Building on Faith: How a Three-Dome Campus Helps Living Word Bible Church Thrive
The iconic Monolithic Dome edifice of the Living Word Bible Baptist Church in Mesa, Arizona.
Dr. Tom Anderson envisioned the three-dome campus, enlisted others and made it come to life.
In airports around the world, Drs. Tom and Maureen Anderson get mistaken for country music legends Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. They smile graciously but have never wanted to trade places with anyone, not even those amazing singers. Back in 1986, they started Living Word Bible Church, operating in storefronts and tiny spaces. Now, their church, known for its three Monolithic Domes, has grown to 15,000 people and five services. Creating a church with three Monolithic Domes was a colossal risk at the time, a risk that has paid off in terms of growth and financial savings.
“To me, the word risk means faith,” Tom said. “If you can do more than you think you can do, then you have entered into risk and entered into God’s faith realm. What God wants me to do is always bigger than I am.”
“I had an epiphany,” Tom said. “In a vision, for 20 minutes, I experienced a picture of the three domes with a center area, and the Lord gave me strength and faith. He told me, ‘Here is all the energy you need to accomplish this,’ and I felt like I might blow up while driving.”
Tom and Maureen kept preaching, leasing buildings and storefronts. Then, one night, Tom got up and drew those three domes inside a single circle. He knew the time had come to bring his vision to life.
Columns filled with rock lead up to the entry.
“The Domes could represent Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who are one,” Tom said. “The 40 pillars around the outside represent forty years in the wilderness, and the 12 pillars in the foyer area represent the 12 disciples. All these symbols have deep meaning, but I did not know it. And then everyone around me said it couldn’t be done.”
Maureen believed in her husband and became Tom’s strongest ally and advocate. They had fallen in love as teenagers.
“The domes are so beautiful, so amazing. We had our 50th wedding anniversary in that foyer, and we have the sanctuary for services and weddings, and miracles happen. You feel the love of God when you walk into this church. It is amazing what God has done.”
The largest Sanctuary of the Mesa campus seats 2,000 worshippers.
Finding the Best Architect
Tom looked for the best architect in the world for Monolithic Domes. A friend who’d built a small dome for a radio and TV station recommended contacting David B. South, owner and founder of the Monolithic Dome Institute, who had a patent with his brothers on exactly the type of dome that Tom’s vision had shown him.
“The pricing per square foot was almost unbelievably low compared to regular construction,” Tom said. “I had been in construction for years as a roofer, a plumber and doing sheet metal. I had passed all the tests in Navy training and knew about lighting and how to put in air conditioning. Plus, living in Arizona, domes fit better than any other building. [Native American] adobe huts were round and dome-shaped, so it fit the heritage of this state.”
Living Word Church has classrooms and facilities to accommodate their many ministries like the Men’s and Women’s Bible Studies and various children and youth programs—including a club with weekend classes for kids with special needs.
South recommended Rick Crandall, a prolific and widely respected architect and Monolithic Dome pioneer. Using Tom’s vision as his guide, Crandall designed three domes, each 150 feet by 40 feet. In 2001, the Living Word Bible Church became the biggest place of worship in all of Arizona, at 81,000 square feet.
“The sanctuary-auditorium dome is a sky shell with a black interior that erases structural lines and makes it possible to create just about any environment you want,” Crandall said back then.
Of all the 450 domes that Crandall has designed, he said that the Living Word Bible Church stands out as one of his all-time favorites.
The complete circle of the Children’s Dome is a recreation of a medieval village with a castle, shops and houses.
Suits of Armor flanking the entrance stand watch over the children who attend the children’s services.
Fun for the Whole Family
“Rick Crandall is a great guy,” Tom said. “He had worked on ‘It’s a Small World’ for Disney, and he really helped us. One dome turned into a castle with the Knights of the Round Table.”
That Dome includes a moat and a medieval castle. It includes a church barn, a small ship, a doll house, and real water and fish, all in the form of a castle, and it became a haven for the church’s children and their friends.
