The well-known Anchorage Baptist Temple, which was founded before Alaska Statehood, has adopted a new name: Mountain City Church. Anchorage Christian School will become Mountain City Christian Academy.
“The church will change its name to match its expanding vision – transforming every Alaskan with the salt, light, and love of Christ,” said Pastor Ron Hoffman. Throughout this past year, Pastor Hoffman has been casting the vision for all the congregants to be Christ-centered world changers, starting with reaching their neighbors, Anchorage, and all of Alaska with the Gospel.
In 1956 the church was planted as “Baptist Bible Church” on DeBarr Road. It grew and then moved to Northern Lights Blvd., and became Anchorage Baptist Temple under former Pastor Jerry Prevo. Through radio and TV ministry, ABT started reach all of Alaska, not just Anchorage.
“No, renaming the church will not erase the legacy,” Hoffman said. “This is a history we never want to forget.” He said the church will build a history wall as a way to remember where it came from and where it’s going.
But he explained that the word “temple” is now more associated with false religion today, and the church wants be be seen as a true place of worship.
For more information, visit the church’s new website at www.mountaincity.church or check it out on Facebook or Instagram @mtncity.church.
Read about Must Read Alaska’s interview with Pastor Hoffman and his mission to reach all Alaskans at this link:
THAT’s gonna fix it.
It would help that church to shake off the deep state republican support they do.
That’s not important issue. Your crowd don’t know anything about the churches inner life.
Are you kidding Jen? I’ve lived in this community for most my life. It is quite clear to us what that church’s inner life is.
Sorry you can’t.
A funny thing. Most of the people who have left churches are doing so because the church has drifted to the far left.
It’s a large part of why the evangelicals and the Mormons are eating everyone else’s lunch.
This clearly implies the progressive left is far more in tune with the inner workings of a church than many keyboard christians (lower case done on purpose to imply a lack of genuine belief and intention).
Perhaps if you Bible you constantly wave around had all the pages in it, or you at least bothered to read the ones you don’t like, you’d be in a better position to comment.
Membership in the LDS church is dropping because the internet makes it easy for inquiring minds to learn of the fraud and absurdity of its history.
Common liberal response. Maureen, you seem to not understand that a church, is a place where people from all political spectrums gather. Political, and social differences are cast aside and people unify as neighbors of the same mindset. It’s unfortunate that you never were able to experience this. Here’s a kleenex, you have a lot of froth around your mouth.
Common psuedo conservative response.
Why does that church then only support Republican events?
Because few Christians or people with Christian upbringing and views support the atheist, communist philosophies espoused by the Left.
Art, you could expand that comment to include not only a Christian upbringing but even an Atheist upbringing that was grounded in reason and an understanding of history and how the universe operates.
Oh the comedy, Art thinks he’s a good Christian. I am just guessing but I think his makers gonna think otherwise.
Your response is the common liberal answer of a non believer. I pray your day is blessed.
Is right to life a Republican value? Support for families? Charity for the poor? Multi-cultural worship? Community of believers? All these things the church does, plus educate children in a good moral structure. You are just a hater, admit it. Why not stop by the church sometime yourself and get a clue, because you clearly have no idea what you speak of. How many people have you damaged with that counseling degree of yours?
Lovers of God hate what is bad. So I do hate what is bad.
Nice summary of how a church COULD be. There’s an interesting defense of the Mormon’s hoarding of billions of dollars in today’s Salt Lake Tribune. The Mormon church describes its value to the world by measuring financial worth and growth rates.
Spiritual Narcissist. Using God to manipulate.
Sure your name isn’t Sarah Palin?
Saul became Paul etc. after a change in vision literally.
Republicans are the party on God’s side. We oppose abortion and the normalization of perversion. We stand with Israel because they are God’s chosen people. Jesus was a Jew, you know. We reject islam and all other false religions because if there were another way to have fellowship with the Heavenly Father Jesus would have been lying when He said that no one can come to the Father except through Him. Republicans stood with Jerry Prevo because he stood for Christian values.
Randy. Your beliefs are why hate pervades all religions. Such dangerous arrogance!
Throwing the BS flag here.
If it’s a history they’re proud of, embrace it. Additionally, my Jewish friends would aggressively object to being considered a “false” religion.
If going to the temple was good enough for Jesus, it should be good enough for any Christian.
If the real issue here is the Mormons are eating your lunch in outreach, serving the community, and gaining converts, your issue is internal. Not your name.
One would think a church of this size would have a smarter PR department.
Masked person,
The old covenant has been replaced with the new covenant. The main reason Paul wrote his letter to Galatians was because the Galatians were going back into following the LAW, instead of being LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, which is real Christianity, that he explains in Galatians 5.
