Two services, one sanctuary on Greenway Road
Northwest Chinese Baptist Church sits on the northwest side of Phoenix at 4243 W Greenway Road, on the corner of 43rd Avenue and Greenway Road. The building, completed in 1988, houses a bilingual congregation that meets in the same sanctuary two hours apart on Sunday mornings. A Chinese Mandarin service gathers at 9:15 AM, followed by Sunday Bible Study from 9:15 to 10:15 AM in English and an English service at 10:45 AM. Between Bible study and the English service, the patio fills as one service lets out and the next files in. The English service runs about 75 minutes and is also livestreamed on YouTube.
Everything about the church, from its two-language worship calendar to its children's check-in stickers, is built around this rhythm of two gatherings under one roof. The church's motto captures the orientation: Love God, Love People, Serve Others.
From a chapel in Glendale to a Phoenix congregation
The church traces its beginning to the early 1980s. In 1982, members of First Chinese Baptist Church in Phoenix felt led to begin a new work in the northwest part of the city. On January 9, 1983, fourteen families were sent out to launch what was then known as First Chinese Baptist Chapel. The first service was held at Apollo Baptist Church in Glendale, with forty people in attendance. In the spring of 1985, the mission officially became Northwest Chinese Baptist Church, and three years later, in 1988, the present facilities on 43rd Avenue and Greenway Road were completed.
The early services were held in English with Cantonese translation. Since 2000, a second Mandarin and Cantonese service has been added. Over the years, the congregation has grown into a community of people from different backgrounds and ethnicities, gathered around a single Great Commission from Matthew 28:19-20: to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that Christ commanded.
Beliefs shaped by the Baptist Faith and Message
Northwest Chinese Baptist Church holds to the Southern Baptist tradition through friendly cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention. Its statement of beliefs follows The Baptist Faith and Message, a summary of generally held Southern Baptist convictions. The Bible is described as the written revelation of God, totally true and trustworthy, with God as its author, salvation as its end, and truth without any mixture of error as its matter. All Scripture testifies to Christ, who is the focus of divine revelation.
The church affirms one true and living God who reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, distinct in person but undivided in nature and being. God the Father reigns with providential care. God the Son, Jesus Christ, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived a personal obedience to the divine law, and provided redemption through His substitutionary death on the cross. The Holy Spirit exalts Christ, convicts of sin, and empowers believers and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.
Human beings are made in the image of God as the special crown of creation, but entered sin through free choice, and every person of every race possesses dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love. Salvation is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, encompassing regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. Christian baptism is by immersion of a believer in water, symbolizing faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior, and the Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience in which members memorialize the Savior's death and anticipate His return.
Pastors and deacons who shape the church
Three pastors share the pastoral ministry of the church. Stephen Yee, the English Pastor, is an alumnus of Arizona State University and Gateway Seminary and has been on staff at NWCBC since 2009. He and his wife Debbie have four active children. Michael Lin serves as Chinese Pastor; he joined NWCBC in March 2017 after five years of ministry at First Chinese Baptist Church in Phoenix. He grew up in Taipei, Taiwan, has two adult children with his wife Su-Ting, earned a Master of Theological Study from Gateway Seminary in 2017, and earlier earned an M.S. in Computer Science from Arizona State University. Steven Tsai is the Family Ministry Pastor. Born in Taiwan, he went to Canada for high school and university, has a background in computer science, and, with his wife Eunice and their two grown children, sees a gospel-centered church as the best place to nurture a healthy family in a broken world.
The wider staff includes Valine Lim, who directs the youth ministry and is currently a student at Gateway Seminary, and Jo Huang, who directs children's ministry. Jo grew up serving in churches in Taiwan from age eleven, came to know the Lord personally at thirteen, and is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Italian.
Six deacons serve alongside the pastors. Paul Ng is involved with the youth ministry and a small group. Jeffrey Ong, baptized at Northwest in October 2006, serves on the ushering and welcome teams, teaches adult Sunday school, and assists with the preschool ministry alongside his wife Jeannie. Nathan Tam accepted Christ in 1979 at age seventeen, was baptized in Hong Kong, moved to Phoenix in 1992, and serves as MC or Cantonese interpreter on Sundays. Mark Tsang serves in audio and visual work and the worship team and, with his wife Christine, leads a small group. Larry Yee teaches Sunday Bible Study, organizes worship teams, leads hymns, and helps with Christmas musicals for the kids. Stanley Mah has been a member of Northwest since its beginning and serves in the youth ministry.
Sunday mornings for children at NWKidz
The children's ministry, called NWKidz, runs alongside both Sunday gatherings. On Sunday mornings from 9:15 to 10:30 AM, children from infants through sixth grade meet in Children's Building #2 for Bible study, while seventh through twelfth graders gather in the Church House (Building #3). The children's building sits to the right as families approach the sanctuary, and a check-in station gives each child and parent a matching pair of stickers. Children are released only to someone over eighteen with the matching sticker.
Volunteers serve as teachers and substitutes in age-appropriate rooms. The ministry notes current needs for NWKidz Jr. teachers, a Pre-K through Kindergarten teacher, a fourth and fifth grade teacher, and substitute teachers. Jo Huang, the Children's Ministry Director, oversees the program, and her stated prayer is that every seed of the Gospel planted in a child's heart would, in God's perfect time, bear good and lasting fruit.
