About

About Us
WELCOME TO TABERNACLE BAPTIST CHURCH!

Church History

Under the calling of Dr. Brad Gunter, Tabernacle Baptist Church held its first service in March 1976 in temporary facilities right down the street from its present location at Stizzo’s Music Center on Melody Lane for the first two years. It organized in May 1976, incorporated in February 1977, and started Valley Christian Academy in 1978. In 2002 the Church purchased 3.5 acres located right across the street at the corner of Melody Lane and W. Whyte Avenue with a vision of eventually building an elementary school, new sanctuary, and an additional gymnasium/theatre only as the Lord would provide.

Leadership

Tabernacle Baptist Church is presently under the leadership of Dr. Brad Gunter as pastor. He is the founding pastor and administrator of Valley Christian Academy.

Prior to his current position, he served as children’s pastor and bus director in Alexandria, Louisiana prior to then moving where he served as assistant pastor and bus ministry director at Canyon Creek Baptist Church in Richardson, Texas from October 1972 to November 1975. Feeling God’s call to start a church and school, he moved to Sacramento.

Pastor Gunter received an AA from Napa Junior College in May 1971. He then transferred to Stanislaus State College where he was planning on entering into teaching at the high school level and coaching. Feeling God’s call into ministry his junior year at Stanislaus State, he finished his BA degree in 1973, completed his MA in Christian Counseling in 1981, and went on to earn a doctorate in Christian Counseling in 1988.