Tabernacle Baptist Church sits on the corner of Maynard Street and West Third Street in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where it has long been known as a Bible-teaching, independent Baptist church committed to the preaching of God's Word. The congregation gathers three times on Sunday and once on Wednesday, with a nursery for the smallest children and graded classes running from preschool through senior adults. The church's motto, "To Live is Christ," points to the central place of Scripture and the gospel in every part of its ministry.
Sunday in Williamsport: Sunday School, Morning Worship, and Evening Service
Sunday begins at 9:30 a.m. with Sunday School for every age, from nursery through senior adults. Classes are taught by trained and qualified teachers who make the Bible accessible at each level. At 10:45 a.m. the Morning Worship service begins, with congregational singing of traditional hymns and choruses, music from soloists and special groups, and a clear, helpful, expository message from God's Word. Pastor Joel Long has been preaching through the book of Philippians on Sunday mornings, walking the congregation through the epistle in a steady, verse-by-verse manner.
The evening service gathers at 6:00 p.m. and follows a similar pattern, with extra congregational singing preceding another message from Scripture. The combination of three Sunday meetings gives the body of Christ a rhythm of worship, teaching, and fellowship across the day, and the music on Sunday evenings often leans into the more traditional hymns alongside newer choruses.
Wednesday Nights: Prayer, Bible Study, Truth Trackers, and Youth
Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. brings the whole church back together under one roof. Adults gather for an in-depth Bible study and a time of prayer, while children age 3 through 5th grade take part in Truth Trackers, a program built around Scripture memory, weekly worksheets, and prizes that helps kids hide God's Word in their hearts. Teenagers meet at the same hour for their own youth gathering, making Wednesday night a true family night at Tabernacle.
For adults, the midweek meeting offers a more intimate setting for prayer and doctrinal study than the larger Sunday gatherings. It is also a place where visiting pastors and missionaries frequently update the church on the work supported around the world.
What to Expect on a First Visit
First-time guests will find a group of people who genuinely care about their spiritual needs and want them to enjoy their visit. The music is congregational, led with a blend of traditional hymns and choruses, and the preaching is Bible-centered. Dress is typically modest and Sunday best, in keeping with the church's traditional Baptist character, though newcomers are welcomed as they are.
For families with young children, every Sunday morning service includes a safe, clean, well-staffed nursery for children under three years old. Older children and teens attend Bible-centered classes with their peers, staffed by friendly, trained teachers and helpers. On Wednesday evenings during the school year, Truth Trackers offers another opportunity for children to grow in their faith.
Pastor Joel Long and the Story of the Church
Pastor Joel Long became the pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church in February of 2002 and has led the congregation in spiritual, numerical, and financial growth ever since. His weekly dedication to prayer and Bible study is evident in the solid biblical preaching heard at every service, and he prays for his people by name every day. He has a deep desire to reach Williamsport with the gospel of Jesus Christ and has often asked God to send one more world-wide revival before Jesus returns.
Pastor Long was born into a pastor's home as one of six children. After his athletic high school years, he earned a business degree and entered the workforce. Through various circumstances, the Lord showed him that he was not saved, and at age twenty-seven he trusted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. Shortly after that, God called him to be a pastor, and he spent six years studying the Bible at Ambassador Baptist College. God has also given him a godly wife, Laurie, and three children.
Alongside Pastor Long, the pastoral team includes Pastor Josh Ham, who frequently preaches the Sunday evening services and carries much of the youth ministry teaching, and Pastor Tom Henderson, who often leads the Wednesday Bible study. The combined preaching of these men gives the church a steady diet of expository and topical Bible teaching week after week.
What Tabernacle Believes
Tabernacle Baptist Church identifies itself as an independent, fundamental, Baptist church committed to reaching the greater-Williamsport area with the gospel. The church holds a detailed Statement of Faith, organized under twenty-two headings from "The Holy Scriptures" through "The Righteous and the Wicked." A few of the key convictions shape everything else the church does.
The Bible. The church believes in the verbal and plenary inspiration of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, that Scripture is God-breathed, inerrant in the original writings, and the final authority for faith and life.
God. There is one living and true God, infinite Spirit, maker and supreme ruler of heaven and earth, existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, equal in every divine perfection.
Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is perfect God and perfect man, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, who lived a sinless life, died on Calvary's cross, rose the third day, ascended to heaven, and is coming again.
Salvation. Salvation is wholly of grace through faith in Jesus Christ. A person is saved when he repents of his sin and believes on the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. The church also affirms the eternal security of the saints, the priesthood of every believer, and the present work of the Holy Spirit in sealing, guiding, and sanctifying the believer.
The Church. The local New Testament church is composed of regenerated, baptized believers, voluntarily united for worship, edification, the ordinances, fellowship, and service. Officers are the pastor and deacons, whose qualifications and duties are drawn from Scripture. The local church has the right of self-government, free from outside interference.
The Ordinances. Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Lord's Supper is a commemoration of the broken body and shed blood of Christ, observed by the local body after solemn self-examination.