In Romans 7, Paul makes it clear that we’re no longer in the old way, where he could not overcome sin. Now we live in the new way, after Jesus died and was resurrected, and sent the Holy Spirit to live in us. Again, being led by the Spirit is real Christianity, which Romans 8:1-17 makes very clear.
Romans 7:4 Therefore, MY BROTHERS, you also were MADE DEAD TO THE LAW THROUGH the body of CHRIST, that you would be JOINED to another, TO HIM who was raised from the dead, THAT WE MIGHT PRODUCE FRUIT to God. 5 For WHEN WE *WERE* IN THE FLESH, the sinful passions which were through the law worked in our members to bring out FRUIT TO DEATH. 6 But *NOW* WE HAVE BEEN DISCHARGED FROM THE LAW, having died to that IN WHICH WE *WERE* HELD; so that WE SERVE IN NEWNESS OF *THE SPIRIT*, and NOT IN OLDNESS OF *THE LETTER*.
The book of Hebrews is clear the the old covenant was weak and useless compared to the new, now that we’re led by God Himself (or are supposed to be. Being born-again is just the start. We must actually abide in Christ to be real Christians, which no church in Anchorage teaches today).
Hebrews 7:18-19 The former regulation is SET ASIDE because it was WEAK and USELESS (for the law made nothing perfect), and a BETTER hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.
Also, the Jewish religion today is largely based on the Talmud, which takes precedence over the Torah. And animal sacrifices have been done away with, since Jesus’s sacrifice paid the price once and for all, the book of Hebrews also says.
John Hagee’s dual covenant theology isn’t true.
Truth matters.
They are pulling away from Judeo-Christian orientation as Judaic law supports women’s health in pregnancy.
Likely Seven Mountains influenced?
Sounds more like Moloch to me.
It’s really sad to be you. This is just weak. You evidently conflate Judaic beliefs (Torah) with Christianity (New Testament). They are related and one grew from the other, just like Sufis are related to Muslims, similar but slightly and importantly different. So why would you think that Christians would follow secular Jewish abortion views? Even Jews don’t all agree on abortion. Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform all have different views. They pretty much agree that abortion is acceptable if to save the life of the mother, but other than that, their views are not monolithic. Maureen, you are bored and bitter, and not even trying to be honest.
Again, amazing projection. Sorry you are bored and bitter about my comments B.
Clearly you missed the domination of news saying abortion was illegal under Judaic Christian law- the our law comes from. Theythen quit saying Judaic Christian law when they heard from real jews who reported on their own religion is different about women during pregnancy than what they were saying.
Let’s be honest. People can see what is happening.
Mr Winkle. You had a point to make and you made it. But then why be a jerk?
Is this really news? No, this is an advertisement. If they really wanted to help people, they would pay taxes on all the property and buildings they own and relieve us taxpayers from having to support them.
You are asking ALL non profits pay its property and business tax. I can get on board with that.
Democrats always complaining we need to fund government, so by golly tax any and all non profits.
Because giving $ to government helps people? Like who? Government employees?
They got a lot of military in that church. btw George, Military are government employees. Are you not wanting our Military to get its just support?
“Our military” is ours because we pay for it. Does our military belong also to the foreign CDC corporation registered at least in pertinent part to the also stateless City of London, also like the stateless Vatican and stateless WA DC formerly known as Maryland located within the United States? What did they teach you about this if ever? Nothing?
I was taught that Vatican City is the smallest country inthe world-thus a ‘state’.
Concerned for what you were taught A.
Yes it is a concern that our Capital City does not have appropriate representation for taxes collected there.
Agree. Tax-exempt real property should apply to the modest home of a priest, reverend, minister, rabbi, imam, or any other religious leader with a congregation should be tax exempt. However, when Jerry Prevo’s son went through a divorce, we learned that all of ABT’s leadership staff, religious school teachers, his son the AV technician, and others affiliated with ABT all lived in ABT-owned and tax-exempt properties. This was not right. As I recall, Ben Stevens pushed this through when he was in the Alaska legislature.
Also (and I am concerned about this), James is a “minister” and lives in a house much larger than one person would ever need. He does not put up homeless people or anybody else. I don’t know if he has an actual congregation, but I do know that pays exactly ZERO in Muni property tax for that house. Just like the ABT properties, the Muni should collect property tax each year from James.
Better yet, how about exempting the home of ANY citizen from tax in exchange for taxing the property of all “non-profits” (including churches and other religious bodies)? It is absurd that I should be forced to pay the government rent (under threat of eviction) for the privilege of living in my own home.
And still better yet, do away with property and income taxes. We should fund our government in ways that don’t enslave or disincentivize people.
But you receive services in exchange for your taxes.
