Our church history

From 1948 to the present

Quoted from History of Temple Baptist Church
Written by Rudy Lowderman, then Church Clerk

"Believing that a church of the Conservative Baptist Faith, where we could worship the true and living God in the manner which we believed to be in accord with the teaching of the New Testament scriptures, was very much needed in the City of Colorado Springs, and feeling that we were led by the Lord, after much prayer and a number of meetings in the homes of the group interested a small number of Bible believing Christians met at the home of Mr. & Mrs. D.A. Palmer, 1127 E. Boulder St. on the night of June 11th, 1948 and with the assistance of Dr. Sam Bradford, Pastor of the Beth Eden Baptist Church of Denver and National President of the Conservative Association, perfected the organization of this missionary Baptist Church and voted to affiliate with the Conservative association of the State of Colorado, also to give it the name of The Temple Baptist Church of Colorado Springs."

Our History as a Church (1948 through 1997)
Date & authorship unknown

The history of Pulpit Rock Church has been significant in terms of presenting a compelling vision. A thumbnail sketch of Pulpit Rock’s history reveals a church that has enjoyed a reputation for its solid biblical teaching. From the church’s beginning in 1948 until the beginning of Mike Tucker’s pastorate in 1970, the church developed a significant, yet small, ministry under the leadership of five different pastors. An era of rapid growth began under the leadership of Mike Tucker.

During Mike Tucker’s ministry the church projected an image of an academic congregation with a love for verse-by-verse (Dallas Seminary style) expository preaching. The church was known for its extensive missionary support, a value that was reflected in its logo – a world map with arrows extending from the church to the farthest reaches of the globe. A Christian school also became one of the primary focal points of the church’s vision. In the pursuit of that vision, the church built a large multi-purpose building, relocated to its present address on Austin Bluffs Parkway, and changed its name from Temple Baptist Church to Pulpit Rock Church. The church attracted a significant population of college students, including a large contingent of cadets from the U. S. Air Force Academy.

After Mike Tucker’s ministry concluded in 1980, Jonathan Edwards (one of Mike’s staff) succeeded him as Senior Pastor. His ministry continued until 1989. Roc Bottomly accepted a call to be the Senior Pastor in 1991 and once again led the church through a period of significant growth. It was under his leadership that Pulpit Rock Church and Colorado Springs Christian Schools became two distinct and separate entities.

Roc retained much of the global emphasis of his predecessors; however, he began to focus much of the church’s energy and resources closer to home, on each member of the congregation reaching one’s personal world, or area of influence at work, home, and neighborhood. The church’s mission statement changed from Building the Church to Reach the World to Helping You Reach Your World. There was also a change in the church logo, which reflected that subtle shift: two hands clasped in partnership, with the skyline of Colorado Springs in the background. Roc worked to diversify the styles of worship available in weekend services. Those efforts led ultimately to the establishment of a blended traditional-contemporary service, followed by two truly contemporary worship services, complete with full band.

Roc Bottomly’s ministry at Pulpit Rock ended in July 1995. The church called Armin Sommer as its new Senior Pastor in June 1996. Under Armin’s leadership the church continued to grow and flourish.

Ministry teams and small groups became a large and growing part of the ministry landscape at Pulpit Rock. The church leadership also moved forward with their desire to fully utilize and maximize our site with the construction of the West Campus building. An excellent Children’s Ministry, driven by our parents, has developed, and a thriving Worship Arts Community has emerged as well.

A New Millennium Begins

Dianna Gay, Webminister

In early 2003, Pulpit Rock Church began a church re-organization process through Vantage Alliance entitled VisionPath. The goal of this planning process was to develop the long range ministry plan for the church – seeing God's vision for us as we approach the year 2008. This process provided us with a key opportunity for the Holy Spirit to guide the future life and ministry of our church.

From this process, Pulpit Rock solidified it's vision and mission, along with determining our five core values: discipleship, outreach, worship, service, and community.

In July 2003, we broke ground on the first phase of the Faith Adventure, a new multi-purpose venue on the west end of Pulpit Rock's property. This building would later be christened "The West Campus" by pastors, staff, and members of PRC.

The ribbon cutting ceremony took place right on schedule in May 2004. The building accommodated the Sunday 8:30 a.m. service, Student Ministries' Tribe Family service, the 605 service, and weekday community outreach efforts. The West Campus is also utilized for special events such as prayer gatherings, wedding receptions, celebrations, and more.

The end of an era

In March 2007, Armin Sommer stepped down as Senior Pastor after the Holy Spirit called him to return to his home church in New Jersey and resume his role as pastor there.