About Sunrise Bible Church
Sunrise Bible Church started as a mission of Nellis Baptist Church on June 30, 1957. At that time, a survey was taken of the area and it was determined that approximately 4000 people lived in the section where the church property is now located. The survey showed that there was only one other church group attempting to serve the spiritual needs of all these people.
Sunrise Baptist Church was constituted and became affiliated with the Arizona Baptist Association, and the Southern Baptist Convention on April 13, 1958, with a charter membership of 36 people in a carpenter shop, an abandoned building without lights, water or sewer, or other facilities on the corner of Nellis and Meikle. Organizational council members were Troy Brooks, Robert Smith, Wayne White, H. Merritt, Virgil Reeves, and E. W. Hunke Jr. Other program participants were MSgt Virgil Clubb, who became the first mission pastor of the church, R. Loden, and Eugene Muckerman.
During the summer of 1958, the church met in a storefront in Nellis Plaza. On August 30, 1959, the church purchased the property on the corner of Betty and Kell. There was an existing building measuring 16 by 32 feet that was used as a church for the next two years. The building was in a serious state of disrepair but the capacity of the structure was 85 worshipers, and at times benches were placed outside the front doors to accommodate the overflow. The church bid $1.02 for the Little Theater building in Boulder City and the government accepted the offer. The structure was dismantled and transported the 25 miles to this building site, where they completed their first unit in 1962. The church purchased an additional 3 parcels of property by paying the past due to taxes for a total of 6 acres. The Home Mission Board funded $20,000.00 toward the church to help pay the pastor and to build buildings.