United Christian Fellowship meets on East Golf Links Road in southeast Tucson, in a sanctuary that first opened its doors more than half a century ago. The congregation at 7500 East Golf Links Road is the product of a 2022 merger between Rincon Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist congregation founded in 1963, and the Filipino American Christian Fellowship of Tucson (FACFT), a church plant that began as a three-family Bible study in 2006. Today the combined church is led by a Filipino-American lead pastor and a Southern Baptist-rooted lay and pastoral team, with services in English, a livestream every Sunday, and a monthly food distribution that serves the surrounding neighborhood.
Two Congregations, One Church on East Golf Links Road
United Christian Fellowship was formed on July 24, 2022, when Rincon Baptist Church and FACFT voted to merge. Pastor Gideon Dignadice, the lead pastor of FACFT, became the senior pastor of the new combined church. The two congregations had already crossed paths years before the merger. FACFT, after spending its early years meeting at Fountain Plaza Apartments and at Christian Faith Fellowship of Tucson, eventually moved its services to the Rincon Baptist campus on East Golf Links Road, where it finally settled into a renovated worship facility in February 2020.
The Rincon Years (1963 to 2022)
Rincon Baptist Church was founded in 1963 by Rev. Leland Hall, with the first services held at Dietz Elementary. In 1964, Rev. W.V. "Doc" Wilson took over the pulpit, and in 1968 the congregation planted a new church at its present location, holding the first sanctuary service that September. Through the 1970s and 1980s the church was shepherded by a series of short-tenure pastors - Rev. Mel Worters, Rev. Ira Irvin, Rev. Johan M. Parks, Rev. Haskel Morris, and Rev. D.F. Desist - and by 1979 the fellowship and educational building was complete.
A long season of ministry began in 1990 when Rev. Mark Pitts arrived. A music minister and a youth pastor were added, and the youth group grew from two students to more than thirty. Basketball and volleyball courts went in behind the church, along with a new brick wall and front sign. Air conditioning was added to every building, and the sanctuary roof was replaced in 1996. The church helped sponsor a church plant on Tucson's east side until it became self-supporting.
Pastor Edward Vernon followed in 1997, and under his leadership Rincon grew from a struggling congregation into a thriving one. A second morning service was added, and in 2010 the new Worship Center was dedicated. When Pastor Edward retired in 2012, his son Gordon Vernon stepped into the senior role and built out several on-campus ministries, including FACFT, the First Nepali Church of Tucson, Road 2 Recovery, the Good News Club, Caring Ministries food distribution, and a Native American mission outreach. A preschool opened on the campus during those years, alongside a Thanksgiving basket drive, an annual car show, and a Trunk or Treat Festival. Pastor Gordon retired in 2017, and Pastor Trei Watters took the senior role that November. COVID forced services online in 2020 and back in person in 2021, with livestreams continuing from that point on. Pastor Trei stepped down in August 2021, opening the door for the merger.
The Filipino American Christian Fellowship Story
FACFT began on December 17, 2006, with a Bible study of three Filipino families meeting at the Fountain Plaza Apartments. Pastor Joel Padilla in Phoenix made the trip down to lead their first Bible study in August 2007, and the first worship service was held September 29, 2007, with about thirty people present. Friday Bible studies rotated from home to home as the fellowship grew, and when Americans married to Filipinos joined, the name changed from a Filipino-specific gathering to the Filipino American Christian Fellowship of Tucson.
In June 2008 FACFT began meeting at Christian Faith Fellowship of Tucson, and within a few years it became a church plant supported by the Filipino American Baptist Church, the Arizona Baptist Convention, and the Valley Rim Baptist Association. The new congregation moved its services to the Rincon Baptist campus on East Golf Links Road and, in February 2020, into a renovated worship facility of its own. Pastor Gideon "PGidz" Dignadice arrived in 2019 as FACFT's lead pastor, and three years later he led FACFT into its merger with Rincon.
A Sunday Morning at UCF
Worship is the anchor of the week. The Sunday service begins at 10:45 a.m. in the main sanctuary, with adult Bible study meeting earlier at 9:45 a.m. Children's ministry for kids from birth through fifth grade runs from 11:00 to 11:45 a.m., so parents can worship while the children are in their own classes. A livestream is offered every Sunday for those who cannot attend in person.
The order of service includes a prelude, announcements, video presentations, a call to worship, congregational singing, the offering and prayer, the pastoral message from Pastor Gideon, and a benediction. Recent Sunday mornings have featured songs such as "This Is Amazing Grace," "Who You Say I Am," and "Your Grace Still Amazes Me," led by worship elder Alain Caisip and the UCF worship team.
