Tabernacle! “portable sanctuary in use by the Israelites from the time of their wandering in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt to the building of the Temple in Jerusalem by Solomon.” This definition of tabernacle as obtained from dictionary.com depicts the history of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Jesus Tabernacle. A family sojourned from Nigeria to deliver a baby in Bakersfield. As soon as the baby was delivered the family contacted me to perform the naming ceremony. I drove down from Los Angeles only to be redirected to a hotel courtyard for the naming ceremony. The people hosting the new mother in Bakersfield would not permit a naming ceremony in their house because they (the hosts) were not Christians.

 

As the bible puts it in Romans 8:28, “and we know that all things work together for the good of those who love Him and who have been called according to His purpose.” We did the naming ceremony successfully at the hotel’s courtyard (portable sanctuary) and went back to Los Angeles with a burning passion and desire to birth a Redeemed Christian Church of God in Bakersfield.

 

The following weekend we returned to Bakersfield to inquire about any Nigerian Grocery Shop where we could get information about the Nigerian Community in Bakersfield. We found one owned by a family who relocated to Bakersfield from San Diego. From them we are able to gather information about the Nigerian Community in Bakersfield. Our next move was to locate a Christian who could be trained and given the assignment to be the set man for a RCCG Parish. This proved difficult so we resulted to praying that God would send a Pastor from Nigeria.

 

The arrival of the Agbokonkon family to Bakersfield was answered prayer to the glory of God. The family was hosted by a relation of theirs upon arrival from Nigeria. It is a testimony of candor that the relation is a prominent member of Jesus Tabernacle today. The significance of God answering our prayer to send a Pastor is noteworthy. It translates to the fact that Jesus Tabernacle was planted on the foundation of answered prayer. The implication of this is that every prayer said in the parish would be honored by God all the time, amen. No wonder the rapid growth, aggregate testimonial features and traits, that have now formed the peculiar nature of the parish.

 

Jesus Tabernacle was born with Holy Ghost exuberance in our determination to operate the spirit of expansionism, in fulfillment of Isaiah 54:2-3. “Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities.”

 

We give thanks to the Lord and salute Pastors Frank and Bukie Agbonkonkon the pioneer pastors of Jesus Tabernacle. Their relocation from Nigeria is not a coincidence. It accentuates  God orchestration of raising unusual, but peculiar people for the work of the Kingdom. We particularly salute their tenacity of purpose in developing and equipping themselves professionally, carrier wise, while they at the same time battle with the challenges of pioneering a RCCG Parish.

 

Jesus Tabernacle has grown to become the center of Christ’s rulership and dominion in her immediate environment. We have heard testimonies of excellent miracles, great spiritual development of her members and her commendable contributions to the community. We can only give the glory to God. We appreciate the excellent work of the entire workforce of this great parish.

 

My declaration at the celebration of this tenth anniversary is that God will continue to nurture Jesus Tabernacle into becoming the place of fruitfulness, the place of fulfillment, the place of divine vengeance on all disobedience in the lives of children of light, a place of glory, righteousness, joyfulness, everlasting peace and the place of righteous justification to the indignation of the devil, amen.

 

To the Pastors, Ministers, workers and the entire congregation of Jesus Tabernacle, I salute and applaud. God will continue to nourish the parish from strength to strength in Jesus Name, amen.