History
In the beginning, there were church splits and mergers
In 1998, Tabernacle Church celebrated its 125th anniversary -- but its roots go much further back. That's because it was formed by a merger of the Sixth and Seventh Presbyterian Churches, one of which had existed under another name since 1804.
That year, a group of English independents withdrew from Second Presbyterian Church to form the "Independent Tabernacle Church" modeled after their home churches in England. They built a church where the Bourse is now, but soon encountered hard times and after only three years abandoned their independent status to become a Dutch Reformed congregation. This didn't work out either, so they rejoined the Presbytery as Seventh Presbyterian. In 1843, they erected a beautiful Grecian-style temple on South Penn Square, next to where John Wanamaker built his emporium (now Macy's across from City Hall).
In the meantime, a ruckus at Old Pine had resulted in a church split, which the Presbytery settled by giving one faction a parcel of land and a cash settlement. They became Sixth Presbyterian church and built a new building on Sixth Street below Spruce.
Sixth was particularly active, supporting a school for Black children, a Bible class in the county prison, and a program for the 3rd and Bainbridge neighborhood which provided instruction for 252 pupils and also distributed shoes, clothing, provisions and coal (about $2,000 worth-- then a truly sizeable sum). Seventh Church helped start and support Presbyterian Hospital.
As the surroundings of both church buildings underwent rapid and extensive change due to expanding commercial activity, both congregations began to experience a declining membership and increasing financial problems. In 1873 the two congregations merged into a new congregation of 359 people under the leadership of Seventh Presbyterian's Dr. Henry McCook and the name "Tabernacle Presbyterian Church."
In 1883, the church decided to relocate to the rapidly growing suburb of West Philadelphia. The cornerstone of our present building at 37th and Chestnut was laid in 1884. The completed structure cost $206,000. Its sanctuary seated 900. Although proceeds from the sales of the Sixth and Seventh church buildings were applied to the cost of this beautiful new edifice, it was an enormous undertaking for a church with only 312 members -- one that was unable to balance its $9,000 annual budget.
But ten years later, the membership was 849, showing that moving west was the right decision. Dr. McCook was a nationally known "pulpiteer" in the mainstream of conservative evangelical Protestantism. He held Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening services. . A branch Sunday School at 33rd and Locust, serving children of the working class, was doing well; and by 1889, the two Sunday Schools had a joint enrollment of 681. Tabernacle had three missionary societies for females of various ages, two devotional groups for males (boys and "young men") and a social group for adults.
From Tab's inception until 1913, its benevolences ranged from 30-50% of its total budget. After the Spanish American War, these included relief for families whose providers were battle casualties. During this period, more social and secular activities were added to the church's calendar of events. Benevolences were supported by special monthly offerings, the fundraising efforts of the church's various organizations, and gifts of individuals. Pew rents paid the expenses of the church.
Tab's student work begins officially in 1908
The Rev. McCook retired in 1902; and the next minister was William Oxtoby. In 1908, Oxtoby formed a club for University students. In 1913, he signed an agreement with the Christian Association of the University of Pennsylvania -- a forerunner of the 1959 agreement with the Westminster Foundation. Oxtoby resigned somewhat later in 1913 and was replaced by John Blair.
Dr. Blair's tenure was a period when churches were divided between fundamentalists and liberals. Tab's fundamentalist members were unhappy with his support of "social gospel" programs; thus membership dropped by about 50%. But Blair started a successful Every Member Canvass program. For nearly ten years Tabernacle enjoyed a much better financial footing and was able to hold a fine celebration of its first 100 years as a Presbyterian church.
Though back in debt by 1917, the church continued to attract students. Hundreds of them took affiliate membership during Dr. Blair's tenure. Tabernacle, at this point, was cooperating with Walnut Street Presbyterian Church, Asbury Methodist, and Chestnut Street Baptist in reaching out to newcomers of a different economic bracket than their members and student affiliates. In 1916, Tab and two of the other churches opened a neighborhood house for "philanthropic work" in the 37th and Lancaster area.
Hard times and help from the parent denomination
Now, once again, Tab families were moving further west, but Tab was unwilling to merge with any nearby churches having the same problem. It was saved by the national Presbyterian church, which installed a new minister from England upon Dr. Blair's resignation in 1929. This was Dr. G. Campbell Morgan, who was internationally renowned as an evangelical preacher and crowd pleaser as well as a Biblical scholar. But alas, those who came to hear him did not join.
