About Us
The History of King's Cross
Every church has a story and people who tell that story. We hope that you are encouraged and inspired by the faithfulness of God's people through this church and that you might also have a part in our story.
Fr. Blake Plympton
Rector/Senior Pastor
Blake was born and raised in Mesa, AZ. He grow up in church and felt called into ministry at the age of 21. Since then, Blake has completed a Bachelor's in Christian Ministries with an Emphasis in Youth Ministry and a Master of Arts in Missional Theology from the Missional Training Center in Tempe. Blake accepted the call to be the rector of King's Cross in October of 2024 after serving 5 years at Living Faith Anglican Church in Tempe. Blake was married in 2023 to his wife Elizabeth, and they welcomed in their first child, Evelyn, in March of 2025. Whenever Blake has free time, you can often find him playing board games, playing disc golf, going on a hike, or having people around his table for a meal.
Our Story
In the fall of 2013, a newly ordained priest, Fr. Pete Forbes, and his wife, Julie, moved to the Northwest area of Tucson with a call to plant an Anglican church. They began by meeting with, investing in, and inviting people throughout the Northwest Tucson and Oro Valley area to a weekly gathering in their home for prayer, a meal, and fellowship. As the only ACNA church in Tucson, the work that began was truly a “parachute” church plant, meeting in their home for 3 years as Joy Faith Anglican Church before launching the first public service.
On Palm Sunday of 2017, the group changed its name to King’s Cross Anglican Church and met in a rented dance studio where they would call home for the next 3 years. During this time, the church continued to grow until the Covid-19 pandemic struck. Initially moving to virtual services under the guidance of the Bishop and later returning to in-person services with increased safety measures, the church continued pursuing their vision of building a fellowship of Christ followers who are “known and loved in community.” In addition to changes in services brought by the pandemic, the dance studio closed at the end of 2020, and the Church relocated to its current location in the chapel of a nearby church, where service is now held every Sunday afternoon.
After 10 years of planting and leading King’s Cross, the founding priest and his wife recognized a call from the Lord to step away from their role as planters and make room for a new, visionary leader to carry the church forward in its next season. In 2024 the parish council put together a search committee that met faithfully for almost a full year, getting a parish profile together and interviewing candidates. In October of 2023, King's Cross extended an offer to Fr. Blake Plympton who accepted the position and started two months later in December of 2024.
We cannot wait to see what God is going to do these next years!