The Last Things. The church believes in the bodily, personal, premillennial, and imminent coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to catch away all believers before the Tribulation, followed by a visible, glorious return to earth to set up His millennial Kingdom. The church also affirms a literal heaven and a literal, burning hell.
Separation. Believers are called to separate themselves from worldliness and from ecclesiastical apostasy, and from any compromise with false teachers who deny the faith once delivered to the saints.
Children's Ministry from Nursery Through Fifth Grade
Tabernacle treats the spiritual care of children as a central part of its ministry. Loving nursery care is provided for every service for children ages 0 to 2, in clean, safe, and fun rooms staffed by volunteers.
Preschool children, ages 3 to 5, enjoy Bible songs, age-appropriate Bible stories, crafts to bring home, and verses to learn from the Bible. Their teachers introduce truths such as obedience, sharing, kindness, and the person of Jesus, while parents attend their own adult Bible class and the worship service.
Elementary children in grades 1 through 5 meet for Sunday School at 9:30 a.m., with each class tailored to the child's understanding. At 10:45 a.m., Junior Church meets during the adult worship service and is full of energy, with games, crafts, prizes, and an engaging Bible lesson designed just for kids.
On Wednesday evenings during the school year, Truth Trackers gathers children age 3 through 5th grade for an exciting Bible program built around Scripture memory, weekly worksheets, and prizes. The goal is to help kids hide God's Word in their hearts and grow in their faith during the formative years.
Teen Ministry for Grades 6 Through 12
TBC Teens reaches students from all over the greater Williamsport area, and the common bond is a desire to know God personally and live out His purposes. The teen ministry meets on Sunday evenings and Wednesday nights, and is built around three commitments: real answers, real friends, and real fun.
The teaching tackles the questions teens actually ask: what is my purpose in life, what is a family, can a marriage really be happy, is the Bible really God's Word, is Jesus really God's Son, what happens after death, what is real love, and why was I created. The program is anchored in the conviction that the Bible gives the answers for every question and problem in life.
The fun side of TBC Teens is part of the package as well. Summer camp, Nerf wars, ice skating, capture the flag, scavenger hunts, and all-night lock-ins give students good memories and the kind of fun that comes with a clear conscience. The aim is to build friendships in which students can be themselves and find real support as they follow Christ.
Adult Ministries
Adult Bible classes meet every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and are designed for studying the Bible, growing in the Lord together, and making lasting friendships. The classes give adults a smaller setting in which to ask questions and apply the text to daily life.
Heart to Heart is a quarterly fellowship with lunch, games, and a Bible devotional. The ministry also hosts monthly lunches for widows and widowers in the church, offering encouragement and friendship to those who have lost a spouse.
The Ladies Ministry gathers women for a Bible study every spring and fall, with childcare provided, along with fellowship events such as spa days, group painting, and outings to local events. A ministry called Bundles of Love sees ladies in the church crochet blankets and caps for newborns in the Williamsport hospitals, putting faith into tangible care for the community.
Missions and a Heart for Revival
Missionary guests have long been a regular part of life at Tabernacle. Visitors from abroad and from within the United States have updated the church on church planting, translation work, and gospel outreach in places as varied as India, the Pacific, and Muslim-majority countries. A recent missionary series featured Missionaries Bruce Stuart, Dave Rudolph, Matt Zimmerman, Sam Conover, Larry Barrett, Jerry Wilhite, Rickson Kihleng, Tim Barrett, and Nathan Foran. The church also welcomes guest pastors from time to time, and revival meetings with evangelists such as John Van Gelderen, Mike Pelletier, and Ben Haupt have been a recurring part of the church calendar.
The church has a stated burden for revival. Men's revival prayer breakfasts have brought men of the church together to seek the Lord, and the church has hosted revival services around themes such as "21st Century Revival," "Heart Cry for Revival," and "All in for Jesus." Pastor Long has publicly asked God for one more world-wide revival before Jesus returns, and that conviction shapes the tone of the church's prayer life and its gospel witness in Williamsport.
Listening, Giving, and Getting in Touch
Tabernacle keeps an extensive archive of sermons, organized by preacher, book of the Bible, series, and service. The audio library includes more than 350 messages stretching back to 2012, covering books like Genesis, Ruth, Philippians, Titus, and Revelation, as well as topical series, youth night messages, missionary updates, and revival meetings. Recent recordings by Pastor Long have worked verse by verse through Revelation, while Pastor Ham has preached many of the youth and Sunday evening services.
Giving to the church is available online through the giving page, making it simple to support the ministry from anywhere. Sermons can be watched on the church's YouTube channel and followed on Facebook at TBCwilliamsport.
Anyone with questions or a desire to talk further is invited to call the church office at 570-322-2546 or to send a note to email@tbc-w.com. The church building is conveniently located at 911 West Third Street, Williamsport, PA 17701, on the corner of Maynard and West Third streets. From I-180, take Exit 28 toward Maynard Street; the building is on the left just before reaching West Third Street.