 million expansion in 2000-2001 added a second story with six classrooms, a multi-purpose room, new sidewalks, drainage, playground fencing, and a patio fountain. In 2005 the school transitioned from a grade school to a year-round preschool and was renamed Tempe Christian Preschool, an early learning center for infants through pre-K that still shares the campus today.
Pastor McElrath retired in 2002, and Pastor Doug and Becky Pierce followed. When Pierce was named District Superintendent for the Arizona / S. Nevada / S. California district in 2005, Dr. Brian and Sharon Delbridge stepped in. Pastor Brian assisted Pastor Kevin McGinnis in launching the Mosaic Church plant, integrated a Haitian congregation into the life of TNC, and oversaw renovations of the Worship Center, gym, and kitchen. Pastor Chris and Lisa Walton were installed in April 2015 with a message titled "Different," and Pastor Jon and Cathleen Privett began their ministry in September 2017. Under Pastor Jon's leadership a Hispanic congregation began meeting in Room 200, and the kitchen was renovated. The Privetts retired in December 2025 after eight years of service.
In January 2026 the congregation formally began its search for the next senior pastor. In May 2026, Pastor Jack and Sandie Zimmerman accepted the call as interim pastor, appointed by District Superintendent Dr. Brad Estep. Pastor Jack is a Messianic Rabbi and Pastor who came to faith in Yeshua in 1988 and is the founding Rabbi of Tree of Life Messianic Congregation in Phoenix.
Sunday Mornings on South Rural Road
The Sunday schedule is built around a relaxed, unhurried morning. At 8:30 am, coffee, juice, and a snack are set out in the gathering area. By 9:00 am, Sunday School is in session for every age, from nursery through adult classes, and the praise team uses the time to practice in the Worship Center. At 10:15 am the whole church gathers in the Worship Center for the morning service, which is also livestreamed. The stream opens at approximately 10:08 am with a countdown, and past services are archived on Vimeo so anyone can rewatch them at any time of week.
Two driveways lead into the parking lot off Rural Road, and the church is easy to reach from the Superstition Freeway. On Sundays, Wednesdays, and evenings, the front doors of the Worship Center are open, and a back gate and back doors are also available for arrivals. During the weekday preschool hours, visitors need to come in through the office door to the right of the main entrance and ring the bell.
Beyond the Sunday service, two regular Sunday-evening options are available. Young adults ages 18 to 30 meet in Room 200 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, and on the second Sunday of each month, young families with children ages 0 to 5 gather for lunch in the gymnasium from noon to 2:00 pm.
Children: Nursery through Sixth Grade
Children's ministry is one of Tempe Nazarene's longest-running callings, and it shows in the variety of weekly offerings. The nursery, open to children from six weeks old through sixth grade, runs during both the 9:00 am Sunday School hour and the 10:15 am worship hour (for ages six weeks to three years). The nursery is set up as a clean, music-filled space with stories, crafts, and play, and the teachers know the children by name.
Preschool and kindergarten-age children use hands-on crafts and creative storytelling to learn who God is as Maker, Savior, and Friend. First through sixth graders take part in the Nazarene Kids Bible Quizzing program during Sunday School, working through the book of Genesis and learning how to study Scripture for themselves. Children who want to go further can join Bible Quizzing meets on Sunday mornings from September through May, and selected quizzers can travel to district Quiz Meets.
Wednesday nights belong to Caravan, a weekly kids' club that runs from 7:00 to 8:00 pm, August through May. Caravan is the Church of the Nazarene's scouting-style program for children, focused on the physical, social, mental, and spiritual growth of each child. Children study the denomination's sixteen Articles of Faith and earn badges around eight core values: holiness, evangelism, character, missions, service, compassion, work, and education. Caravan is divided into four divisions: Benson's Buddies (age 3 through kindergarten), Searchers (first and second grade), Explorers (third and fourth grade), and Adventurers (fifth and sixth grade). Guides in 2026-2027 include Robin and Tracy Walters, Bobbie Jo Miller, Brittany and David Hart, Brianna Moore, and Karen Messner. Searchers and Explorers can earn up to fifteen and eight badges a year, respectively, and Adventurers who complete two full years in Caravan can qualify for the Lillenas badge, with the highest honor, the Phineas F. Bresee Award, going to Adventurers who also complete two years as Explorers.
During the summer, Kingdom Kids takes over the Sunday School hour for kids, and Vacation Bible School is held one week each June for children ages 3 through fifth grade. Children entering third through sixth grade (just finished second through sixth) are eligible for AZ Nazarene Kids Camp, also held in June. A Youth-Child Activities Consent form is required for any off-campus children's event and must be renewed each January.
Teens, Young Adults, and Young Families
The youth ministry at Tempe Nazarene Church meets in Room 200 on Wednesday nights at 7:00 pm, with a blend of worship, games, occasional meals, and teaching led by Pastor Ryan Brown. On Sunday mornings, teens gather at 9:00 am to walk through biblical stories and talk about how they connect to everyday life. Throughout the year, the youth group joins other teens from the Arizona Nazarene Youth International district for events such as Elev8, summer camps, retreats, sports, fundraisers, and service projects. Updates and highlights are posted on the Tempe Naz Youth Facebook group, the Vimeo page, and an Instagram account.
Young adults ages 18 to 30 meet on Sunday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 pm in Room 200 for honest conversation, study, and prayer. A monthly lunch for young families with children ages 0 to 5 takes place in the gymnasium on the second Sunday of each month from noon to 2:00 pm, giving parents in the same stage of life a built-in community.
