Welcome to the home of Mercy Hill Church: Church on Fillmore in downtown Phoenix!
A network of churches through the Pillar Network and the North American Mission Board (NAMB) seized a unique and strategic opportunity to partner with an existing church that has for over 70 years, preserved a rich heritage of visible kingdom presence in the city and served the most vulnerable and lower income families in the community.

In 2015, a church planting team comprised of families and individuals from Phoenix and across the nation, committed themselves to partnering with the Church on Fillmore and become a “family of believers who unite in gospel, community, and mission, for the glory of God and the good of our neighbors.” The Church on Fillmore affirmed the vision, amended their documents to reflect a robust, gospel-centered approach, and installed the Church plant’s pastoral team as their own. Shortly after, the merged family of believers voted to change their name to Mercy Hill Church in order to:

· honor the rich heritage of the Church on Fillmore
· display God’s mercy to the broken as those who have received mercy
· and herald a commitment to be a faithful, visible kingdom presence in the city

As a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural neighborhood church, we seek to be present in our community, proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ in both word and deed, and collaboratively come alongside our neighbors in sharing our gifts, caring for the vulnerable, and seeking the shalom of our city. Jesus came to “seek and to save” the lost (Matthew 19:10), and thus, it is the desire of Mercy Hill Church to uphold and display the mercy of Jesus Christ through the proclamation of the gospel in both word and deed. We invite you to prayerfully consider how you will partner with us for His glory and for the joy of the people of Phoenix.

For Such a Time as This…

The neighborhood that Mercy Hill Church (MHC) finds itself rooted in is called the Triangle Neighborhood. It was established in 1887, marked with the boundaries of 7th Ave (to the east) and 15th Ave (to the west), and Van Buren (to the south) and Roosevelt (to the north). It was originally called Oakland/University Park Neighborhood. This neighborhood was one of the first ones in Phoenix to diversify. African Americans and other minorities were not allowed to live north of Van Buren until after 1962. Before then, minority groups were forced to live south of Van Buren. It was at this point that many people began moving from this neighborhood out of “fear” of being corrupted from those who look different from them.
As many people moved west and north, The Church on Fillmore stayed. By God’s grace they planted roots and kept their presence in the midst of a changing neighborhood, which would soon become neglected, run down, and without resources because most of the homeowners and businesses left. It wasn’t until a group of activists in the late 1980’s began advocating for city services and other organizations to help with the rebuilding of this historic neighborhood. Over twenty years later, and in the midst of many of the old diverse people groups being forced to leave because of gentrification, this neighborhood continues to have a community of people who care for the marginalized and want to foster quality, affordable options for them to remain in this neighborhood.

Our neighborhood that was once considered “distressed” is rapidly changing, largely due to reinvestment that is similar across the nation’s urban cores and city centers. However, Mercy Hill Church (MHC) acknowledges that the poor will always be with us, and we embrace our God-given opportunity to live out the Gospel of Good News in the heart of Phoenix. The elders of MHC recognize our strategic location, increasing property values, and operational costs, and we desire to love all of our neighbors well. We have developed a sophisticated team to assess our current status, and define a clear vision to help create an action plan to humbly continue with excellence God’s call to proclaim the Good News and seek the shalom of our neighborhood and city… “For Such a Time as This.”
MHC has committed their human and financial resources to this vision. We have collaborated with our community addressing needs of the most vulnerable in hopes of reversing the cycle of poverty through housing, education, health and wellness, and vocational training. God has brought together a proven team comprised of professionalism, faith based community development, urban planning, nonprofit and church expertise. Most importantly, this team shares a passion for kingdom presence and display of the gospel in our city. We are grateful for the partners who desire to see this vision into fruition.
At such a time as this, how might you further participate with God and His activity in our city? We humbly and eagerly invite you to invest your time, talents and treasures in this timely exciting work for the sake the gospel and the spread of Jesus’ fame.

Because of His Grace,

Anthony Cox,
Lead Church Planter