History

Dr. and Mary Singleton

Pastor James Singleton began Tri-City Baptist Church (TBC) in November 1969. The first service consisted of three families meeting in a living room in Tempe, Arizona. TBC is an independent, soul-winning church upon which many ministries have been established:

• Tri-City Christian Academy in 1971
• Time For Tots Preschool in 1973
• International Baptist College in 1980
• International Baptist Missions in 1980

After 50 years of service in Christian ministry (30 at TBC), Pastor James Singleton yielded the TBC pastorate to co-pastor Michael Sproul on August 29, 1999. Pastor Singleton passed away on Friday, July 13, 2001 after battling liver cancer for nearly two years.

Tri-City Christian Academy

Early in the 1970's, Dr. Singleton became aware of the negative direction of public education in America, and as a result TBC established Tri-City Christian Academy (TCA). On September 7, 1971 TCA started with eight grades and 65 students using self-contained classrooms. The next year 9th-12th grades were added with 80 students. In 1973 the K-4 program began with a total enrollment of 150 students. The first 8th and 12th grade graduation took place on May 30, 1974.

International Baptist College

International Baptist College (IBC) grew out of Dr. Singleton's concern that there were very few places in the West to train young men and women for the gospel ministries of church planting, evangelism, missions, and Christian education. He was burdened for the establishment of a school that would uniquely meet the needs of the West, yet become international in scope and ministry. On October 12, 1980 TBC voted unanimously to establish IBC. Classes began in the fall of 1981. The first Associate of Arts degrees were awarded in 1983, and the first Bachelor of Arts degrees were awarded in 1985. In 1986, the graduate program began, and the Doctor of Ministry was added in 1987.

In 1995 James Singleton became Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and Jerry Tetreau became the second president of IBC. In 1995 the College was awarded candidacy status for accreditation with the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS), and in 2000 the College was granted accreditation by TRACS.

In 2007 Jerry Tetreau became Chancellor of IBC and David Brock became IBC's third president.

Building Programs

Tri-City Baptist Church has been in a nearly constant building program since 1970.

• In 1970 the Tempe property at Price Road and Southern Avenue was purchased.
• The 800-seat auditorium was built in 1981, the sports court in 1982, the auditorium wings in 1983-1984.
• The gymnasium, kitchen, fellowship hall, and four classrooms were completed in 1990.
• In 1995 a new classroom building was erected with a lounge, fellowship hall, and kitchen facilities.
• In 2002 the church decided to relocate to accomodate future ministry growth and purchased property in Chandler eight miles south of the Tempe campus.
• In 2006 the first building on the Chandler property was completed, IBC's Singleton Hall.
• In 2008 TBC sold the Tempe campus to EdOptions and construction began on TBC's new building with a projected completion date of August 2009.
• In 2009 TBC moved from the Tempe campus to the new Chandler campus on the corner of Dobson Road and Germann Road.