The Tribune

The members of the Remnant Tabernacle of Praise are marking the church’s anniversary under the theme, “Celebrating 20 years of God’s grace.”

The Remnant was started two decades ago, following the death of Rev Dr Charles C Smith II in 1999. A small group of members left Zion Baptist Church and formed the Remnant Tabernacle of Praise under the leadership of the late Dr Kendal C Stubbs, who served as founding pastor. In 2001, the church constructed its first edifice in seven weeks, comparative to the construction of the walls of Jerusalem by Nehemiah and the returning Remnant from Babylon (Nehemiah 6:15-16).

The church experienced tremendous growth, and in 2007, was able to dedicate a second edifice under the banner, “The House that the Lord Built,” (Psalm 127:1). The Remnant’s architectural design reflects the church’s trichotomous ministry approach to spirit, mind and body. The multi-purpose facility is the only one of its kind in the country and includes a sanctuary, a gymnasium, dance studio, an indoor basketball court, a day-care, preschool and primary school facility serving residents in the Carmichael Road community and throughout New Providence. The church’s school, Remnant Academy, recently extended its reach, partnering with the Ministry of Education to assist with preschool education.

The Remnant Tabernacle of Praise is pastored by 29-year veteran Melvin A Grant, former assistant pastor of the historic Bethel Baptist Church. Commenting on the church’s golden anniversary celebrations, Pastor Grant said: “As we celebrate this auspicious occasion we soberly remember that we stand on the shoulders of great men and women of vision, including our late pastor. We cannot forget their invaluable contributions and we thank them for their service to God and our country.”

The Remnant is known for its outreach efforts, not just in the country but across the globe. The church has travelled as far as Africa spreading the word of God and providing practical assistance to those in need.

Pastor Grant noted: “We are buoyed by our motto, ‘Love is the Remnant Way.’ Over the years, we have placed community outreach at the epicentre of our efforts and in the future we plan to continue to amplify our presence. Just Monday, we completed a five-day stint, where we held a travelling revival across Cat Island to share the gospel and energise the local assemblies there. A month ago, we visited Eleuthera and late last year, we visited the South Andros community. In the coming weeks, we will begin a special ministry project throughout our schools to assist with addressing some of the social ills that ail our society. We firmly believe that this is the task that the church is called to do, to go into all the world and preach the gospel.”

He continued, “Our church is filled with voices that lead the cause of social activism and change in our nation. We will continue to be vocal in the affairs of our country to ensure that we awaken the moral conscience of our people.”

In the last 20 years the church has created many leaders in society and has contributed to the success of its young people. Just last week, one of its members, Timeca Brown, received her doctorate degree.

The church’s 20th anniversary celebrations kicked off on April 26 with a movie night in the church’s indoor basketball court. Anniversary services began on May 1. On Sunday, May 5, Rev T G Morrison, the pastor of Zion Baptist Church, will deliver the anniversary message.

“This is the first time in the church’s history that the pastor of Zion Baptist will deliver a sermon at the church since its inception. We are confident that this fellowship will forge and strengthen our bond of Christian faith moving forward,” said Pastor Grant.

The Remnant Tabernacle of Praise offers variety of ministries including: Sunday School; the Barnabas Closet which assists with the distribution of food and clothing to the needy; the Senior Saints Ministry; the Prison Ministry; the Visitation Ministry where teams visit the sick and shut-ins in the homes and in hospitals; the Girl’s Brigade, and the Fine Arts Ministry.

The church is located on #309 Carmichael Road. Its vision statement is “Birthing Bridge-Builders”, taken from 1 Peter 2:9. The mission statement is, “By God’s Grace, we are committed to knowing God through Jesus Christ, and to making God known to all the world through the proclamation of the gospel, and the investment of our time, talents and treasures according to biblical principles”.

The community is invited to join in nightly services at 7pm from tonight and tomorrow night, and its special anniversary service on Sunday, May 5, at 3pm.