“I went up to Las Vegas and modeled the medieval dome after Excalibur,” Tom said with a chuckle. “I said, the world has had this stuff long enough, and it’s time for God to have it.”
Another Dome includes the teen center, with rock climbing walls, a basketball court, and rock and roll lighting. They play video games and watch movies on their 20-foot screen.
“Parents don’t need to coax their children to come here,” Tom said. “Soon children were dragging their parents to church because they wanted to have fun here together.”
The entrance to the Children’s Dome is a castle with a moat.
The make-believe village inside Living Word’s Children’s dome creates a sense of wonder and fun for young church goers.
The Living Word Bible Church still incorporates a Saturday Date Night for parents while their children and teens can enjoy socializing at church. It used to be a 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm night, but they since have trimmed the time to end at 9 p.m.
The Andersons live within seven miles of their sons, six grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. To their joy, they all work for Living Word Bible Church. A popular t-shirt says, “The church with the three domes.”
“God is a good God who wants good things for us,” Maureen said. “We want all kids to enjoy church so they can grow in the Word, grow in the truth, and know God’s unconditional love.”
The round stage of the main sanctuary has plenty of room for pastors and a band.
Beautiful Acoustics, Massive Energy Savings
The 2000-seat sanctuary dome has become a church fellowship hall and a special gathering place. Porter Falconer, a sound engineer who’d done work for Creedence Clearwater Revival, helped design the sound system.
“He built clouds in the top of the dome to trap the sounds, and I have sound there as good as any theater anywhere in the world, with the same decibel level available at any position in the place,” Tom said. “With the seats in a half circle, no one has to strain their necks. It’s 45 feet to the center, and it feels huge. It’s easily heated and easily cooled, and it maintains the temperature. On the hottest, sunniest Arizona day, we can turn off the air conditioning, and it doesn’t change temperature in three hours, even with 2000 people there.”
Living Word Church’s three-dome facility in Mesa draws visitors to its doors. The natural and gentle look of the domes blend in well with Mesa’s aesthetic.
A New Coating
After fifty-seven years of marriage, Tom and Maureen keep standing strong. Tom retired in 2015, and his family has stepped up to support the flock of 15,000. This year, they will restore the coating on the domes, the first maintenance need in 23 years.
“When we began, we had a little battle with City Council, and we were called all sorts of things,” Tom said. “A good friend of mine on the radio let people know it was the most unusual architecture he’d ever seen, free marketing, but then he called it a "Breastbyterian Church.” Now, though, it has become a welcome asset to Mesa, and the City Council brings dignitaries through here.“
Living Word Bible Church now has four locations in Arizona: Mesa, Ahwautukee, Scottsdale, and Phoenix. Services are offered in both English and Spanish and can be accessed online. The three-dome church in Mesa, once thought to be unusual, maintains its artistic originality and integrity. The unique structure has become popular not only with the congregation but also with people throughout the world. Living Word Bible Church has shared the drawings of their floorplan with people across the country, from Minnesota to Florida, and as far away as Sweden and New Zealand.
"People will come to see what it’s like inside, and then the church grows,” Tom said. “Jesus is the cornerstone.”
Pews for 2,000 worshippers are arranged around the stage to give every participant the best possible view.
The Fellowship Hall and dining room sit near the entry’s central conventional section which joins the three domes together.
The coffee shop is conveniently located near the church’s main entrance.
The main stage of the Children’s Dome is built to look like the entrance to a castle.
A closer look at the artistry and details of the village.
A faux-cobblestone street follows the village scene past a chapel, blacksmith’s shop, and houses and leads to the central castle-themed main stage from both sides.
A small sanctuary serves a variety of purposes for different church-affilated groups and missions.
Another small sanctuary available for practices and small groups.
Kids of all ages enjoy access to this fellowship area, which is designated for fun and games.
A complete recording studio is available for broadcasts.
A comfortable meeting room for those working at the church.
Living Word Bible Church is stunning as approached from the street.