WHO WE ARE
The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble (Psalm 9:9)
Embracing the model of the Black Church during the Civil Rights movement, we here at the Beulah Baptist Institutional Church seek to be a place of refuge! Using the words of Dr. Jeremiah Wright, we proclaim we are unapologetically Christian and unashamedly black.
Realizing that even in this current age African Americans are still systematically oppressed, we are intentional about:
1) Black Faith: We believe our faith experience has been and continues to be different than many others. Accordingly, we unashamedly preach liberation and black theology as we believe Luke 4:16-19 shows the mission of Christ is to set free all individuals from anything or anyone who oppresses them.
2) Black Activism: We believe God has called us to pursue shalom in order to make our world a better place. We are intentional and strategic about pursuing positive change through protests, community organizing, and other actions, as we advocate for civil rights, social justice, and equality throughout this nation and world.
3) Black Progress: We believe Jesus Christ wants us to do well in all areas of our lives. As a church we are intentional and strategic about offering holistic ministries which allow African Americans to make advancements economically, educationally, politically and socially.
As we seek to be a place of refuge from racism, oppression and discrimination, we welcome all who desire to worship with us. Yet we make it known we do not “water down” our heritage for anyone.
We celebrate that God has made us to be African Americans.
We believe we are fearfully and wonderfully made, thus we declare “BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL!”
We believe we were made in the image of God, therefore we say it loud: “We’re black and we’re proud!”
WHAT WE BELIEVE
God:
We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory (Jeremiah 10:10, 1st John 5:7).
The Bible:
We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires and trusted in all that it promises (2nd Timothy 3:16-17, 2nd Peter 1:21).
Humanity:
We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled and renewed (Gen 1:27, Rom 3:23).
Jesus Christ:
We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures. Jesus -- Israel’s promised Messiah -- was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate (Luke 2:7, Romans 6:9).
The Work of Christ:
We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation (1st John 2:2, Galatians 1:4).
The Holy Spirit:
We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God. He also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips, and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service (Acts 1:8, Romans 5:5).
The Church:
We believe that the true church comprises all who have been justified by God’s grace through faith alone, in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head. The true church is manifest in local churches, whose membership should be composed only of believers. The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer (Matthew 26:26-28, Matthew 28:19).
OUR CORE FOCUSES
Scripturally Literate
Believing the Word of God is that which we build our lives upon, we desire that all disciples of Beulah are continuing to grow in their knowledge of God’s word. We desire for all individuals to not only know the Word of God, but also to live out the Word of God on a day to day basis. We are intentional about providing as many opportunities as possible for individuals to learn the word of God.
Strong Families
Strong families are the foundation of a strong church and a strong society. Here at Beulah we are intentional about ministering to, and building strong families upon the standards of God’s Word. We desire to minister to traditional, blended and broken families. Whether married, re-married or single, our desire is for your family to be the strongest it can be.
Social Justice
Beulah is committed to doing our part in building a great community and city, not just a great church. Our posture towards our community and city will be marked by working for justice for the poor, oppressed, marginalized, and those who start life with severely limited opportunities. Here at Beulah we will humbly use all of our cultural power to serve alongside those who are less powerful than us. Our vision is a transformed city, a city that looks increasingly like the new city to come.
Serving our Community
Here at Beulah we realize we are part of a community much bigger than ourselves, thus we are committed to giving back to our community in whatever ways we can. We want to ensure that individuals within our community feel cherished, loved, valued and supported. We seek to ensure our neighbors feel this way by performing random acts of kindness, adopting schools within our neighborhood, partnering with local organizations and meeting the needs of our community, all in the name of Jesus Christ.
OUR CORE VALUES
Worship (2nd Peter 3:8)
We were created to worship God, thus we will be intentional about providing opportunities to worship both corporately and individually.
Education (Isaiah 43:7)
We are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, thus we will provide as many opportunities for Christian education. In addition, because we value holistic ministry, we will seek to educate in other areas such as financial, mental and physical wholeness.
Fellowship (Acts 2:46B)
Community is a vital part of the Christian faith, thus various opportunities to fellowship and experience life together will often occur.
Ministry Evangelism (Matthew 25:40-45)
We not only want to tell individuals about Jesus, but more importantly we want show people the love of Jesus Christ through our words, witness and works. Ministering to the “least of these,” is crucial to our ministry philosophy here at Beulah.
Generosity (2nd Cor. 9:6-7)
God has given us His best, thus we seek to be a church who gives God our best. We will strive to be generous with our time, talent and treasure all for the glory of God, knowing everything we have, belongs to God.
