AJ and Chelsea Fry have been married for 13 years, after meeting at MidAmerica Nazarene University. Together, they have served as Youth Pastors and overseas missionaries in the Dominican Republic, and both were ordained in 2019. Though their individual calling stories are unique, they share a deep conviction that the Lord is calling them to follow Him in obedience wherever He leads.

Today, AJ and Chelsea serve as Urban Cause missionaries in Syracuse, NY, where they are committed to engaging their city through community-focused ministry. They lead a church plant that meets on Tuesdays, partner with another congregation in revitalization, and have established a Nazarene Compassionate Ministry Center (NCM) to meet the practical needs of their immediate neighbors. Their NCM is supported in part by The Happy Camper, a coffee and lemonade drink truck that creates opportunities to connect with people throughout the community while helping fund the ministry.

Their ministry is rooted in the call of Jeremiah 29:4–7; to seek the flourishing of the city where God has placed them. They desire to see people encounter the freedom of the Gospel message, discover the gentle ways of Jesus, and experience the Kingdom of God here on earth as it is in heaven.

There are three simple ways they are inviting you to join them: pray, give, and serve. Pray with them each Tuesday: for their marriage, the ministry, and Syracuse to flourish. Giving monthly financial support—even $5—helps make the ministry possible. And for those who can, they come serve alongside them in Syracuse for a week or a year. If any of these options intrigue you, reach out to hear more or possibly have AJ & Chelsea come to share how God could use you and your Church family to serve in your local context!

“Build houses... Put in gardens and eat what grows… Marry and have children… Make yourselves at home there and work for the country’s shalom. -Jeremiah 29:5-7 MSG (paraphrased)