About Us

 

Grace Tabernacle was born out of a Bible study that started in the home of Davis and Marty Bruton in Tabor city, North Carolina. Pastor Owen Johnson was traveling from Greensboro, North Carolina every Thursday night to the Bruton's home and driving back to Greensboro the same night. Shortly after the bible study began, God told Pastor Owen and Judy to move to the area and start a church. They moved here in September of 1976.

They had their first official church service on a Sunday night at Willis and Bertie Gause's home in Loris. The next Sunday they met at People's Federal Savings and Loan in Loris. they had sixty people and soon realized the place was too small. They then moved to Paul's Seafood Restaurant in Loris and stayed there for several months. When they outgrew Paul's they moved to the Loris Legion Hut and stayed there for seven months.

Again, they moved to the building that is now Dr. Michael Mills' office. Once again, they were there for seven months. From there, they went to the old Clio School building on Highway 701 just outside of Loris. Finally, after a brief stay there, the Grace Tabernacle family moved to their present facility.

During this time, God gave Pastor Owen and Judy a vision to have a Christian School, grades K-5 - 12th grade, and a Seminary to train men and women in the ministry. So in the summer of 1980, Pastor Owen and Judy went to Lewisville, Texas for training to begin Grace Christian School. In August 1980, they opened the doors to thirty students. Grace Christian School is now in their twenty-sixth year.

In September 1982, Grace Theological Seminary was started. With hard work and determination, students can earn an Associates, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate of Divinity. The Seminary and Christian School are fully accredited. They have had approximately seven satellite churches from Grace Tabernacle and many ministers ordained and set into the ministry.

Grace Tabernacle and Grace Christian School have endured many tests and trials over the past twenty-eight years. In 1984, they endured two fires, the last one totally destroying the inside of the building. But God was faithful. What the enemy meant for evil, God turned it for good. They rebuilt and made provisions for growth in the school. Over the last twenty-eight years, they have grown in wisdom and strength in the Lord. Grace Tabernacle is built upon "The Rock" and it will stand.

What We Believe

• 2 Tim 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
• Jesus Christ is the Son of God, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, became sin for us that we could have God's righteousness and be reconciled to God.
• Only through the blood of Jesus Christ (The Lamb of God) can a person be saved from his sins.
• God was in His Son reconciling man back to Himself.
• Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever, and what he did in the early church he still does today through yielded people and the Holy Spirit working through them.
• All believers are to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, which will give them the power to witness to mankind.
• The gifts of the Holy Spirit continue to work in the church today through people who are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit.
• There is only one hope of glory, which is Christ in us.
• Jesus said he was the only way, truth and life, and no one could come to the Father God except through Him.
• Hell is a real place of torment that was made for the Devil and his angels that rebelled against God and were cast out of Heaven.
• Jesus Christ was raised bodily from the dead and was received up into heaven and is now sitting at God's right hand and will some day return to earth for his people.
• There is only one mediator between God and man and this is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
• John 17:3 And this is eternal life that they may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.