The Church of God of Prophecy East Street Tabernacle sits majestically on main thoroughfare East Street between Sunlight Village and Sunlight Cottage on the island of New Providence. This church enjoys an extraordinarily rich history dating back to April 1925 where the saints worshipped in a large wooden structure, known as the “Jumper Church” on Taylor Street, under the leadership of Bishop Stanley R. Ferguson. After many years of tremendous church growth, coupled with the deterioration of the building, a lot was purchased to erect another building on East Street.

This new tabernacle on East Street, better known as the “Big Jumper Church” has evolved into an historic masterpiece. Construction commenced on May 1, 1945 under the leadership of the late Bishop Alvin S. Moss, a colossal spiritual giant and visionary leader of this great work. The architectural design and construction were completed by the late Mr. Eddie Dillet. The original two- storey structure, built of solid concrete with steel reinforcements, was 80 feet x 80 feet T-shaped with heavy buttresses ten feet apart all around. On the inside there were balconies along three sides, a lovely architectural music stand over the main platform, and a basement under the 80-foot platform which accommodated rest rooms etc. At its dedication on March 3, 1946, it was considered colony’s largest and most beautiful church edifice, with a seating capacity of 2,000.

The splendid, illustrious edifice erected by the humble and dedicated members of the Church of God of Prophecy was occupied for a few years when it became apparent that a much larger tabernacle was needed to take care of the rapidly growing membership and the increase in attendance. Consequently, land adjacent to the building was purchased and construction for the enlargement of the tabernacle commenced on May 1, 1955. After only ten months of construction, an enlarged building with seating capacity of 3,500 was dedicated during the 35th Colonial Convention in March 1956. An outstanding fact about this construction is that nearly all the work was done by members of the Church. The architect and contractor for the extension was the Bishop Arthur “Jack” Moss.

The building has undergone numerous renovations, and improvements to the structure were ongoing, the latest addition being the state-of-the-art Children’s Chapel and Multi-Purpose Ministry Complex.

East Street Tabernacle is recognized as the “Mother Church” of the Church of God of Prophecy in the Bahamas, and in addition to housing the worship service for the East Street congregation, its beautiful sanctuary serves as the venue for national conventions, crusades, conferences, national ecumenical and other significant events. It is also regarded as a major tourist attraction.

Over the years the Parishioners were led by many faithful spiritual leaders. Noted in this prestigious line up of pastors were: Bishops Stanley R. Ferguson, Alvin S. Moss, Hermis A. Ferguson, Alfred E. Ferguson, Brice H. Thompson, Errol J. Simmons, Nathaniel G. Beneby, Elgarnet B. Rahming, and Franklin M. Ferguson. The present spiritual leader is Bishop Hulan A. Hanna. Prior to 1974, Dexton J. Brown, Herbert E. Ferguson, and Errol J. Simmons provided invaluable service as pastor’s assistants. Associate pastors serving include Bishops Elgarnet B. Rahming, Franklin M. Ferguson, Hulan A. Hanna, Kendal Simmons, and Woodley C. Thompson (currently serving).