The Brooklyn Tabernacle Church
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
The Brooklyn Tabernacle is a multicultural, non-denominational church in the heart of downtown Brooklyn. The church began with a handful of members in a small, rundown building in a difficult area of the city, and today, it is a congregation of about 10,000 people who attend the weekly services. Pastor Jim Cymbala and his wife Carol, who directs the Grammy Award winning Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, have been able to preach the gospel in the inner city and to see new churches grow out of the congregation in response to needs in other parts of the city and elsewhere in the country, as well as internationally.
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The Brooklyn Tabernacle is located at 17 Smith Street in the heart of Brooklyn, New York. The church has 10,000 members and a Grammy Award-winning choir.
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Because of its location, the Brooklyn Tabernacle is able to minister to the cross-cultural melting pot of New York City. The church itself includes members from all walks of life, with diverse ethnic and national origins. Central to the growth and outreach of the Brooklyn Tabernacle has been a strong emphasis on prayer, through the Tuesday Night Prayer Meeting and the Prayer Band, which is devoted to interceding for needs from around the world.
The church is known for its 280-voice choir, which for the most part is composed of vocally untrained church members. The choir has recorded three videos, three DVDs, and numerous albums, winning five Dove Awards and six Grammy Awards. Its concert venues in New York City have included Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, and the Madison Square Garden Theater. The recognition received by the choir has provided the church with an opportunity to present the gospel's message through music to people all over the world.
Pastor Jim Cymbala is a native New Yorker, raised in the borough of Brooklyn. His early love of basketball earned him a scholarship to the University of Rhode Island, where he became captain of the basketball team. After graduation, he immediately entered the business world and, soon after, he married his childhood sweetheart, Carol Joy Hutchins. Pastor Cymbala and Carol began their lives together, and before long, though he did not have formal theological training, Pastor Cymbala felt a call to the ministry.
Brooklyn Tabernacle is active in a range of mission projects and offers a multitude of ministries.
The church is known for its 280-voice choir, which for the most part is composed of vocally untrained church members. The choir has recorded three videos, three DVDs, and numerous albums, winning five Dove Awards and six Grammy Awards. Its concert venues in New York City have included Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, and the Madison Square Garden Theater. The recognition received by the choir has provided the church with an opportunity to present the gospel's message through music to people all over the world.
Pastor Jim Cymbala is a native New Yorker, raised in the borough of Brooklyn. His early love of basketball earned him a scholarship to the University of Rhode Island, where he became captain of the basketball team. After graduation, he immediately entered the business world and, soon after, he married his childhood sweetheart, Carol Joy Hutchins. Pastor Cymbala and Carol began their lives together, and before long, though he did not have formal theological training, Pastor Cymbala felt a call to the ministry.
Brooklyn Tabernacle is active in a range of mission projects and offers a multitude of ministries.