UCF Kids and the Growing Followers
UCF Kids runs on two commitments. Sunday morning is designed as a safe and loving environment where children can experience God's love through Jesus, with UCF Kids volunteers leading interactive lessons and activities for kids from birth through fifth grade. The other half of the ministry is partnership with parents: UCF Kids gives parents a regular hour in the worship gathering and provides gospel-centered resources for the rest of the week. Christina Bernardez serves as Sunday School Director and Joemalyn Tumaneng as Sunday School Supervisor.
Middle and high school students are called the Growing Followers, and they build their ministry around 2 Peter 3:18, growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. The student leaders Christine Mindo, Brix and Joemalyn Tumaneng, Thelma Caisip, and Lani Smith teach biblically based studies and create a family-friendly environment where students can be mentored, pray together, and have fun. Friday gatherings run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the UCF Youth Hub, with food, games, fellowship, and teaching.
Life Groups, Bible Studies, and Prayer
The midweek rhythm at UCF is woven through several touchpoints:
- Monday Evening Bible Study: 6:00 p.m. Pastor Gideon leads a home Bible study in the Southeast neighborhood; details are arranged through Alain Caisip.
- Monday Night Prayer Chain: 7:00 p.m. Wherever you are, take a moment to pause and pray.
- Wednesday Prayer Gathering: 6:00 p.m. in the chapel.
- Friday Youth Night: 5:30 p.m. in the UCF Youth Hub.
- Second Saturday Men's and Women's Ministry: 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. in the UCF Fellowship Hall, with shared food and Bible study separated into men's and women's groups.
Life Groups connect around shared interests and stages of life, including young-adult gatherings for ages 18 to 25 and a couples ministry for married couples of all ages. Faith, Food and Fellowship meets on the second Saturday of the month from 12:00 to 1:45 p.m. with a meal and shared Bible study.
Serving Southeast Tucson and Beyond
A monthly food distribution runs on the third Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to noon, with canned and boxed goods, bread, fresh vegetables, fruits, and chips. Anyone in need is welcome to come by. The church also tithes ten percent of its income beyond its own budget, supporting the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention and its Cooperative Program, Arizona Disaster Relief, University Ministries, Zona Camp, Arizona Baptist Children's Services, the Annie Armstrong North American Missions offering, the Lottie Moon International Missions offering, Interfaith Community Services, Caring Ministries, the Catalina Baptist Association, Ripe for the Harvest, and the First Nepali Church of Tucson.
What UCF Believes
United Christian Fellowship is a member of the Catalina Baptist Association, a network of Southern Baptist churches in southern Arizona, and subscribes to the Baptist Faith and Message as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention. In UCF's own summary, the Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation, totally true and trustworthy. There is one true God who reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the eternal Son who became fully God and fully man, died for sin, rose again, ascended to the right hand of God, and will return in glory. The Holy Spirit convicts of sin, calls men to the Saviour, and at regeneration baptizes every believer into the body of Christ. Salvation is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord; a New Testament church is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, and baptism by immersion is a prerequisite for membership and the Lord's Supper. Every person of every race possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love, and UCF affirms marriage as the lifelong union of one man and one woman and the family as the foundational institution of human society.
Leadership
Pastor Gideon Dignadice, often called PGidz, came to Tucson in 2019 with his wife Crimson and their five children. A Pasadena, California native, he has served in pastoral ministry for more than fifteen years and holds a Master of Divinity from The Master's University. He previously served as one of the youngest seminary professors in the Philippines.
Pastor Ed Otazu is the Associate Pastor and Elder of Education and Discipleship. A California native who has lived in Arizona for several years, Ed holds a Master of Theology from Gateway Seminary, with additional study at The Urban Ministry Institute of Los Angeles and Baptist Bible College of Pennsylvania. He has served in church planting, spiritual leadership, and administrative oversight. The congregation's elders oversee six ministries: Noel Bernardez in Church Administration and Alain Caisip in Worship.
Plan a Visit
United Christian Fellowship is at 7500 East Golf Links Road, Tucson, Arizona 85730, with a phone line at (520) 398-7277 and an email inbox at info@unitedchristianfellowship.org. The church office is open weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sunday worship begins at 10:45 a.m., with adult Bible study at 9:45 a.m. and UCF Kids for birth through fifth grade from 11:00 to 11:45 a.m. A livestream is offered every Sunday on the church's YouTube channel for those joining from home, and a translation tool is available for those who need it. Newcomers are invited to fill out a First Time Visitor form to connect with the pastors and elders.