Santa Rita Church Of The Nazarene
Loving Fellowship Caring Outreach Biblical Encouragement
About Us
Our Beginning
The vision to plant a church in the Green Valley/Sahuarita area of Arizona began with a small group fellowship of 4 couples living in Green Valley who were a part of the Oro Valley church.
As the dream began to grow they presented their vision to the leadership of the Arizona District and the Oro Valley Nazarene Church. With the sponsoring support of the Oro Valley church and the approval of district leadership, the Santa Rita Church held its first meeting on January 4, 2015. The local Seventh Day Adventist Church has provided rented facilities for the church’s use.
The goal of the church by a commission of the district leadership is to establish a vibrant and impactful, multi-generational church in this quickly expanding community. Our desire is to represent the love of Christ, the life-transforming wisdom of God’s Word, and the hope of His Kingdom in this community.
Our prayer is that by God working in and through us we might meet the needs of all age groups living around us.
May you feel the heartbeat of our congregation and join with us in prayer for the growth and development of the ministry of Santa Rita Church of the Nazarene.
We welcome you to join us in building God’s Kingdom in this area whether through prayer, a visit, or becoming a part of the family.
History is HIS STORY!
Meet The Team
Rev. Glenn & Edra Messer
Pastor Glenn grew up in Houston, TX. He met his wife, Edra, at a Nazarene youth camp in 1957.
They have been married 56 years and are the parents of 4 children. Glenn is a graduate of Southern Nazarene University and Edra is a graduate of Texas Woman’s University and a retired nursing educator.
Pastor Glenn’s 56 years of pastoral ministry include South Carolina, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and North Carolina. Glenn and Edra have also served as missionaries in Papua New Guinea.
They accepted the pastoral role at Santa Rita Church in March of 2019.
Myles & Donell Wheeler
Myles and Donell both grew up in Oregon and met while serving on a church worship team. Today, they have been married for 20 years and each has two children.
Myles started in music ministry at age 15 singing with Youth For Christ, New Americans. Since that time he has served on a variety of church worship teams.
Donell is a music graduate of Eastern Oregon State University. She has served in multiple ministry/worship teams and taught music in Christian schools.
Myles and Donell became the music ministers of Santa Rita Church of the Nazarene in 2020.