Brooklyn Tabernacle is an evangelical non-denominational megachurch located at 17 Smith Street at the Fulton Mall in downtown Brooklyn, New York City, United States. The senior pastor is Jim Cymbala.
History The Brooklyn Tabernacle was originally established in 1847 as the Central Presbyterian Church, using the facilities of the First Presbyterian Church, at the corner of Willoughby Street and Pearl.Industry Magazine A Perfect Union, industrym.com, April 20, 2016
In 1966, the church was renamed "Brooklyn Gospel Tabernacle" by the pastor Clair D. Hutchins.W. K. McNeil, Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music, Routledge, US, 2013, p. 52
By the time Pastor Jim and Carol Cymbala took over the church leadership in the autumn of 1971, the congregation had dwindled to only 40 people who met in a rundown building on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn.Francesca Norsen Tate, Brooklyn Milestones In Faith for May 29, brooklyneagle.com, USA, May 29, 2013Curtiss Paul DeYoung, Michael O. Emerson, George Yancey, United by Faith: The Multiracial Congregation as an Answer to the Problem of Race, Oxford University Press USA, USA, 2004, p. 71
In the 1980s, the Brooklyn Tabernacle purchased the former Carlton Theatre at 292 Flatbush Avenue at 7th Avenue, converting the 1383-seat theatre into a church. After many years of decline, the church was revitalized as a non-denominational congregation, and became well-known as the home of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.
In 1984, the church took its current name "The Brooklyn Tabernacle".W. K. McNeil, Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music, Routledge, Abingdon-on-Thames, 2013, p. 52
The church remained in this location until 2002 when they moved into the former Loew's Metropolitan Theatre at 17 Smith Street.DAVID W. DUNLAP, For Churches, Births and Rebirths, nytimes.com, USA, DECEMBER 22, 2002 The sanctuary seats 3,300 people.
The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir has received seven Grammy Awards."Carol Cymbala" in the Grammy Awards database It is directed by Carol Cymbala, the wife of the main Pastor, Jim Cymbala.
The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir sang "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" at the 2013 second inauguration of Barack Obama.Brooklyn Tabernacle at Obama Inauguration Fox News Insider, Jan 21, 2013
The church has held three two-hour services weekly.Official FAQ
According to a church census published in 2024, it would have a weekly attendance of 10,000 people. Outreach Magazine, Brooklyn Tabernacle, outreach100.com, USA, accessed February 5, 2025
Building The current building was completely redone by Kostow Greenwood Architects and Robert Silman Associates by gutting and renovating the old vaudeville theater for modern worship, and with state-of-the-art acoustics and recording equipment. Two adjacent buildings were converted into offices, classrooms, community service areas, and dining facilities."Brooklyn Tabernacle" on the Kostow Greenwood websitehttp://www.silman.com/projects/religious/brooklyn-tabernacle-church/ "Brooklyn Tabernacle Church" on the Robert Silman Associates website
See also List of the largest evangelical churches List of the largest evangelical church auditoriums
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