About PBF

One family, many generations.

Philadelphia Bible Fellowship is a multi-ethnic, intergenerational church family serving the Lawncrest community and beyond. Since 2003, we have been making disciples who make disciples.

Read our story Meet our leaders

Our story

Philadelphia Bible Fellowship began with prayer. What started as three elders seeking God’s direction has grown into a church family preparing to open the doors of a new home.

February 2003
Three elders answer the call
After much prayer and counsel, Shelton Mercer, James Murray, and Thomas Troutt covenanted together to plant a new church in Philadelphia and began meeting weekly to pray and plan.
Spring 2003
Bible studies in our homes
Friends, family, and neighbors gathered in Pastor James’s home to study God’s Word. By June, a core team of families had joined the elders, and PBF was incorporated in Pennsylvania.
Summer 2003
A neighborhood to serve
The Lord led us to the Logan, Olney, and Oak Lane section of Philadelphia, where Tabor/Community of Joy United Church of Christ opened its doors to host us.
September 21, 2003
Opening day
Commissioned by the elders of Montco Bible Fellowship, PBF held a Spirit-filled opening day as several hundred saints, family, friends, and neighbors joined us for two special services.
2003 to 2009
Six years on West Chew Avenue
For our first six years, our church family worshiped and grew together at 531 West Chew Avenue in Philadelphia.
November 20, 2009
A home of our own on Rising Sun Avenue
God provided a building of our own when PBF purchased 6312-14 Rising Sun Avenue in the Lawncrest neighborhood.
June 2026
Renovation begins Now
Our building permit was approved, and work is underway to transform our building into a space for worship, children, youth, and our neighbors.
May 2027 (planned)
Dedication Sunday
We will celebrate God’s faithfulness together in our new home. See the progress

Our mission

Philadelphia Bible Fellowship exists to cultivate biblical disciples who worship God in spirit and truth, edify the body of Christ, and share His love and their lives with the world.

Our vision

We envision a multi-ethnic, intergenerational fellowship of godly individuals and families. PBF will be a place where men, women, and children are:

Compelled to place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ
Equipped to think and act biblically
Learning to value personal and corporate worship
Committed to glorifying God in their homes, neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces
Using their spiritual gifts, talents, and resources to advance the kingdom of God

Our values

Three simple words describe the journey we invite everyone to take with us.

Experience

Experience a real God for your real life. You don’t have to have it all figured out before you come to Him. God loves you right where you are, and we want our church to be a place where you truly experience His love.
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Connect

Connect in relationship with God and others. Life is meant to be lived in close community with our Creator and the ones He created. We want to help you grow closer to God and to our community of believers.
Fill out a connection card
Respond

Respond to what God is doing in your life by sharing with and serving others. We want to be a church that shows our faith in the way we live, keeping our eyes open for ways to serve while sharing what God has done for us.
Find a place to serve

How we do church

The convictions that shape our life together, each rooted in Scripture.

The Bible at the center
We hold the Scriptures as the infallible, inexhaustible Word of God, and we build everything we do on it.
2 Timothy 3:16
Shared, servant leadership
Following the New Testament pattern, our church is led by a team of elders who share authority, preaching and teaching, and accountability.
Acts 20:17-38; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-4
The Lord’s Supper every week
Each Sunday we gather at the Lord’s Table to remember Christ’s death until He comes.
Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:26
Strong families
We uphold the family as the God-ordained core of the church and of society.
Ephesians 5:22 to 6:4
Discipleship for life
Growing as a disciple is a lifelong journey for every believer, nurtured through Bible teaching, prayer, and fellowship with one another.
Acts 2:42-47
Love in action
We share Christ by how we live, meet real needs in our community, and support missions at home and around the world.
Matthew 5:16; 25:34-40; 28:19-20

What we believe

We believe that the gospel of Christ is the hope of the world, and it’s the heart of the church to bring that hope to others. This belief is the foundation of our church and informs all we preach, teach, and practice.

The Trinity

We believe in one God who exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14

Jesus

We believe that Jesus is the Son of God, who took on humanity to reveal God to the world. He is the Savior of the world, who took our sins upon Himself through His death on the cross and rose again so that we might live eternally with God.

John 1:14; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

The Holy Spirit

We believe the Holy Spirit dwells in believers and empowers them to live godly lives.

John 14:16-17; Galatians 5:22-25

The Bible

We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God.

2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21

Prayer

We believe in the power of prayer, and we encourage everyone to bring their hearts to God through prayer.

Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Salvation

We believe that all people are made in the likeness of God and that salvation is available to them through Jesus.

Genesis 1:27; Romans 3:23; John 3:16; John 1:12

Our pastors

We praise God for the men He has enabled and equipped to shepherd our church.

Thomas A. Troutt Sr.
Lead Pastor
Dr. James G. Murray Jr.
Teaching Pastor

Read Pastor James’s story

Pastor James is one of the three founding elders who planted Philadelphia Bible Fellowship in 2003. As Teaching Pastor, he helps our church family grow in God’s Word, and he leads our community outreach, providing free clothing, meals, and support to neighbors and local shelters. That work earned him the Guiding Light in the Community Award from the Council of the City of Philadelphia in 2019 and the Leader of Faith Award from the Commonwealth Association of School Administrators.

Dr. Murray retired in 2024 after 31 years with the School District of Philadelphia, where he served as a mathematics teacher, an instructional coach, and a high school and elementary school principal, most recently at William Rowen School. Today he serves as an Educational Technologist and Intern Coordinator at the Quantum Biology Laboratory at Howard University. He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Technology from Walden University, an M.S. from Cairn University, and a B.S. from the University of Maryland.

Pastor James and his wife, Marilyn, are the proud parents of Imani and James III.

“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”Life verse: Psalm 1:3
Jorge L. Cruz Sr.
Fellowship Pastor

Ministers

Devin PayneMinister
Christopher PattersonMinister

Deacons

We praise God for our ministers of mercy. Our deacons are the connective tissue of our church. They support and care for the needs of our congregation.