The Call….

After several years of laboring faithfully in the church that he attended with his family in Tampa, FL, Pastor Gordon began to feel the call of God to pastor and a strong burden for the area of Clair Mel City. While in prayer, Pastor Gordon received a vision from the Lord which directed him to stand before the people and “take them to the mountain top.”  Pastor Gordon sought the Lord for confirmation of his will and was led by the Holy Ghost to Genesis 35:7. It was from this scripture that the name of the church was derived-- El-Bethel means “The God of the house.”

The Beginning….

Together with is wife, First Lady Doreen Gordon, El-Bethel Tabernacle opened its doors in 1998 with a total of five people in attendance. During those first few months, services were held in the living room of Pastor and Sis. Gordon’s home. By the grace of God and the use of effective evangelism through Home Bible Studies, the congregation began to grow and in a matter of only a few months, the need to relocate was evident.

In the spring of that year, the church relocated to the former Milner Hotel on 50^th St. in Tampa. Thus began a time of unprecedented growth as the Lord took the congregation from sixteen to an average attendance of over forty people in less than six months. It was also during this time that property was purchased in the Clair Mel city area in the hopes of one day building a permanent church.

After about a year at the Milner Hotel, the need again presented itself for a new building. In an effort to move closer to the city of his original calling, Pastor Gordon relocated the church to a community center a few miles from the church’s property. Services were held at the community center while a modular building was being constructed on the church property that could hold the growing congregation. After only a month, El-Bethel Tabernacle was relocated to a modular building at its current location on 78^th St.

As a result of the grace, mercy, and favor of God, the vision of our Pastor, and the faithfulness of the saints, El-Bethel Tabernacle was able to construct a permanent building which was dedicated October 9, 2004.

And so it continues….

Today, El-Bethel Tabernacle continues to be a thriving church in the community. With its many ministries designed to reach out to the lost, hopeless, and needy, El-Bethel Tabernacle has become a beacon of hope to the city of Clair Mel. On any given Sunday, people of all races and nationalities can be found lifting their hands together in worship to the One true and living God who is above all, and through all, and in us all.