Phoenix First

About Pastor Tommy Barnett

Tommy Barnett is the Senior Pastor of one of the fastest growing churches in America, Phoenix First Assembly of God, in Phoenix, Arizona.  The church is known as The Church with a Heart, because of its 245+ outreach ministries. 

With an average weekly attendance of over 15,000, Phoenix First is a soulwinning church, committed to reaching the city, country, and world for God.  The Church moved into a multi-million-dollar complex in 1985, occupying 75 acres on Shadow Mountain.  The first building constructed was the 6,500-seat auditorium, one of the largest sanctuaries in America. Next came three additional buildings -- administration, education, and gymnasium.  Completed in 2001 is the exciting SMALL WORLD VILLAGE.  This state of the art facility is 33,800 square feet of early childhood education.  Thirty classrooms are used for a variety of church services and ministry activities.  It showcases innovative use of materials, light and space.  Two other buildings have been completed in recent years.  One is the world-class YOUTH MINISTRY PAVILION!  It has been designed to serve as a “magnet†for thousands of local teenagers – one of the most critical “mission fields†of our community.   Also – CITY LITES CHILDREN’S COMPLEX, this beautiful ultra-modern all-glass facility not only serves as a children’s church facility, but also for weddings and other events.  The newest building - the PRAYER PAVILION of LIGHT was completed February, 2007!

On many occasions, attendance at special services has soared including an outdoor event of 25,000.  Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday in multiple services has reached over 150,000.
 
Phoenix First Assembly is noted nationwide for several outstanding assets introduced by Pastor Barnett:

These assets have contributed to the impressive growth of First Assembly under Pastor Barnett’s leadership.  When the Church called him as pastor in December 1979, the average attendance was 250.  Within three weeks, a Christmas rally drew 2,700.  Attendance in 1980 climbed to 4,800 at Easter, over 6,500 at Thanksgiving, and over 8,000 at Christmas.

SETTING RECORDS

Attendance continued to spiral upward spurred by these major events.  In 1981, and again in 1982, the magnificent SINGING CHRISTMAS TREE services at Phoenix Symphony Hall brought turn-away crowds to the 3,000-seat Hall.  In 1982, more than 18,000 attended Easter services and the giant Independence Day rally moved to a city stadium.  The 1983 Easter services broke all records for the denomination, attracting 25,000; the Living Flag on July 4th filled the stadium with 15,000 spectators; and the Thanksgiving Dinner was the largest in the City, serving almost 12,000.

Breaking records again – Easter, 1989, saw crowds of 100,000 in one weekend.  This included four Easter Splendor musical drama productions at the new large church auditorium as well as the 14 outdoor children’s rallies that were held all over the city.  Easter Splendor presentations were repeated 12 different times throughout Easter Week.  A total of 150,000 people in attendance were a part of that phenomenal week at Phoenix First Assembly.  The annual Christmas Production attracts over 130,000 in a ten day long schedule.

Phoenix First Assembly’s Bus Ministry was born in 1980 with five buses.  By 1981, a nationwide poll of all denominations named Phoenix First Assembly the fastest growing Bus Ministry in America.   Our fleet of buses includes nine wheelchair vehicles. Phoenix First’s bus ministry was innovative in operating on Saturdays bringing children to the giant Saturday Sunday School and again on Sundays transporting yet another group of children and adults to Sunday School.  With the increasing needs of the people in the urban areas, “Adopt-a-Block†was formed to weekly minister to entire neighborhoods on a regular basis.  Far more than surface-evangelism, Adopt-a-Block teams mow lawns, fix houses, wash graffiti, provide furniture, and build lasting relationships with the community while bussing them to church.  In addition to children and adults from all types of homes, the buses provide transportation for college students, the elderly, deaf, handicapped, and homeless.

The International Christian Education Association and Moody Monthly recognized the unusual growth of Phoenix First Assembly by presenting the “Fastest Growing Church†award to Pastor Barnett in two consecutive years. 

MORE THAN NUMBERS

In addition to remarkable numerical growth, Pastor Barnett has guided First Assembly into an era of phenomenal revival.  At the altar calls, scores of people of all ages and backgrounds come forward to commit their lives to Christ.  In addition to thousands of people saved every year, hundreds are baptized in water.  On one Sunday alone, as Pastor Barnett spoke in a Sunday morning service at which a group of some 2,000 visiting French people were in attendance, a phenomenal 1,600 answered the altar call to accept Jesus Christ as Savior!

Assisting Pastor Barnett is a staff of 16 pastors who minister in such areas as counseling, music, hospital visitation, youth, college and career, elderly, bus ministry, Spanish outreach, home visits, church administration, and much more.  The Church now operates over 200 individual ministries to the hurting.

A group over 200 young men and women, known as the Master’s Commission, currently are devoting at least one year to missionary service, dividing their time at Phoenix First and the LA Dream Center. They spend their days in classes, Bible study, scripture memorization, prayer, and also in hands on ministry.  They visit nursing homes; detention centers, and deliver food to the needy, visit homes, work bus routes, and serve in many other capacities.

The original Master’s Commission class of 22 in 1984 led the first member into overseas missionary work.  Many others accepted church staff positions across the country.  The second class included a young girl who came to know Jesus as a child while riding one of the Church buses.  Three graduates have served on the pastoral staff at Phoenix First.  There are now graduates literally all over the world in full time foreign mission work as well as staff members of churches throughout America. Phoenix First Assembly’s Master’s Commission has lead the way and there are now over 100 affiliated groups some 4,000 strong world wide including Nicaragua, New Zealand, Asia, Philippines, and El Salvador.

Many other young people from Phoenix First Assembly have entered full time ministry and many new Christians have done the same.  Phoenix First Assembly members minister in nursing homes, prisons, parks, and apartment complexes.  More than 10,000 have graduated from Pastor Barnett’s Saturday Soulwinning Society classes.  The Deacon Visitation Ministry has developed a large core of committed lay-ministers within the church to help the pastoral staff ensure that every single visitor and new convert receive personal follow-up and mentoring.  Soulwinning Teams go out to call on homes throughout the City, some witness to the street people.  Phoenix First Assembly heads up the Church on the Street, a rehabilitation center that was started after seeing homeless people attend the Church’s Thanksgiving dinner in 1980.  They now minister weekly to 3,500 people in inner-city church services, parks, streets, and prisons.

The numerical and spiritual growth of Phoenix First Assembly has inspired other churches across the country.  By popular demand, Tommy Barnett hosts an annual Pastors’ School.  Approximately 7,000 pastors, leaders, and workers attend each year.  Pastors’ School is an intensive, informative, and exciting three days of study, observation, and field practice in the methods, which have spurred the explosive growth of Phoenix First Assembly.  The year 2007 celebrated the 30th school.

Pastor Barnett travels weekly to conferences and conventions, challenging pastors and church leaders to build great soulwinning churches.  A survey once reported him to be the outstanding person for inspiring pastors and churches in the full gospel movement to grow.