The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir
From a small handful of members to a congregation of nearly 10,000, the ministry of The Brooklyn Tabernacle continues to grow under the leadership of Pastor Jim Cymbala. Pastor Cymbala and his wife Carol, who directs the popular Grammy Award winning Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, have been used by the Lord to not only preach the Gospel in the inner-city of New York, but also to see new churches grow out of their congregation in various parts of the city and in other parts of the world. Most prominent in this ongoing revival and expansion process has been the Tuesday Night Prayer service attended by close to two thousand people and the All Night Prayer Ministry which continues to bring people's needs to God's throne of grace.
Ever since Pastor Jim and Carol Cymbala took over the leadership of the dwindling congregation of The Brooklyn Tabernacle in 1971 they have struggled with their mutual lack of formal training. Pastor Cymbala had never received formal seminary training and Carol, as the fledgling choir director, could not read sheet music. Yet, through steadfast prayer and total reliance on God's mercy and grace, the Lord has strengthened their ministry over the years, making the way for slow, steady growth in both numbers and spiritual fervor.
Beyond Pastor Cymbala's role in the local church, the Lord has gifted him with a galvanizing challenge to believers everywhere as he travels and speaks to a wide variety of audiences. Through his first book Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, believers and pastors alike have been touched by the testimonies contained in the book which depict God's desire to turn seemingly unsuitable people and situations around for His glory and the edification of His Kingdom. In Pastor Cymbala's new book Fresh Faith, true-life testimonies dramatically depict what happens when real faith ignites God's people.
From the beginning of their ministry, Pastor Cymbala and Carol had the desire to reach the various members of their cross-cultural community. Centered in the melting pot that is New York City, The Brooklyn Tabernacle is made up of men, women, and children of all ages and nationalities.
As is typical in an inner-city environment, space is always at a premium. The seating capacity in the existing auditorium can no longer accommodate the demands of our multi-racial membership. In order to better serve the throngs of people hungry to hear the Good News of Salvation, the Sunday schedule increased from three services to four in early 1996. We are constantly faced with the problem of turning away children from the nursery, toddler, and Sunday school areas due to limited space. The pastoral leadership never wants to stop reaching out to the people but is constantly faced with a lack of expansion space.
The Brooklyn Tabernacle has several community-based ministries that ease the financial burden on the city. The Gospel is brought each week to the various local homeless shelters throughout the city through the New Beginnings Ministry. The quality of life for local senior citizens is improved through such groups as the Senior Adult Choir and Seniors in Action Ministry. The Visitation Ministry reaches out to the sick or elderly by meeting both their spiritual and physical needs while in the hospital, at home or in nursing facilities.
Young and old alike are often taught to improve their reading skills in the Adult Education Support Group. Both the Pre-Teen Ministry and the Youth Ministry have proven to be a lighthouse to hundreds of youngsters in the community, many of whom come from single-parent households. Through these ministries, these youth have found stability, a solid ethical foundation, and spiritual renewal. Without these outreach programs, many of these children would have no hope for the future.
Each summer the Vacation Bible School reaches out to over 300 children in the community for a week of arts and crafts, educational films and videos, character training, and self-image improvement. Currently forced to lease space for this work, the prospect of a larger facility would enable the Children's Ministry to increase the number of children served as well as to extend the length of the program.
Now God is moving The Brooklyn Tabernacle onto another opportunity for growth and community impact in the downtown area. A large theater complex became available in the heart of the inner-city which would satisfy the majority of our diversified needs. It was the decision of the leadership to acquire the property for use as a main Sanctuary building, Children's Ministry and Christian Education classroom space, offices, and a Fellowship Hall. Purchased in May of 1998 for $6.3 million, the buildings are currently under renovation. This New Campus Project will allow for almost 4,000 people to hear the Gospel at one service while providing Sunday School space for close to 700 children.
It is the heart of the leadership of the church that God will continue to grant us the opportunity to reach even greater numbers of the spiritually needy of our community. The Brooklyn Tabernacle never wants to lose sight of what the Lord said... "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for Me." Matthew 25:40 (NIV). |
