After a long wait to open a Scottsdale Bible Church campus in Fountain Hills, the building remodel is almost complete.

Pastor Bobby Brewer hopes to open Friday, April 15, for Good Friday services.

The building opened in 1974 to serve the congregation of the United Brethren Church. It served other churches after UBC was closed, but has remained empty for some years now.

The building will now house SBC, and North Chapel will be absorbed by the new affiliation.

Brewer was on staff with SBC from 1992 to 2005. He began working with North Chapel in Fountain Hills in 2016. He has continued to work closely with the Scottsdale church and will now lead the Fountain Hills campus.

“SBC bought the building in November 2020,” Brewer said. “We hoped to open in 2021. Then our world changed.”

Brewer had said in late 2021 that “only the good Lord knew when the new church would be finished.” And he added that everyone had patience and would be happy when the building was complete.

The church will feature a large auditorium/sanctuary where teachings will be livestreamed from the Scottsdale campus.

“This is a different model,” Brewer said. “But it works well. The way the gospel has been spread has changed, but the gospel never changes.”

Live announcements will take place in the Fountain Hills church, and worship times will be 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Brewer said there will be live teachings four to six times per year.

A portable baptistry will be in the church. In the past, at North Chapel, baptisms have taken place in the Verde River or in people’s swimming pools.

“We are glad to have this addition,” Brewer said.

The church also will open Discovery Kids, a children’s building where young people will learn about Jesus’ and God’s words in a safe environment.

“When kids leave home, their belief systems are challenged,” Brewer said. “Discovery Kids will teach them how to defend God’s word.”

Brewer said the church offers a welcoming space where people can worship God.

“Everyone is welcome,” he said. “You don’t have to be a member to attend. And our mission is to make Jesus famous in Fountain Hills.”

SBC Fountain Hills is located at 15202 N. Fountain Hills Blvd. The Good Friday service starts at 6 p.m., with a Saturday, Easter Eve service set for 5 p.m. Easter services will be at 9 and 11 a.m.