SpokaneFāVS
Airway Heights Baptist Church was established only a few months after the City of Airway Heights was founded nearly 60 years ago.
“We’ve enjoyed growing with the community, it’s been a wonderful effort by the church,” said Pastor Dale Jenkins.
Jenkins, who celebrated 15 years with the church this month, said Airway Heights Baptist has been serving the area through various ministries for decades, including Awanas, Vacation Bible School and a food distribution program.
Twice a month, in partnership with Second Harvest, the church distributes food to the hungry within five zip codes. Jenkins said it’s done in a farmer’s market style where people can choose their own food.
Airway Heights Baptist, 12322 W. Sunset Hwy is also active in the local chaplaincy ministry, Jenkins said, and works to support local teachers by bringing them coffee and donuts on occasion.
About 200 people attend Sunday service and at least one-third of the congregation is made of young families. Members include military families, retired military families, people from the business community, low-income families and comfortable families, Jenkins said.
“They’re very busy people in life, church and family,” he said. “They’re good natured.”
Services are at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Jenkins said both services include Sunday School for all ages and a worship program. Also on Sundays is a gathering at 5:30 p.m.
“One of the things that impresses me is their desire to fellowship. Sometimes they’ll hang out an hour after church…The people here are willing to serve,” Jenkins said.
Besides Jenkins, six other pastors (paid and volunteer) help run the church.
He said Airway Heights Baptist is a good place for anyone looking for a church where preaching and teaching is rooted in the Bible, and where a supportive community is easy to find.
Where We Worship is a Spokane Faith & Values feature that profiles different houses of worship in the Spokane area. To have your organization featured email tracysimmons@spokanefavs.com.
Tracy Simmons is an award-winning journalist specializing in religion reporting and digital entrepreneurship. In her approximate 20 years on the religion beat, Simmons has tucked a notepad in her pocket and found some of her favorite stories aboard cargo ships in New Jersey, on a police chase in Albuquerque, in dusty Texas church bell towers, on the streets of New York and in tent cities in Haiti. Simmons has worked as a multimedia journalist for newspapers across New Mexico, Texas, Connecticut and Washington. She is the executive director of SpokaneFāVS.com, a digital journalism start-up covering religion news and commentary in Spokane, Washington. She also writes for The Spokesman-Review and national publications. She is a Scholarly Assistant Professor of Journalism at Washington State University.