If you actually are a property owner within the MOA, you would know you are not getting your money’s worth. Roughly 46% of property tax goes to fund a horribly managed school district, the rest goes to fire and police. The kicker are all of the MOA employees receiving 6 figure salaries, plus fully taxpayer funded health insurance as well as pension. Either you don’t own property or just ignore the property tax information provided annually.
If only the city was a better steward of the money rested from Anchiragites. If someone working at the city saves the city millions they should receive a reward!
Will always be prevo’s palace to me!
ANC Baptist Temple
Jehovah Witness Temple
LDS (Mormon) Temple
Jewish Synagogue – (shul) – Temple
NO Trinity = false belief, according to the bible I read.
So you’re saying the faith of Jesus is not legitimate?
Just want to be sure here.
MRAK gives this gang a ton of free publicity. They’ll always be ABT to me.
I wonder if it will change its mascot from lion to cougar cause its a -mountain- lion.
Its going to be
different. I still support them, while its been undergoing transformational changes. I can’t get over the news pastor tony has big plans to expand MCC’s tuesday Recovery nights to
increase its
reach.
You know ! Since democrats are putting a weed shop in every neighborhood
, then every neighborhood needs a faith based recovery-community center
Good idea, but it won’t solve the main problem — a lack of holiness. Being born-again is just the start of our walk with God, abiding “in Christ Jesus,” “walking not according to the flesh but according to the Holy Spirit,” the place of “no condemnation” (Romans 8:1-17).
Without holiness, no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). We must actually abide in Christ to be “in Christ.” Then we’ll have fruit that the world will see, which will draw many to Him. That’s how we transform Alaska, Jesus’ way.
The main problem is the false doctrine of “once saved always saved,” which ABT has taught for many decades. And now almost every church in Anchorage now also teaches, or “only believe.”
Real Christianity is abiding in Christ. Then “the world will know,” when we’re ONE with each other in Christ (Jesus’ prayer in John 17), which I believe will be the GREATEST AWAKENING, once we get our doctrine right and our lives right.
We’ll then draw near to God and He’ll draw near to us, when we actually do “worship in Spirit and IN TRUTH.”
Extreme decibels (‘worship’ at ABT today) cannot replace hearts right with God and one another, so then God draws near to us tangibly.
False salvation doctrine is the main problem. I rearranged the order in Ephesians 4:12-16 to make this point:
[When the] “TRICKERY of men in CRAFTINESS after the WILES OF ERROR” [stops producing] “children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every WIND OF DOCTRINE” [we’ll have] “the PERFECTING of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ; UNTIL WE ALL ATTAIN to the UNITY of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a FULL GROWN man, to THE MEASURE OF THE STATURE OF THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST … but speaking TRUTH in love, we may GROW UP IN ALL THINGS INTO HIM, who is the head, Christ; from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in LOVE.”
This is God’s desire for us, clearly stated.
We need to be able to say what Paul could:
“Herein I also practice ALWAYS having a CONSCIENCE VOID OF OFFENSE toward God and MEN.” (Acts 24:16)
That could then start the GREATEST REVIVAL the world has ever seen.
We have a small window of opportunity to get real Christianity happening “that the world will know” — Jesus’ desire for us (John 17).
Still a Baptist Church? Or more of a Laodicean Worldly Church? How long till they have Drag Queens on stage to perform for the children?
Between the hard left drift of most churches and the insufferable arrogance of the Bible thumpers, small wonder church attendance is at an all time low.
Everything ABT does is to get more revenue, chnaging the name is just part of the business plan
Arguing about religion is just about the dumbest thing ever.
I found the comments more entertaining than the article. I could comment or debate many things about this but for me, it is clear that we need separation of church and state now more than ever.
Phillip Morris tobacco company changed its name to Altria.
The Anchorage Baptist Temple name has acquired a very negative vibe by its association with Mayor Bronson and Save Anchorage. It needs to rebrand itself and move away from the far right ditch.
Barry, like you would even go to Mountain City Church or ABT??? Ha!!! You have probably never stepped foot inside the building. My guess is you wouldn’t go to this or any church. This is an amazing worship family and it’s very, very diverse and vibrant. Too bad you can’t just stop by some time and check it out and get beyond your own bigotry. But you can! Come on by!
Lord, protect me from your followers. Thank you. Amen.
The reading of these comments is hilarious to me because it means that almost NONE of the commenters have even BEEN THERE ! there is no way a perceptive person would come away with any of these PERSPECTIVES. Amazingly NOT paying attention. Only church in town this large that is NOT in debt, only church in town this large that HONORS the soldier, elderly and the common man. Only church in town that has attendees that range back over 40 years and SERVE the whole community of Anchorage. The accusations on this commenting page is HILARIOUS !
Lisa, since you said “NONE of the commenters have BEEN there”:
I commented twice above, and I’ve attended something at ABT during most of a 3-year period since Ron has been head, including dozens of key Bible studies.