OUR MISSION
As God has called us to be a movement and not a monument, we seek to have a church culture that is:
Friendly and engaging to all who enter our doors
Aspiring for excellence in all we do for the glory of God
Missional in our approach
Embracing and celebrating our African American Heritage
Mission Aim:
As we seek to build our lives on the word of God and build bridges all for the cause of Christ, we will be intentional about building:
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Congregants who are Scripturally literate
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Christ-like strong families
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Conscious and concerned individuals pertaining to social justice matters
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Connectivity to our community through outreach and service
OUR CHURCH CULTURE
As God has called us to be a movement and not a monument, we seek to have a church culture that is:
Friendly and engaging to all who enter our doors
Aspiring for excellence in all we do for the glory of God
Missional in our approach
Embracing and celebrating our African American Heritage
OUR HISTORY
The Beulah Baptist Church was organized in 1865 upon the heels of the Emancipation Proclamation and had become the first Black Baptist Church in Tampa, Florida. The all-Black congregation, prior to 1865, worshipped in the balcony of the all-white First Baptist Church of Tampa, located on Tampa Street. After the slaves were freed, the First Baptist church provided funds for the all-Black Beulah congregation to build their first edifice on land that was donated by Mrs. Fortune Ransome.
The first edifice was located on Central Avenue which would later become a very popular and predominately African American community of thriving businesses and commerce. Elder Hadley was called as the first pastor to serve the congregation. In 1869, Rev. Hadley concluded his pastorate and Reverend Anderson succeeded him in this role. Many were added to the congregation and Beulah continued to expand. During the post-reconstruction years, the church was remodeled and its frame was moved to a new location in 1881 on Harrison Street in downtown Tampa.
In 1908, when much of Florida was still a wilderness of mangrove swamp, God blessed Beulah to become incorporated as a non-profit organization to be known as the Beulah Baptist Institutional Church.
Over the next four decades, the church was guided and shepherded by several spirit-filled Pastors who held firmly to the trustworthy message of the gospel. Under the leadership of these Titus 2 men, the church continued to grow and expand and be fruitful.
In 1937, another move was orchestrated by God and we moved to Tyler and Pierce Streets, under the pastorate of Rev. W. M. Davis. In 1954, Rev. W.M. Davis completed his earthly assignment and Rev. G.T. Martin was called to serve as interim pastor until 1956.
In 1956, Rev. Dr. A. Leon Lowry, Sr., was called to pastor Beulah and became the church’s 13th pastor, a position he held for 40 years. As one of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s theology professors and State president of the NAACP, Rev. Lowry was a force for civil rights within and beyond Tampa. During Rev. Lowry’s tenure, he was able to strengthen Beulah and simultaneously build up the community. Under his leadership, a new sanctuary was constructed in 1969 on the corner of Cypress and Delaware where we’re presently located. In 1990, the A. Leon Lowry, Sr. Family Service Center was completed and a many other auxiliary programs and improvements were implemented leaving a lasting legacy.
Upon the retirement of Rev. Lowry in 1993 and acceptance of the Search Committee’s report in 1995, Rev. James W. Favorite was installed as the 14th pastor of Beulah Baptist Institutional Church. During Rev. Favorite’s tenure, he continued the church’s pivotal role in community advancement, while establishing a “Vision toward the Year 2000” with focus on ministry, education and evangelism. Under his leadership, on February 9, 2003, Beulah and its mother Church, First Baptist Church of Tampa had come together in a reunion worship service for the first time since Beulah’s inception. Rev. Favorite also played a pivotal role in helping reduce the stigma associated with HIV and AIDS and was selected as Chairman of the Black Leadership Commission on AIDS of Tampa Bay.
In 2019, Rev. Favorite retired after faithfully serving 24 years, and the pastoral search committee began its task. During this time, Rev. Calvin Williams was selected as interim pastor to shepherd the church. The search for a new pastor began but in March of 2020, was briefly suspended. For the first time in our country, we experienced a social interaction ban for medical reasons due to the highly contagious virus labeled COVID-19. Unable to gather in person, we were confined to our homes. Yet, by the grace of God we successfully operated a complete online church service using our skilled Technology Ministry initiatives. Zoom was used to conduct prayer service, Sunday School Bible study and all pertinent meetings of business for the remainder of the year. In our absence, the Sanctuary was remodeled, a new security system was installed, technology equipment was updated and added sanitation and safety equipment was installed. Elohim (God our Creator) gave us new ways to worship and give and worship and give we did.
In May of 2021, after a year and two months, the congregation came back into the Sanctuary for worship service, while still offering worship service online via Facebook and Youtube. Additionally, the pastoral search committee continued its task and follow-up with two final candidates. The committee worked throughout the selection process and God’s Will prevailed. On Sunday, March 27, 2022, Rev. Alan Harris of Virginia was installed by the Church congregation to become the 15th Senior Pastor and Lead Servant of Beulah Baptist Institutional Church.
Pastor Harris’ vision… Beulah: We Build Here is a true testament to what happens when one builds their life on God’s Word. He tells us frequently…anything with God’s name on it deserves our best. Based on Psalm 127:1, Pastor Harris believes we, Beulah should build our lives on the Word of God; he believes that we, Beulah are to be intentional about building strong families which are the foundation of a strong church and a strong society.
Pastor Harris’ vision is for Beulah to do our part in building a great community and city, not just a great church; Pastor Harris wholeheartedly believes Psalm 127:1…
Unless the Lord builds a house,
the work of the builders is wasted.
Unless the Lord protects a city,
guarding it with sentries will do no good
Our history is rich, authentic and full of God’s instruction, guidance and direction. By God’s grace, as we live and walk by the Holy Spirit, the Beulah Baptist Institutional Church will continue to be a movement, and not a monument.