About Us
The History of the Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church
A good place to begin the story of the Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church is Scotland, during the summer of 1966. A number of Phoenix students from Bob Jones University were invited to Scotland to learn about the Doctrines of Grace and the writings of Charles Spurgeon. God used this experience to transform the minds of these young Christians, many of whom were attending Heart to Heart Chapel and Palmcroft Baptist Church located in Phoenix, Arizona. Some people referred to them as the “Flower Children” because they confessed TULIP – Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace and Perseverance of the Saints. Since there was no Baptist church in Central Phoenix that Confessed the Doctrines of Grace, five families began meeting in the basement of a bank at 20th Street and Camelback. Attendance grew to about 100 people which led to the need for a larger place to meet.
In November of 1967, a search began for a new location. Property was located at 3805 North 12th Street and purchased with the hope that the rental of the duplex on the property would help pay the mortgage. In May of 1968, Jimmy Patterson became the first Pastor of this new church which was named Maranatha Bible Church. Donald and Roxie Fry became members in September of 1968. Upon graduation from Covenant Theological Seminary in 1974, Mr. Donald Fry was called as pastor. The church adopted the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith in 1979. Three years later, the church’s name was changed to Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church. The church still meets in the buildings at 3805 North 12th Street.
Over the years Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church has consistently supported missionaries in Puerto Rico, Mexico, Brazil, and Israel. The church has also supported Trinity Ministerial Academy, The Reformed Baptist Institute at Westminster West Theological Seminary and Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary. Locally we have supported Alpha & Omega Ministries.
Donald Fry
Pastor Emeritus
Upon graduation from Covenant Theological Seminary in 1974, Mr. Donald Fry was called as pastor. The church adopted the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith in 1979. Three years later, the church’s name was changed to Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church. He has been a faithful preacher of the Word, proclaiming the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ from the pulpit for many decades and was the regular preacher at Sunday services (Morning and Evening) and the regular Wednesday night prayer meetings. He attended seminary at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, and has been married to his wife, Roxie, for over 50 years. Pastor Fry stepped down from his Pastoral duties on Dec 31, 2022, and is now designated as Pastor Emeritus to recognize his significant contributions as a Pastor of Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church.