I don’t want to burst your bubble, but there are many churches in the Anchorage area that do all of these things. ABT is unique in a few ways, though – one of which is that it’s the only one that schemes to illegally transfer tax free properties to the children of their pastor.
How about a year or so ago when Pastor Hoffman said he sent $500,000 (a half a million dollars) to orphanages in Guatemala, what a scam that was. He said he sent it somewhere where it could never be traced, then he had the gall the following year to ask for a million dollars…for what?
Follow the money!
God is Vanilla Ice cream and religions are flavors of it. The majority of folks like ice cream. Shrug.
sounds like a build back broke person to me… so racist
Haha.The comparison of God and religion is a good one. Build back broke person? Are you a stalker or throwing anything to the wall and see what sticks. How’s that working?
Hello Sarah. I hear the federal courts are looking for you. Speaking of build back broke. Don’t steal. No one likes a thief.
Things must be bad when Anchorage Baptist Temple goes woke.
.
Undoubtedly, Mountain City Church officials wasted no time cleansing their tax-exempt sanctuary of all books containing the offensive word “temple”.
.
Only a hardened cynic would dare wonder out loud when this startling Renaissance will morph into a lucrative opportunity to host Anchorage’s share of the illegal aliens pouring over America’s southern border, many of whom would understandably be offended by the word “temple”.
Agreed….Hoffman has gone WOKE!!
ABT going WOKE? Woke means BROKE
look what happened to CNN
Seeing all the Christians on here squabbling amongst themselves is pretty funny. Is it any wonder why the demographic that checks the box “none of the above” when it comes to religious affiliation is growing every year? If you’re a catholic you’re supposed to believe that you can only achieve salvation by being a catholic; that its the only true church and all others are fake. Is it any wonder that after numerous revivals over the decades, there still appears to be the need to insist that people believe in bronze age myths? You would think that someone that’s a Christian would be happy with this belief. But they’re not happy; not until others believe the same thing too. That wouldn’t be an issue if religious belief didn’t insist on inculcating itself into the secular world, which is where the religious REALLY want to have power, not in the hereafter. Believe what you want to believe, but please keep your illusions private.
And you know what is also funny, cman? Seeing all you radical leftist extremists insistently and maniacally forcing your secular and neo-Marxist religion of wokeism down the throats of everyone else.
.
Pot, meet kettle.
I’m the least woke person you’ll ever meet. You’re right that wokeism is one form of secular religion, but I am not a member of that flock or any other. Nice try though.
Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20 ESV
That is why Christians cannot stay out of the secular world. It’s easy to deny it, but you can’t disprove God’s existence.
Nor can you prove his existence. There’s a really interesting intellectual forum consisting of religious scientists. It’s called BioLogos. The debate is free of personal attacks and the moderators are infinitely patient with the fringe elements that show up there, like the Young Earth Christians.
Of course you can’t disprove the existence of God. It would be silly to try because you can’t prove a negative. Just keep your illusions out of my government and my schools.
Schools and government have always been rooted in God. Its only in recent years that there’s been a push to change that. Think of the Pledge of Allegiance we all said as children in school, “one nation under God”.
Think of how every congressional session begins with the house Chaplin reading a prayer and quoting the scripture.
Our government slogan has always been, “In God We Trust”. It’s written on all of our money.
God isn’t some conservative lunacy. He’s the foundation of our nation. God should absolutely be in our schools.
Nonsense. All of the phrases you mentioned are 20th century creations. You want creationism taught in biology classes? How about alchemy in chemistry class or astrology in astronomy class?
There are plenty of places to enjoy religion. Public schools aren’t one of them.
The name change saddens me. Normally in a Baptist Church it is done thru a Business meeting, and has a Member approval before the name gets changed, and I happen to be a Pastor’s daughter not common knowledge, and I grew up in a different Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama, and all important topics were discussed in business meetings I didn’t like attending them. I do wonder why it was done by the Pastor without doing the name change the way the Bible says to do it. Since it’s still a Baptist Church it should include Baptist in the name period. I don’t like the new name.
We don’t change what has been because of the perception of others. In my long experience as a congregant of a couple of churches that have changed their name to something innocuous and “inoffensive”, this is often the first step to a watered down message. I would love to be wrong.
SUSAN & ROBIN I agree. Much of the bickering I see is counterproductive and unworthy of Don White’s dream of a powerhouse church with over a thousand members. It was at the Bible Baptist Church in Alaska my wife and I got used to having missionaries like Fred Nimo from Bethel, Bob Leight from Nome or pastor Don White pay us a visit because we were friends. Over the years we developed friendships with many missionaries. Here I am 60 years later, composing a letter to missionaries, and I’m wondering: is te Bible Baptist Church in Anchorage still in the legacy business?
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