Youth ministry shaped by discipleship and service
The youth ministry is led by Valine Lim and draws on a team of youth sponsors. Students in grades six through twelve meet on Sundays at 9:15 AM in Building 3 for Bible study, then join the main sanctuary for worship and are dismissed during the service. Friday evenings at 6:00 PM bring NW Youth Fellowship back to Building 3 for a time of games, studying the Word, and fellowship.
The ministry's stated values are to engage students' minds with the Word of God, their hearts through a relationship with Jesus Christ, and their hands through putting faith into action. The hope is that students mature in their faith to stand firm as ambassadors of the gospel in a world in need. Several deacons, including Paul Ng, Jeffrey Ong, and Stanley Mah, currently serve in the youth ministry alongside the youth staff.
Community groups across the Valley
Community life at Northwest is organized around small groups scattered around the Phoenix metro area. Five English-language groups meet on a regular rhythm. Tempe/Phoenix Young Adults gathers every Friday at 7:00 PM, led by Paul, David, Josh, Lena, Bill, and Alice. Glendale Northwest Family meets on the second and fourth Saturday at 5:30 PM, led by Debbie and Steve. Phoenix West Valley Adults meets every other Friday at 7:00 PM, led by Jeff and Jeannie. Phoenix Church House meets on the second and fourth Wednesday at 7:00 PM, led by Virginia. A Men's Bible Study gathers on the second and fourth Saturday at 9:00 AM, led by Larry.
On the Chinese side, the church maintains an extensive fellowship calendar that meets across the week. Monday brings a women's fellowship at 9:30 AM. Thursday morning is for older friends at Sunshine Fellowship and, on the second and fourth weeks of the month, a parents' co-learning group called Little Cactus. Friday evenings alternate between a young working-adults fellowship, Song of Songs, and the Faith, Hope, and Love fellowship. Saturday fellowships include the Central fellowship, a Joy fellowship that meets once a quarter, and a Cantonese fellowship on the second Sunday of the month with a potluck lunch.
Midweek prayer and Wednesday nights
Beyond Sunday, the church gathers online for prayer midweek. A Wednesday prayer meeting is held from 7:30 to 8:00 PM via Zoom, providing a regular space for members to pray together for the church, believers, and the spread of the gospel. On Sundays, after the sermon, members who wish to respond in prayer are invited to come forward, where a pastor will pray with them.
Prayer is woven into the church's broader life as well. The Chinese ministry holds two weekly prayer meetings in addition to the Wednesday Zoom gathering, and prayer requests can be submitted online for the pastors and the prayer ministry to lift up. Sunday worship on the Chinese calendar runs 9:15 to 10:30 AM, followed by Chinese and Cantonese Sunday School from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
Music, missions, and the heart of serving
Music is described as an inseparable part of the church's worship. Each Sunday, the worship team leads the congregation with music and songs of praise, and a small choir often sings a special piece. Worship team members audition and serve in roles for drums, bass, keys or piano, electric or acoustic guitar, vocals, and other instruments.
Serving is presented as a defining mark of the ministry. The church describes its mission as loving God, loving people, and serving others, quoting Mark 10:45: even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve. Members can sign up to serve in NWKidz, the Production Team, the Worship Team, the Connect Team, NW Youth, or Hospitality. The Connect Team staffs front-door greeting, coffee service, and inside-service hospitality during both Sunday gatherings.
The church carries out its Great Commission calling in cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention and through financial support of full-time missionaries. Members also participate in short-term mission trips both inside and outside the United States.
Sermons, podcasts, and a long archive
Sermons are at the center of the church's ministry of the Word. Each week's English and Chinese sermons are posted online, with the Chinese side including downloadable audio and video along with sermon outlines. The English side is also available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts, and the current sermon series, along with an extensive archive of past series, is accessible online. Recent Chinese preaching series have included a focus on the family from Philippians and an evangelism breakthrough series, alongside topical sermons from a wide bench of pastors, missionaries, and guest preachers.
What to expect when visiting
Visitors arriving on a Sunday can expect a warm bilingual morning. The Chinese service begins at 9:15 AM in the sanctuary. English Bible study runs 9:15 to 10:15 AM, and the English service runs from 10:45 AM to noon. A welcome table near the entrance has team members wearing lanyards who can help newcomers find their way, and members are encouraged to stay after the service to meet the pastor. Children's programs are available for infants through teens, with check-in at the Children's Building. The church is no longer requiring masks or vaccine cards, and notes that those who are not feeling well are encouraged to worship from home via the livestream. To listen to the service online or to get information about a Zoom Bible Study, visitors can contact the church office at secretary@nwcbc.org.
Generosity, giving, and the grace of cheerful hearts
The church frames giving as an act of worship and an expression of the heart. Following 2 Corinthians 8:2-8, it describes this grace-giving as generous, willing, God-directed, sacrificial, active, and motivated by love. Members can give by Zelle through giving@nwcbc.org or by mailing cash or a check to the church address. Both Chinese and English giving options are supported, and the church gratefully receives one-time donations and recurring gifts alike.
At Northwest, two languages, two services, and a long history of cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention come together in a single corner of northwest Phoenix. The rhythms of Sunday worship, midweek Zoom prayer, weekly small groups, Friday youth nights, and steady service on teams give shape to a community that traces its beginning to fourteen families sent out in 1983 and looks forward to seeing the gospel continue to take root in the Valley.