Church History

The twelve became the charter members of the Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church.

The twelve charter members opened the organizational meeting with a congregational hymn and prayer led by Bro. Johnny Perry. The members discussed the proper way of organizing a mission and a subsequent meeting time was determined. The following Sunday service was to be held at the home of Bro. Johnny & Sis. Earline Perry, 644 S. 41st Street, Rev. William McDaniel was invited to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the charter members adjourned the meeting.

The first service, held January 19, 1969, opened with a congregational song and prayer led by Bro. Ray Kimbley. Rev. William McDaniel preached, his text from Joshua 3:4. The theme and subject of the sermon was “You Haven’t Been This Way Before,” everyone had a Hallelujah good time.

After the first service, the group delegated Bro. Ray Kimbley to search for a meeting place for the first mission. On Monday, January 20, 1969, Bro. Kimbley reported that he had found a meeting place, a storefront located at 716 S. Shelby Street (a building next door to our present location). They started cleaning the building on Tuesday, January 21, 1969 and continued cleaning up until Saturday afternoon, January 25, 1969. On Sunday, January 26, 1969, at 11:00 a.m., they had their first service with Rev. McDaniel as the speaker.

Sunday services continued and on April 28, 1969, Rev. J.R. Gant and Eastern Star Baptist Church granted them rights as a Mission. On July 18, 1969, Tabernacle Mission, out of Eastern Star Baptist Church, was organized into Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church. That same evening Rev. William McDaniel was called by the church body as Pastor. In this service, 28 additions raised their membership to 41. After the first year, they became members of the Central District Baptist Association and the General Association of Baptist in Kentucky. God has done great things for Tabernacle.

During the early 1970s, the congregation began to outgrow the storefront. God, through the Holy Spirit, gave Rev. McDaniel a vision to foresee building a new edifice. Rev. McDaniel began to lead the congregation in a property acquisition program. The Church first purchased a house at 714 S. Shelby, moved into and held services in that structure. Not long after the Church moved into 714 S. Shelby, the Church purchased the building at 716 S. Shelby and the property in the alley behind the Church. Throughout the 1970s, the Church purchased four other parcels of property on Shelby Street. By 1979, God had provided the Church with all the property necessary to build a new edifice. God had given the Church all the property and the purchasing price had been less than $10,000.

The Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church began building the current edifice in 1980. On March 20, 1980, the Rev. J.R. Gant and Eastern Star Baptist Church joined Tabernacle to celebrate the ground-breaking ceremony at 714 S. Shelby Street. The Church family worshiped at the Presbyterian Center on Hancock Street while the structure was being built. The builders completed the construction in 1981 and the Southern Cross Masonic Lodge laid the corner stone. The first Sunday in June 1981, Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church had a new Church edifice after only 12 years of existence. In spite of the aggressive attacks of Satan, the Lord had used a small group of believers consisting of mainly elderly members and children to build His house. The members recognized that except God builds the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. The Corner Stone proclaimed, as the saints declared, that the Church was built “To the Glory of God.”

Tabernacle men and women to serve the Church as Associate Ministers over the years included:

Tabernacle has been (and currently) served by the following Deacons:

• • • Bro. Andre Horton
    • Bro. Edward Smith (deceased)
    • Bro. George Drummond
    • Bro. James Jackson
    • Bro. Stephen McDaniel
    • Bro. Lennell McDaniel
    • Bro. Lesley Graham
    • Pro tiem – Sis. Sheila Stafford
    • Bro. Desmond McDaniel
    • Pro tiem – Jaquez Davis
    • Sis. Kendra Tolbert
    • Pro-tiem- Shawn Stafford
    • Bro. Dale Mayes

Rev. William McDaniel faithfully, loved and pastored Tabernacle Missionary Baptist. On December 31, 1999, after 30 years, in this vineyard God called him home. Rev. Thomas Baker became our interim Pastor from March 2000 until January, 2001.

Trusting the Lord, much prayer, and fasting Rev. Lennel F. McDaniel was voted in as our Pastor on January 26, 2001. Under the leadership of Pastor McDaniel, we have numerous outreach ministries. The backpack-give-away held in August, Taste Around the World in September, our Fall Festival with Trunk-A-Treat held in October, and the Thanksgiving basket give-a-way in November to name a few. The word is also being ministered at the Parkway Nursing Facility on Sunday mornings. We have New Member’s classes held on Sunday Mornings and the Anointed Praise Dance Ministry. We sponsor the Angel Tree, and the Dare to Care Food Bank. The church has also purchased a van to help members with no transportation attend worship service. We give the Glory and Praise for being lead by such a powerful, Holy Ghost, worshiper, preacher and teacher.

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” ~ Matthew 28:19-20