Our History
- Laura Watson
- Mar 6, 2007
THE TABERNACLE CHURCH
MELBOURNE, FLORIDA
by Laura Watson
In the beginning there was God-and 152 disillusioned and disheartened
Southern Baptists, most of whom were children. Weary from
denominational factions, they met on a Sunday afternoon under
threatening skies at Wickham Park. They were looking to Jamie
Buckingham, who had been forced out of the little Baptist church with
them, for spiritual leadership.
It began March 1967 as a place of refuge for a few. It became the
spiritual home for about 2,000 on most Sundays-with thousands more who
have been and are being blessed by its world wide ministry.
In the beginning there was God-and 152 disillusioned and disheartened Southern Baptists, most of whom were children. Weary from denominational fac- tions, they met on a Sunday afternoon under threatening skies at Wickham Park. They were looking to Jamie Buckingham, who had been forced out of the little Baptist church with them, for spiritual leadership.
Lee Fisher, then part of the Billy Graham team, laughingly said, "Call yourself the Tabernacle, then make sure you stay under the cloud of God's anointing." The name stuck-first as Tabernacle Baptist Church, later changed to Tabernacle Church, now known affectionately as simply "The Tab." With only a basic organization, the church leased an abandoned day care center next to the city recreation field. The people painted the walls, bought metal chairs (some of which are still in use today), and the men built a pulpit. With one rest room and a tiny nursery they were open for business. Attendance dropped during the first year to about 75. Then one Sunday the pastor returned from a trip to Washington, DC, proclaiming he had met the Holy Spirit in a new way. Suddenly the church was in action.
A group of Spirit-filled Presbyterians, looking for a home, joined forces. A large contingent of Spirit-filled Methodists started attending. Catholics and Episcopalians were welcome. The church dropped its formal membership and became truly interdeninational. Attendance doubled, then doubled again. In 1975, after meeting in a local Junior High School for a year, a new 1000 seat auditorium was completed-buiIt mostly by the people themselves.
More important the church's purpose was becoming apparant.
(1) To bring people in for inner healing and restoration.
(2) To help them find their place in ministry.
(3) To prepare the for that ministry.
(4) To send the out to minister in other places.
Since then a number of new buildings have been added. A large
church staff, most of whom were raised up out of the local body, is in
place. The pastor's ministry, through his writing and speaking, has
become worldwide in focus. A large number have gone out from the church
into full time ministry--in a variety of denominations. The term "body
ministry", however, has been personified in the thousands of people who
realize the church is not a building-but a family of people all of whom
are called to be ministers.
To many across the nation "The Tab" in Melbourne symbolizes church the way Jesus meant it to be. The original slogan, however, has not changed. It is as it was: "For those who want more than a Sunday religion."
This bief history was written in the 1990's. Many changes have taken place since then. Stay tuned, to be continued.