Then came the Great Depression; Dr. Morgan resigned. By 1933, when he was succeeded by Howard Moody Morgan, his son, the manse and the church proper were mortgaged for $21,000. By the end of Howard Morgan's tenure (1950) the active membership was down to 200; but the faithful core had reduced the debt to about $14,000 and agreed to use the endowment to pay off the rest.
The national Presbyterian Church tried again, this time by instituting the Westminster Foundation, formed to reach college students. Tabernacle's pastor would be director of its work in Philadelphia. "National" would pay part of the salaries of the director, his secretary, and the church sexton plus the entire salaries of an associate who was to do only student work and a full time music director. They also paid to renovate the manse for student work and named it Westminster House (now known as C.A. House, the home of the Christian Association) and bought a new manse for the pastor in the suburbs. This program was inaugurated in 1951 but did not get fully underway until the call of Edward Brubaker in 1953. He stayed four years and was ably assisted by a series of university pastors including Bill Gibson. Attendance at worship was about five hundred, of whom about half were students -- forty of whom sang in the choir. By 1959, actual membership was up to 325; benevolence giving had increased over 450% to a total of $8,700; there were adult study groups and an active couples' club as well.
Local and International Mission
In 1957, at the instigation of students, a community outreach program was begun to work with neighborhood children and youth. The Presbytery of Philadelphia paid for a full-time director; students and year-round residents of Powelton Village ran special interest clubs after school for children under 14, tutoring programs, and dances for teenagers. Several of the unaffiliated neighboring residents who were helping in these programs became Tab members.
Also during this period, a UCC campus minister, William Jacobs, was trying to find a church home for Penn students who were members of the UCC. The nearest UCC church was too far from campus and its membership was only lukewarm about this; so Jacobs asked if Tabernacle would accept him and his group as a UCC congregation to be federated with Tabernacle. Jacobs became Tab's assistant minister under terms of this agreement; but each group (Presbyterian and UCC) had its own ruling body (session and consistory) and each had its own budget. This happened in 1958; and nine years later, a joint ruling body (the council) was voted in, and a unified budget was passed. Full union did not occur until 1982.
Dr. Brubaker had left Tabernacle in 1960; and in 1961, the Rev. Lacy R. Harwell was called to Tab from his position as a university pastor at the University of Florida. He was soon deeply involved in the struggle to save the homes of black families in "Area III," the large parcel of land where University City High School now stands. Several children of that neighborhood were members of Tab's 4th, 5th and 6th grade church school class. The city and the university wanted the land for the high school, which was to have been a prestigious science high school connected with the university. Tab tried to prevent this "urban renewal project" through Harwell's many visits to City Hall, petitions, protests and sit-ins. But in the end, all Tab could do was to offer some help to some residents in getting relocated before the bulldozers came. Also during Harwell's tenure, Tab sought and received a foundation grant for a "Responsible Parenthood" program at the urging of two public health nurses in the congregation. This was later incorporated into Presbyterian Medical Center's efforts on behalf of its neighbors in need. Another initiative was Tab's cooperative nursery school, in which many church members and graduate students enrolled their children. The school continued until the early 1980's.
Tab was not just neighborhood oriented, but deeply concerned about national trends and international events. Tab mounted a protest against the Vietnam war and strengthened its ties with the international community. An association of Formosan Christians met at Tab, as did the Korean Christian Association, the latter being led by a Korean seminary student. This group wanted to call a full time chaplain and hold weekly services, so Tab raised the $4,000 necessary to call the student as an assistant minister of Tabernacle upon his ordination. He served until 1971, and was replaced with the Reverend Henry Koh as Associate minister. (This congregation, now very much self-supporting, bought the premises of the former Osteopathic Medical School at 48th and Spruce and converted it into a sanctuary, library, Korean community center, etc.) Tab has also been a home to Coptic Christians and an Ethiopian Evangelical congregation.
Lacy Harwell resigned in 1968, and his successor was the Rev. Thomas Dietrich. Rev. Dietrich pastored at Tab from 1969 to 1977. During this time, Tab engaged in supportive ministries with new community organizations by providing start-up funds, office space at free or reduced rates, and the lending of leadership talents of its lay members. The concept was to aid larger community participation in the life of social change organizations, not to retain ownership. .. In this way, Tab played a central role in such new organizations as Action Alliance of Senior Citizens, Women in Transition, The Gray Panthers, and Women's Alliance for job Equity, to name a few. This was a time concentrating attention to urban ministries, international ministries, and ministries with women. Benjamin Wu, Roderick P. Frohman, and Donna Schaper served as associate pastors with Tom Dietrich.
