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Evangelical

First Southern Baptist Church of Paradise Valley

16033 N 32nd St, Phoenix, AZ 85032
SBC — all-male pastoral staff, traditional worship
Quick Facts
Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable Jeffrey Hemken (Interim: Steve Smith)
Founded Unknown
Denomination Southern Baptist (SBC)
Service Times Sunday mornings (check website)
Men's Ministry No
Kids Ministry No
Website firstspv.com
10-Point Theological Scorecard
Christology
Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)
Not stated on homepage — verify
Caution
Scripture
Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?
'Preaching/teaching centered on the Word of God' — no explicit inerrancy
Caution
Men's Discipleship
Intentional formation for men?
RED held: no men's ministry listed among active ministries.
WARNING!
Soteriology
Faith alone? How is salvation presented?
Not stated on homepage — verify
Caution
Gender / Biblical Design
Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?
Both pastoral positions (Hemken and interim Smith) held by men; female staff is Secretary/Treasurer only. Complementarian practice consistent with SBC.
Complementarian; all-male pastoral staff
Caution
Leadership Structure
Male elders/pastors? Accountability?
Pastor/interim-pastor dual structure
Caution
Preaching Style
Expository or topical/therapeutic?
'Sermon-based with focus on biblical teaching'
Caution
Mission Clarity
Great Commission central?
'Unconditional Love Changes Lives'
Caution
Cultural Alignment
DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?
No DEI/affirming language visible; traditional music
Strong
Accountability Structure
Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?
Southern Baptist identity in church name; BF&M 2000 not explicitly cited on homepage.
Strong
Assessment
First Southern Baptist Church of Paradise Valley in Phoenix — 'a community church with a large heart for others.' Led by Pastor Jeff Hemken. Full theological review pending.
#sbc#phoenix#arizona#west
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Church Social Media
Sources & Evidence

These are the URLs consulted to arrive at this church's scoring. Score-note claims are synthesized from homepage content, denominational directories, and public statements of faith at the time of review. Church websites change frequently; we're progressively adding Internet Archive snapshots to prevent link rot.

  1. [1] Live source firstspv.com

Transparency note: MOOP ratings are researcher judgments about publicly available theological and ecclesial evidence. They are not infallible. If a church's public posture has changed since our review, or if we've mis-read evidence, tell us — we publish corrections.

Last reviewed: 2026-05-16 — Annual review recommended
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