A Spirit-filled COGIC family in Vandalia, Missouri.
Faith Tabernacle Church of God In Christ has been part of Vandalia since 1994. Our heritage is COGIC, our doctrine is Pentecostal-Holiness, our welcome is for everyone.
How the church came to be.
A short history, told plainly. We'll add more as the saints share what they remember.
The doors first opened.
Faith Tabernacle was established as a COGIC congregation serving Vandalia and the surrounding farming and small-town communities of Audrain County, Missouri.
The work continues.
Pastor Richard Smith and Missionary Deloris Smith lead the congregation. Weekly worship, Sunday School, and Wednesday Bible Study carry on. The Lord has kept this church through every season.
One Sunday at a time.
The work of a small church isn't measured in numbers. It's measured in souls saved, marriages restored, prodigals coming home, and saints walking faithfully with Jesus. That is the work we keep doing.
Pastor and First Lady Smith.
In the COGIC tradition, the pastor and the first lady serve the church together. Pastor Richard Smith preaches the Word, leads the saints, and shepherds the congregation. Missionary Deloris Smith stands alongside him, serving in the missionary department and caring for the women of the church.
Serving Faith Tabernacle together.
Pastor Smith preaches anointed, Bible-centered messages every Sunday at 11:00 AM and teaches Bible Study on Wednesday evenings. His preaching is plainspoken and faithful to the text.
Missionary Deloris Smith carries the title of Missionary in COGIC tradition, a recognition of her ministry to the church and the community. She serves alongside the pastor in the work of Faith Tabernacle.
Photos and full bios coming as we update the site this year.
Six articles of our faith.
These are the doctrinal beliefs Faith Tabernacle holds, in line with the Church of God in Christ Statement of Faith. Plain words, on purpose.
The Triune God.
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Three persons, one God, perfectly united, perfectly holy.
The authority of Scripture.
We believe the Bible is the inspired, infallible Word of God. It is our final authority for faith, doctrine, and how to live.
Salvation through Jesus Christ.
We believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died for our sins, rose from the dead, and is the only way to the Father. Salvation is by grace through faith in Him.
Sanctification.
We believe sanctification is the ongoing work of God in the believer, setting us apart for holy living. The Christian life is a life of growing in grace.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit.
We believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a distinct experience subsequent to salvation, with the initial evidence of speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance, in keeping with Acts 2:4.
The return of Christ.
We believe Jesus Christ will return for His Church and that there will be a final judgment, an eternal heaven, and an eternal hell. We live ready.
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.John 12:32 · KJV
The verse our mission rests on.
Rooted in the Pentecostal-Holiness tradition.
The Church of God in Christ is the fourth-largest Protestant denomination in the United States. We belong to a tradition that values Holy living, anointed preaching, and the moving of the Holy Spirit.
The Church of God in Christ was founded in 1907 by Bishop Charles Harrison Mason in Memphis, Tennessee. Out of Bishop Mason's experience at the Azusa Street Revival came a Pentecostal-Holiness movement that has now reached millions of believers around the world.
Faith Tabernacle is one local congregation in that larger family. We hold the same Statement of Faith, the same Pentecostal experience, and the same call to lift up the name of Jesus Christ in every generation.