Brooklyn Tabernacle — Church Directory

Quick Facts

Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable Jim Cymbala

Founded Not published

Denomination Non-denominational

Service Times Verify on website — 16,000+ members

Men's Ministry Yes

Kids Ministry Yes

Website www.brooklyntabernacle.org

Pastor Credentials Not published

10-Point Theological Scorecard

Christology

Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)

Orthodox evangelical language; creeds not named on reviewed pages.

Caution

Scripture

Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?

References Bible authority; no explicit inerrancy wording located.

Caution

Men's Discipleship

Intentional formation for men?

Not highlighted on reviewed pages.

Caution

Soteriology

Faith alone? How is salvation presented?

Broadly evangelical — specific sola-fide statement not reviewed.

Caution

Gender / Biblical Design

Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?

Women's ministry present; no female pastors identified on the Our Pastors page.

All pastors on Our Pastors page are male; no women-pastor evidence.

Caution

Leadership Structure

Male elders/pastors? Accountability?

HELD YELLOW. Live homepage confirms Pastor Jim Cymbala references and 'The Believer' video series. Men's Ministry section confirmed in nav. Burgos/Fritz not surfaced on home; succession plan still not stated publicly. Our-Beliefs and Our-Pastors pages not reached this pass.

Caution

Preaching Style

Expository or topical/therapeutic?

Prayer-and-Word emphasis; not formally expository.

Caution

Mission Clarity

Great Commission central?

Strong emphasis on prayer meetings, choir outreach, urban ministry.

Strong

Cultural Alignment

DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?

Evangelistic urban focus; no overt DEI language observed. | MOOP-attendance note (Adam Johns 2026-04-29): Visited; historical attendance only.

Caution

Accountability Structure

Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?

Non-denominational charismatic; ECFA-accredited (financial accountability). Plurality of male pastoral staff (Cymbala, Burgos, Fritz, Hammond) plus formal Board of Directors with external members per 2015 filings (Terry Van Der Aa as external chair, Burl Cain, Joseph Tomei, Randy Barton). No confessional network (9Marks/Acts 29/TGC), but ECFA + external board = YELLOW under refined rubric.

Caution

Assessment

Brooklyn Tabernacle is a well-known non-denominational church in downtown Brooklyn led by Jim Cymbala since 1972. Famous for its Grammy-winning choir (directed by Carol Cymbala) and prayer ministry. Tuesday night prayer meetings are legendary. Cymbala's preaching emphasizes prayer, faith, and dependence on the Holy Spirit. Strong community outreach in NYC. Evaluate for theological depth beyond prayer/worship emphasis.

#new-york#national#large-church#moop-attended#moop-historical-attendance

MOOP Engagement Tracker

How this church was personally verified by the MOOP directory team:

✓ Visited the facility in person

✓ Attended a worship service

✓ Researched church website

Sources & Evidence

Enrichment Notes

[2026-05-16 visited by Adam: Adam visited Brooklyn Tabernacle]

These are the URLs consulted to arrive at this church's scoring. Score-note claims are synthesized from homepage content, denominational directories, and public statements of faith at the time of review. Church websites change frequently; we're progressively adding Internet Archive snapshots to prevent link rot.

[1] Live source brooklyntabernacle.org/about
[2] Live source en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooklyn_Tabernacle

Transparency note: MOOP ratings are researcher judgments about publicly available theological and ecclesial evidence. They are not infallible. If a church's public posture has changed since our review, or if we've mis-read evidence, tell us — we publish corrections.