living my call by MARILYN TINNIN
Pastor Hosea Hines OF CHRIST TABERNACLE CHURCH As the son of a Baptist preacher, Pastor Hosea Hines observed the sacrifice, endless hours, and hard work involved in pastoring a church. The seventh of eight children, he never considered another vocation. Forty years later, he has no regrets as he describes blessing upon blessing and too many coincidences along the way to discount God’s favor in directing his path. Pastor Hines was born in west Jackson, but his family moved to Rockford, Illinois, when he was twelve years old. He attended college at Judson College in Elgin, Illinois and American Baptist Theological Seminary in Rockford. There was a time when he thought he would never return to Mississippi. He had vivid memories of the civil rights struggles during his childhood, but he relates how God removed that bitterness by giving him a white neighborhood friend in Rockford who changed his prejudice. He sees that friendship as God laying the groundwork for calling him back to his native soil. When College Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Jackson called him to their pulpit in 1990, he accepted. Under his leadership, this historic church tripled their membership, built a 1.5 million dollar family life center, added an additional Sunday morning worship service and paid off all debt. In 2009 God began to speak to Hines’ heart about a new venture. It was time for him to step out on faith again. He resigned from College Hill on July 12, 2009, knowing only that this was what he was supposed to do. “A new breed of believers” is the way he describes his vision. He is committed to building the body of Christ on sound Biblical principles, providing the kind of nurture that builds Christ-like believers who will make an impact in the city of Jackson. “What you see in crime are the repercussions of sin. When lives are changed, crime goes down,” he says. In the first weeks after his resignation, his telephone rang constantly with calls from people who wanted to be a part of this new movement. They located a temporary building on I-55 North and hoped to have their first service on August 2. Things fell into place as things do when God is in charge. The owner of the building handed over the keys and
told him to do whatever was needed to configure the space to be suitable for their needs. People Hines barely knew began offering everything from office furniture to computers and copiers. One family found an Oak pulpit, communion Pastor Hosea and first lady, his wife table, and 26 sixteen foot pews Sherian on E-Bay for $99. Christ Tabernacle Church held their first service on August 2, 2009. By February of 2010, the new congregation was bursting at the seams. Pastor Hines’ original thought was to stay in the temporary facility for about five years and then to search for land and begin a building campaign. When a realtor friend called him telling him that she had found the perfect property for Christ Tabernacle, he thanked her but told her they were not in the market. She was persistent about his coming to look at it, and so he took his wife and son and headed to meet her one afternoon. 1201 Cooper Road was the home of First Assembly of God. They had recently purchased the former Word of Life property off Highway 18. Twenty-two beautiful shaded acres surrounded two large buildings, an auditorium, many classrooms and office space all in pristine condition. There was room to grow, to build a school, a college, and a whole community for the “new breed of believers.” This young congregation had not amassed a huge bank account and as a non-denominational church, they lacked the backing of a national entity. There was a spirit of rapport and unity from the first moment Pastor Hines and a few representatives from Christ Tabernacle met with the leadership of First Assembly. Christ Tabernacle held its first services in their new facilities on April 18, 2011. With more` than 600 members and ministries that reach every age, this vibrant church under the leadership of Hosea Hines is indeed building “a new breed of believers!” Y
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