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Tabernacle of Faith Prepares for a New Era
By Fletcher Word
Sojourner’s Truth Editor
On Monday, January 8, 2007, a fire started in a closet of
the Tabernacle of Faith Church on n. Detroit Avenue. The
two-alarm blaze destroyed the structure on the corner of
Detroit and Belmont avenues and ended a two decade-long
period of worshipping at the site. |
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The congregation, which numbers about 250 members and has
about 100 active members, has spent the last year and a half
lodged in temporary quarters at the Clarion Westgate Hotel.
All that will change on Sunday, June 29, when the Tabernacle
of Faith starts a new era and consecrates its new home at
701 W. Central, at the corner of Central and Scottwood.
The building, which had been the home of Central United
Methodist, under the leadership of Pastor Cheri Holdridge,
was sold to Tabernacle earlier this year. It was an offer
that Holdridge made because she felt that Tabernacle’s
mission would be a good fit for the neighborhood, says
Pastor James C. Williams, III, son of the church’s long-time
pastor and now pastor emeritus, Rev. James C. Williams, Jr.
Tabernacle of Faith was first known as International Gospel
Center #4. It was organized on March 11, 1964 under the
guidance of the late Rev. Charles O. Miles, pastor,
International Gospel Center, located in Ecorse, MI.
Prior to its association with International Gospel Center,
Tabernacle of Faith was part of the Pentecostal Baptist
Church, which was located on Miller Street and led by the
late Rev. Fred McNeal.
And the current pastor, James III, is quick to admit that
the idea of settling into a permanent structure is not only
appealing, but also a relief after all these months of being
displaced.
“We were made very comfortable here at the Clarion,” says
James III. “They took care of us, but it’s not like having
your own place. It’s great to be in our own building, it’s
our own home. And it’s good to be home after staying in
someone else’s place.” |
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The fire destroyed more than the church itself, it also
destroyed the offices of the James C. Williams Center for
Advancement, a ministry that works with ex-offenders and
offers mentoring programs for children of offenders.
That ministry has also continued over the last 18 months in
offices at 3540 Secor Avenue. According to James III, the
program services over 350 offenders and ex-offenders. That
ministry will remain on Secor Avenue.
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Just after the blaze, the Williamses – father James Jr. and
mother Rosalyn and James III and First Lady Carletta – felt
that the best course of action would be to rebuild on the
Detroit Avenue site. Many churches contacted the leaders
with offers to share space. Central United Methodist was one
of those. Unfortunately the timing of the two churches’
services did not make such an arrangement possible.
When Central United, whose congregation has slipped over the
years to about 85, made the offer to sell the building,
everything fell into place for Tabernacle, says James III,
who took over leadership of the church from his father in
June, 2006. He had been associate pastor since 1996.
It was important for the church to continue, says Williams,
not just because of the ex-offender ministry but also
because of the rather unique mission of the church’s
ministry.
“We minister to the whole man,” says James III.
Taking their cue from John 10:10: “I am come that you might
have life and you might have it more abundantly,” the
Williams’ believe “that salvation is necessary but it’s just
the beginning,” says the current pastor.
In addition to spirituality, the church focuses on well
being in three other areas – financial, relationship
building and the physical.
James III leads in a down to earth, easy to comprehend style
taking his cue from the fact that the whole “book” applies
to the lives of his congregants. “Salvation is the
beginning, abundant life living is next. We got next!” |
