About Our Pastor
Pastor Paul A. Lopes, Sr. was born on July 22, 1965, at Scott Air Force Base in Belleville, Illinois. As the son of a career member of the United States Air Force, he had the opportunity to live throughout Europe and across the United States.
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While living in Italy, Pastor Paul attended a Baptist church in Aviano with his mother. There, on May 14, 1978, he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior and was baptized the following day. Reflecting on that moment, he shares, "I knew I found the answer I had been searching for... The first time I heard the Gospel preached I accepted Jesus as my Savior."
Pastor Paul graduated from Moon Valley High School in Phoenix, Arizona, and went on to earn an Associate of Arts degree from Glendale Community College and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Phoenix.
He began attending Garden Lakes Baptist Church in 1992, where he served as a youth Sunday School teacher. He was licensed into the Gospel ministry in 1994 and ordained shortly after. He later pastored Rainbow Valley Baptist Church before answering the call to serve as pastor of White Tanks Southern Baptist Church in August of 2001.
Pastor Paul and his wife, Patricia (Pat), are blessed with four children—Max Carrillo, Erik Carrillo, Paul Lopes Jr., and Isley Lopes—and a growing number of grandchildren they love dearly.
Our History
White Tanks Southern Baptist Church began in the 1960s through its affiliation with Avondale Southern Baptist Church, which provided the land where we gather today. The early church met in a small cabana near our current location before moving into a surplus building from Luke Air Force Base, and eventually into our present sanctuary.
While much has changed over the years, one thing has remained the same—the spirit, faith, and love that define our church family. We continue to stand firmly on our faith in Jesus Christ and our belief that the Holy Bible is the unchanging Word of God.
We invite you to join us and be part of what God is doing here.
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A Word from Pastor Paul
“It is exciting to be in an area with so much opportunity for growth. White Tanks Southern Baptist Church has been blessed with the chance to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with Buckeye and the surrounding communities.
Nothing brings greater joy than seeing someone come to know Christ as their Savior. We are a church that loves the Lord and loves people, and we invite you to come and hear God’s Word.”