Finding True North

Christian Haynes was seeking comfort during a desperate time when she encountered the Comforter at True North Church in Fairbanks, Alaska.

“A little over three years ago, I found Jesus when I was at my lowest point of not feeling loved,” Haynes, 41, recalls. “As a married woman who recently had my two children, I somehow still felt alone.”

A friend of Haynes invited her to church on Easter Sunday in 2023.  

“I didn't just accept Jesus Christ as my Savior, but I fell in love with Him,” she says. “Jesus delivered me from many different oppressions and not feeling loved was at the top of the list. True North has been a significant piece in my life.”

Haynes is not alone as many have spiritually found their true north at the church. With less than 100 people when lead pastor Mark Zweifel arrived in 2014, True North went through a relocation journey but stayed committed to reaching people.

Started more than 85 years ago, Fairbanks First Assembly was a stellar missions-giving church but went through a season of transition after its lead pastor was called elsewhere.

“I was the Assemblies of God network youth director in Alaska from 2009 to 2014,” Zweifel recalls. “I loved my role serving the Assemblies of God. I was not interested in taking or pastoring a church.”

However, after the church experienced its fourth pastoral opening in three years, Zweifel told his wife, Heidi, that perhaps they should consider the church.

“I actually was overseas preaching at the national youth convention in Kenya for the Assemblies of God youth department,” he adds. “While there, they received a missions offering to raise money for a youth training facility for youth pastors in Kenya. I went home and thought a strong local church can make a huge difference in missions.”

In July 2014, Zweifel became the fourth pastor in four years at Fairbanks First Assembly, now True North Church.

On his first Sunday as pastor, Zweifel remembers there were 87 attendees, many of whom were 55 and older. There were only 13 children and teenagers at church that day.

“The church had lost momentum in reaching younger families,” Zweifel recounts, also noting significant financial struggles of the church.

“Over time, God allowed us to see tremendous things happen,” he continues. “Many of the young students who had been a part of the Assemblies of God youth camps and conferences were now going to school at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. They began to come to our church ... and then we started to see people get saved.”

The church experienced growth as it developed various ministries including life and care groups, a discipleship course for new believers, prison, city serve and missions teams as well as partnering with schools and community leaders, according to Zweifel.

“As we made the commitment to reaching out to people with the gospel as our focus, we saw God's faithfulness and provision,” Zweifel explains.

More than 3200 people attended the church's grand opening of its new location during four services on Easter Sunday April 5, 2026.

“The grand opening was a play on words for the greatest grand opening in all of history – the grand opening of the tomb when Jesus rose from the dead,” explains Zweifel, 54, who notes that True North now typically draws more than 1,500 people for weekly services. “We stated that not only can today be the grand opening of a building, it can be the grand opening of your life and eternity.”

Because of the church's growth, the congregation built a 28,000 square-foot building and remodeled a 19,000 square-foot existing structure, so it now has nearly 50,000 square feet of space.

“We have had hundreds profess a relationship with Jesus and hundreds baptized in the last several years,” Zweifel says. “It's been an absolute miracle to see what God has done.” 

Fairbanks receives a large influx of newcomers due to Fort Wainwright, a U.S. Army installation, and Eielson Air Force Base, a U.S. Air Force both being in the area.

“We love being in a military community because our phrase is ‘God stocks our fishing pond with new people who need Jesus all the time ’” Zweifel says. “Jesus said in the Gospels that ‘I'll teach you how to fish for people .’”

Chuck Khuns, 73, notes that people are “finding genuine fellowship, solid teaching from God's Word, and opportunities to serve and minister to others” at True North.

“I've watched people who were isolated find community and connection,” he says. “As a church, we've intentionally reached out to people in our community, and that's made a difference. People see the love that's here, and that love draws them in.” 

Eric Tiansay

Eric Tiansay has been a full-time journalist since 1993, writing articles for Christian media since 2000. He lives in central Florida, where he is an active member of an Assemblies of God church.