The Rev. Jim McDonald was Tab's next pastor and during his tenure, the congregation voted to become a part of the Sanctuary movement. This movement was begun in the Southwestern states, where churches assisted in smuggling El Salvadoran refugees fleeing the oppressive regime of their own country across the Mexican border, giving them hiding places and finding them means of livelihood. In May of 1985, Tabernacle began to host the refugees we were to know only as "Ernesto and Linda." In due time they were able to return home. Their visit here in early 1997 was their second to acquaint their sons with their history. Jose Rodriguez and Alba Lopez continue to work for social justice in their native land, aided by love and support from Tab.
Our acquaintance with them sparked a continuing interest in Central American problems. Hence our forming a sister relationship with the community of Las Anonas, El Salvador, resulting in trips of Tab members there to accompany them in their housing construction and their search for ways of becoming economically self-sufficient. This led also to our six-month association with Rosa Caseras, who came as an "ambassador to Philadelphia" from the church in Honduras. Several of our young adults chose vocations as a result of involvement with Central American issues.
A New Sanctuary
From 1984-1985 the congregation renovated space for worship which had for years served as the nursery school during weekdays and the Primary Department church school on Sundays. This was financed through the sale of Westminster House for $60,000 to a Korean congregation, plus $40,000 in grants from the Presbytery and foundations, plus $100,000 pledged by members. (This Korean congregation was not successful. They left. Presbytery paid off their mortgage, allowing Tab to find tenants and keep the rental income.) In 1997, Westminster House was sold to the University of Pennsylvania and Penn leased the building to the Christian Association. At that same time, a long-term lease was negotiated with Penn for use of the church basement and the main sanctuary/theater, which Tabernacle still owns. The University's performing arts departments use the theater, which they christened The Iron Gate Theater, for rehearsals and public performances of their student groups.
In 1991, during the time between the pastorates of Jim McDonald and Susan Minasian, Tab began a period of self-examination that led to the decision to become an Open and Affirming UCC congregation, and a More Light Presbyterian congregation, including into full membership and leadership lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered persons. Tab became the first church in Pennsylvania, within both denominations, to take this stance. In addition to welcoming all who follow Jesus of Nazareth to full communion and leadership,
In the fall of 1991, Holly Phares, a graduate of Westminster Choir College and Temple University, began her ministry of music, one that has included her original compositions and the occasional participation of guest choirs and artists in our worship services.
Susan Minasian was the first UCC minister and first woman called as pastor, and during her short but lively ministry from 1992-1995, Tab enlarged a focus on the arts by collaborating with Movement Theatre International, who were tenants then in the theater space, Along with members of the congregation Susan helped start the Career Wardrobe, and she encouraged two other members to help start and sustain the Interfaith Working Group, which for ten years educated the public on the role of progressive communities of faith in building an inclusive society.
A New Spirit
In 1997, Tabernacle called the Rev. Patricia Pearce as pastor due, in large part, to her social commitments, preaching abilities, and spiritual leadership skills. Recent years have seen a continuation of our accompaniment of Central Americans, our commitment to an inclusive church, and our advocacy for justice and peace.
In 2000, Tab folks played a key role in organizing Philadelphia participation in the Million Mom March in Washington D.C., bringing attention to gun violence in the United States and the need for gun control.
Since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001 several Tab members have been actively involved in promoting interfaith relations and reconciliation in Philadelphia. Tabernacle has served as the legal umbrella for the launching of the Interfaith Center of Philadelphia and Tab members have had key roles in the development of that organization. Members and friends of the church have also been involved in the Interfaith Peace Walks in recent years.
In 2002 and early 2003, as the U.S. administration was preparing to invade Iraq, several Tab people were actively engaged in peace advocacy and protest. In April 2004 Patricia was sentenced to a week in federal prison for her participation in nonviolent civil disobedience when the invasion was launched in March 2003.
Tab's most ambitious undertaking in recent years has been the creation of the Arts and Spirituality Center in 2000, directed by the Rev. Susan Teegen-Case, a member of Tabernacle. Drawing on the healing and transformational potential of the union of spirituality and the arts, the A&S draws together diverse religious and ethnic communities to explore and express new possibilities for peace and healing. Since its inception, the work of the Center has been featured at the 2004 World Parliament of Religions gathering in Barcelona, Spain, and has been the subject of two documentaries aired on public television. In 2005, the A&S expanded its work beyond Philadelphia to launch an international poetry project with children in 70 countries.
Over the decades Tabernacle United Church has been a presence of hope and a voice for peace in our community and in the world. Holding to the vision of a restored and reconciled world, we continue to find creative ways to follow and give witness to a Christ who brought hope and healing for all creation.
