Tucson RP Mission Church

Location: Tucson, Ariz.

Presbytery: Pacific Coast

Membership: 11 communicants; 14 adherents

Pastor: Jason Ryce

Our Brief History

In 2011, the Pacific Coast Presbytery marked its 100th anniversary. Up to that point, the presbytery had seen a steady decline in its churches. So in spring 2011 many saints took part in a day of fasting and prayer, specifically asking the Lord to build His church in the western United States.

The Tucson, Ariz., RP Fellowship was the almost immediate answer to these prayers. In spring 2011 a group of saints from Tucson petitioned the presbytery to explore the possibility of church planting in Tucson. Soon after, elders from First (Phoenix, Ariz.) RPC began holding Bible studies in Tucson every other week, followed by evening worship services.

The presbytery decided to plant a new work there under the oversight of First (Phoenix, Ariz.) RPC. In June 2011 Jason Ryce was called as pastor. In Aug. 2012 the Tucson RP Fellowship became a mission church. We currently have two elders on site in Tucson and one provisional elder from the Los Angeles RPC.

Our City

With a population of almost a million, Tucson is located in the southeast corner of Arizona, about two and a half hours from Phoenix. Surrounded by seven mountain ranges, Tucson is strikingly beautiful. The name Tucson is derived from the Indian word “Chuk-son,” meaning village of the dark spring at the foot of the mountains. The city was established in 1775 by Spanish soldiers as a fort. Tucson became a part of Mexico in 1821 when Mexico won its independence from Spain, and in 1854 became a part of the United States as part of the Gadsden Purchase. Tucson is one of the most unchurched cities in the U.S. It is both a geographical desert and a spiritual desert. Thus we are thankful that the Lord has raised up a group of saints who want to see the gospel of Jesus Christ go forth into this desert land. Our frequent prayer comes from Psalm 72:9: “May desert tribes bow down before Him.”

The Lord’s Work

The Lord has provided us with many opportunities to minister to people in our community. We currently worship morning and evening on the Lord’s Day, and have frequent fellowship in people’s homes. In 2011 and 2012, we had Thanksgiving eve worship services, and this year Dr. C.J. Williams visited Tucson and preached on the topic of Creation. The Tucson RPC has enjoyed the company and service of RP Missions teams in 2011 and 2012. More recently, we held a special service at the historic San Pedro Chapel in Tucson to celebrate two years of the Lord’s faithfulness.

How You Can Help

RP churches in the western U.S. are small and isolated. The Pacific Coast Presbytery has only 7 churches in an area of 650,000 square miles. We encourage saints to have a missionary mentality when it comes to mission works and church plants, especially in the West. Here are some practical ways that you can help build Christ’s kingdom in the western U.S.:

Nearing retirement? Consider setting down roots in Tucson, as it has one of the lowest costs of living in the United States.

Looking for a quality university? The University of Arizona is located in the heart of Tucson, and offers a variety of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees.

Searching for a job? Cast your net in Tucson. Our main industries are Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, University of Arizona, and Raytheon (a national aerospace and defense company).

Visit. Out of town visitors from other RP congregations are always a great encouragement to the saints.

Prayer Requests

• That the Lord would bring us elders and deacons.

• That the Lord would bring new families to the church.

• That the Lord would use our ministry to convert sinners and sanctify saints.

• For boldness and motivation in evangelism.

• That the Lord would provide a suitable meeting place.