The year of nineteen hundred and sixty-eight was a turbulent time in world history.  The Vietnam conflict was raging, and that portion of the world was devastated with man's arsenal of death and destruction.  America was torn with demonstrations, riots, draft dodgers, and an attempt by some to show loyalty to a chaotic set of events. The church, for the most part, was passive as if immobilized by some massive sedative. The morals and values of society plummeted to a low that even now we are realizing the results of. 

 

           Clyde Daniel Brown, Jr. was possessed of a noble discontent in the effectiveness the church had on the times and locals it was charged to serve. A member of the Church of God in Christ, Waynesboro, Virginia, founded by the last Elder Edward Massie, Brown, sought permission on June 30, 1968, to establish a pilot mission in a section of Augusta County, Virginia known as “The Upper Grove”.  Permission was granted by the presiding pastor at that time, Elder Charles H. Brown of Charlottesville, VA.  In conjunction with Elder C.D. Brown, Mrs. Mary B. Jones had opened her home for Thursday evening prayer service some three months before permission was granted to establish a mission.

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          On July 7, 1968, Mrs. Mary B. Jones, Mrs. Charlotte W. Green, Mr. Gilbert Veney, Mrs. Sara A. Veney, Mrs. Mildred Washington, the present Mother Mary Lewis, and Ms. Rosetta Payne joined Elder Brown in the first Sabbath worship of Christ Tabernacle.  Mother Mary Jones graciously opened her home to the saints and allowed us to make her house a house for God.  The walls separating her bedroom from her living room were removed providing our small sanctuary.  A room was added to the rear of the house providing a bedroom for Mother Jones.  Her dedication and commitment to the work \can never be forgotten and any history is written concerning Christ Tabernacle would be remiss if her gallant efforts were overlooked.

On August 12, 1968, the late Bishop David C. Love officially established and incepted Christ Tabernacle into the Church of God in Christ Virginia First Jurisdiction.  This service was witnessed by some two hundred people.  Bishop Love installed the first General Officers:

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                                                      Clyde Daniel Brown – Pastor and Presiding Officer

                                                       Rosetta Payne – Recording Secretary

                                                      Mildred Washington – Church Treasurer

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          The road of life runs often in parallel with our ambitions and sometimes commandeers our interests.  In June 1969, Brown was drafted into the military service of the U.S. Army, leaving the small band of followers in the hands of District Superintendent Henry C. Darcus of Staunton, Virginia, and Elder Booker T. Howard of Lexington, Virginia.  The year of 1970 found the young congregation building a house for God on land donated by Mother Mary Jones.  The church enjoyed good success and peace until 1980.

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          This history, unlike most, must record the dark page of its story.  Conflicts with irreparable damage arose and a segment of the congregation, along with Elder Brown, ventured into the purchase of grounds and buildings at 654 North Bath Avenue, Waynesboro, VA.  The clouds still loomed heavy over this small band of saints when the enemy dealt a life-threatening blow to the founder. Through the love, prayers, and loyalty of those remaining, God brought both leaders and people to victory. The eighties ended with the church struggling to regain her posture in the witness of the Christian community.  Through the dedicated efforts of our pastor and the saints, we entered the nineties with battle dust on our faces and the assurance that we, through God’s help, had survived the battle.  We knew then the thoughts of God toward us were thoughts of hope and success.

 

         It was evident that the Bath Avenue property would need extensive renovation to provide God an adequate house of worship.  We initiated several projects in efforts to restore the existing facility and build a new one on that site.  The renovation of the building would have cost in excess of Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000.00). It was at this time that the congregation decided to explore the probability of demolishing the existing building and contract a new one on the site.  Difficulty in engineering this project arose when city and state regulations governing the removal of asbestos of a building more than 50 years old were sited.  Minister James Lundy, the Chairman of the Building Committee, presented to the congregation information that a church was available for sale.  The Executive and Building Committees, along with the Trustee Board, were sent to inspect the property and returned with favorable intentions of encouraging the congregation to purchase.  Thanks be to God for His favor and direction in our obtaining financing through the Bank of America.  We rejoice today n the manifold faithfulness of God toward us!