Tabernacle Baptist Church began in the spring of 1967 when five families asked Pastor Rod Bell to come and consider starting a church in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The first service in Kempsville High School yielded 32 in attendance, and people were saved in both services that Sunday. On May 21, 1967, the Bells moved to Virginia Beach to start an old-fashioned, fundamental, independent Baptist church. Through the years, God has blessed and allowed the church and its ministries to have a worldwide impact on the faith. This ministry has been and continues to be a place where people put faith in a prayer-answering God! The highlights are many, but a few worth noting involve the growing ministry, the called men, and biblical missions. The ministries grew almost immediately, with attendance reaching an average of 700 in 1971. The first auditorium was dedicated on May 19, 1968, with Evangelist Oliver B. Greene speaking. Two more wings were constructed in 1969 and 1970, respectively, followed by a 1500-seat auditorium in March 1972. All the buildings housed the active programs, which included a bus ministry (1967), Sunday school ministry (1967), missions program (1968), Tabernacle Baptist Academy (1969), Tabernacle Baptist Institute (1970), Tabernacle Baptist Publications, Child Development Center, Pre-teen and Teen Ministries, and a host of other areas. Churchwide visitation, a nursing home ministry, Sunday and Wednesday children’s programs, a Christian bookstore, and a counseling division all became parts of God’s work here. Among many special services, the revival that occurred in November of 1992 stands out because scores of people were saved. What a blessing to see God grow this ministry! The men God has used and has called from this place have been many. They are pastors, missionaries, Christian day school educators, faithful church members, and great Christians. With the many active-duty military families arriving in the Hampton Roads area, Tabernacle has a unique opportunity to teach and influence them for godliness. Many times, these men retire in the area and serve at TBBM. Also, the Tabernacle Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary has graduated over 360 individuals who serve the Lord around the world. The ministries continue today under the leadership of Dr. James Baker. Pastor Baker was one of the men mentioned above who was influenced by the ministry of Tabernacle when he attended the church in the early 1970s. Now, having come home after pastoring in Ohio for almost 21 years, he has led the church to increase its Mission Giving and support, updated the facilities in many areas, and continued to teach the people with an expository pulpit ministry from God’s truth.