Adults: Men, Women, Small Groups, and Prime Time
Small groups are the backbone of adult life at Tempe Nazarene. Each group is a small circle of people who meet weekly to love, encourage, challenge, and care for one another on the way to becoming fully devoted followers of Christ. Groups set their own meeting times and locations, choose their own curriculum, and decide together how long to commit. Many groups are happy to include children. The typical commitment is the school year, September through May.
The Men's Ministry exists to connect men to God, to His Word, and to one another, with the goal of winning, growing, and training them in Christ. Men meet in Sunday classes and at a monthly men's breakfast, in an informal setting that welcomes new faces and long-time members alike. Women's Ministries offers Bible study, fellowship, and service opportunities for women of every age, with the larger purpose of encouraging women who can, in turn, encourage their families, friends, and community. The Women of the Word (WOW) Bible Study is also the group that distributes free food boxes once a month to anyone who could use supplemental support.
Prime Time, sometimes called PT Cruisers, is the ministry for mature adults in the congregation. The group honors the wisdom, experience, stability, and longevity of older members and aims to minister both to and through them. Prime Time keeps an active Facebook group for fellowship, updates, and connection.
Worship, Music, and the Arts
Music at Tempe Nazarene draws on a wide range of styles, from traditional to contemporary, and the church is explicit about wanting all of it to lead people into the presence of God. The worship team includes guitars, percussion, keyboards, and brass and woodwind instruments, along with a vocal team, and the church is always open to new instrumentalists and singers willing to join. Behind the scenes, a team of audio, lighting, projection, and streaming technicians serves every service, and the church trains new volunteers in those roles before they ever go live. The 450-seat Worship Center, dedicated in 1986, was built with state-of-the-art audio-visual systems and dedicated music facilities shared with the school.
Missions, Compassion, and Outreach
The local missions work is led through Nazarene Missions International (NMI), which connects TNC to the worldwide work of the Church of the Nazarene through prayer, the World Evangelism Fund, the Alabaster Offering, education, and Links - a program that pairs local congregations with specific Nazarene missionaries around the world. TNC supports Faith Promise giving as a worship commitment above regular tithing, and the church takes part in the Alabaster Offering, which funds property and buildings for ministries worldwide.
Compassion ministries at the church are rooted in Matthew 25's call to care for "the least of these." The biggest local expression is the monthly food box program, run by the Women of the Word Bible Study and open to anyone in need of supplemental support. TNC also partners with Nazarene Compassionate Ministries (NCM), which walks alongside local churches in caring for children, families, and communities, including disaster relief, child sponsorship, and anti-trafficking efforts. Visitors can connect with these ministries at the Welcome Center on Sundays or through the church's online connection form.
Tempe Christian Preschool
Tempe Christian Preschool, often called TCP, has been part of the church's identity since 1971, when the congregation founded what was then University Heights Christian School. In 2005 the school moved from a grade school to a year-round early-learning center, and it now serves infants through pre-K. The preschool operates Monday through Friday from 6:30 am to 6:00 pm, except holidays, and is led by Director Jerimee Aaron, who has been a member of TNC since 1995. A separate phone line, (480) 838-2866, and tempechristianpreschool.org handle preschool inquiries. Pastor Debbie Hallman also serves as the preschool's Director in addition to her role overseeing the church's children's ministry, which keeps the two programs closely tied.
What a Nazarene Believes
Tempe Nazarene describes itself in three ways. It is a Christian church that preaches Jesus as the Savior of the world. It is a Holiness church, believing that Jesus not only saves people from their past but also gives them power to live differently. And it is a Missional church, believing that the Holy Spirit gives believers power to proclaim a new life to everyone in the world. The church holds to the sixteen Articles of Faith of the Church of the Nazarene, which are available at nazarene.org. The name "Nazarene" was chosen by Phineas F. Bresee, founder of the denomination, to welcome all who were poor and unwanted; the church leans into that heritage and frames the name as a standing invitation: "everyone is welcome at 3929 S Rural Rd."
The Pastoral Team
The pastoral team is led by Interim Senior Pastor Jack Zimmerman, a Messianic Rabbi and pastor appointed in May 2026 by District Superintendent Dr. Brad Estep. Pastor Debbie Hallman has directed the children's ministry at TNC for more than two decades and is known by name to every child from nursery through sixth grade. Pastor Denise Burns grew up at TNC, comes from several generations of pastoral family, and teaches and ministers among adults. Pastor Ryan Brown leads the youth ministry, and a pastor named Tony oversees the young families ministry. Jerimee Aaron serves as Director of Tempe Christian Preschool. The broader staff includes Tina Anderson as financial administrator for the church, school, and Arizona District, Karen Messner as administrative assistant, Ralph Messner as IT and A/V manager and interim administrative assistant, and Tim Osborn as facility manager.
An elected Church Board, working through committees for Finance, Facilities, Ministry, School, and Local Board of Discipline, shares the governance of the congregation alongside the pastors. Board members for 2026-2027 include Rod Bailey, Belinda Bennett, Lili Bennett, Jayme Hobé, Amanda Marcotte, Andy Miller, Randy Nissly, Heather Otto, Betty Pepper, Tim Toliver, and Geron Walters.
Getting Connected and Visiting
First-time visitors who want a simple starting point can fill out the "Start Here" or "Connect" form, which puts them in touch with the church office. The office is open Monday through Thursday, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, and can be reached at (480) 838-2887. The church also keeps an online directory through Church Center for members and regular attenders, runs small groups and classes through the same platform, and sends out broadcast text messages for calendar changes on request. Giving is available through Church Center, and Text2Give is set up by texting the word GIVE and a dollar amount to (844) 423-5322. The church streams its Sunday service live and keeps an archive of past sermons on Vimeo, so anyone can watch at tempenazarene.org/stream or youtube.com/tempenazarene.