Christian Tabernacle Church of God In Christ was founded by Elder Emanuel Newton in October of 1965. Elder Newton was a man of great faith, a powerful and energetic evangelist who traveled from coast to coast, conducting soul saving revivals. It did not matter to him if the churches were large or small. He just wanted to be the soul winner that God had called him to be. While conducting a revival in Los Angeles, California, the young evangelist answered the call from God to change his role of evangelist to that of a pastor. He called his wife, Sarah, and told her about his new assignment. At this time, Sarah Newton vowed to God that she would not hinder his ministry. She vowed to do all she could do to assist. He went home to Kansas City, Missouri to begin searching for a location to begin his work as pastor.
 
After several months a small, somewhat run-down building was located at 4000 Woodland. The building was formerly used to store caskets and embalming fluids.Though this was not the vision of Elder Newton, he along with his wife, Sarah, his daughter, Cheryl, and his mother, Alizuh Newton, his sister, Evangelist Josephine Robinson, and Evangelist Jane Hill took the little building, repaired it the best he could, and set out on the journey of pastoring God’s people.
 
Daily, Pastor Newton and his mother would go to the church for prayer. Then he would go door to door in the surrounding neighborhood. Families began coming to Sunday School and church services. The membership began to grow as these new sheep started to tell other neighbors and friends about the highly anointed and spiritual services that they had witnessed at the little “corner church”. A larger building was a desperate need. Sister Newton was working and supporting the home during this time, and she was also singing in the choir, a Sunday School teacher, leading the Sunshine Band, and Y.W.C.C. She’s worked in many areas throughout the years at Christian Tabernacle, and was Bishop Newton’s greatest supporter, and is still working hard supporting Pastor Keith Newton.
 
One of Elder Newton’s relatives and another member had similar dreams of a larger building. A few weeks later, at the end of the Easter Morning Service in 1967, a pastor came to Christian Tabernacle and spoke to Elder Newton about the church building that they were moving out of, and asked if he would be interested in looking at the church. The same day, Elder Newton and a few others went to look at the church, and much to their amazement, the building was the same one that the two ladies had dreamed of. Look at God! Within days, the congregation found themselves in their new church home at 1635 Jackson. This edifice was about five times the size as the little storefront.
 
In 1973, redevelopment in the area caused Elder Newton and his congregation to again search for another building. A very large and beautiful church at 2310 E. Linwood Boulevard became available for lease with promise that Christian Tabernacle would be the first to know if and when the property became available for sale. Pastor Newton kept the faith and constantly taught and preached faith to his congregation. The church grew in faith and great numbers for ten years at “Linwood”. Suddenly, during the winter months of 1982, and without any notice, the church was sold to another congregation and Elder Newton had only six weeks to find another place of worship. They literally had no place to go.
 
Just as quickly as one door closed, another one opened. In March of 1983, Reverend Hans Frich, an associate of Elder Newton, in a ministerial alliance that they were both members of, called pastor Newton and said, “Come and go with me. I think I’ve found a church that you would be interested in.” Elder Newton called his wife to go with him, and on a snowy day in February, they went to 7405 Paseo Boulevard, and took a tour of the building. Later in the week, pastor Newton, the trustees, and some of the members went to the church to see for themselves the blessing that God had just provided for the near homeless congregation. They were speaking those things that be not as though they were. What a joyous and glorious time they had that night, as they went through the building praying and laying sanctified hands on the pews, and offices, and Sunday School rooms. In about 45 days, 7405 Paseo Boulevard became the new home of Christian Tabernacle. Christian Tabernacle still stands as a beacon light in the south Kansas City community. We serve the community through outreach ministries, such as Project Warmth (coats and blankets), Food Pantry, Thanksgiving and Christmas basket giveaways, Toys 4 Tots, nursing home and prison ministry, back to school supplies, etc.
 
Superintendent Newton was appointed to the office of bishop in the Western Missouri First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction in 1999, where he served faithfully until he was called to the Church Triumphant on March 30, 2007. The Christian Tabernacle Church of God In Christ yet moves on by the mighty power of God, and is now experiencing phenomenal growth naturally and spiritually under the pastorate of Bishop Newton’s eldest son, Elder Keith Newton, I.