HISTORY

Tanglewood Church was chartered in the year 1938. The charter members, under the leadership of Pastor Frank Bradshaw, met on Orion Street in Kinston, North Carolina.

Services moved from Orion Street to the recreation building at Simon Bright Apartments. Later locations included worship facilities on Desmond Street and Hooker Street. In the early years of the church there were economically hard times. Pastors sometimes survived on produce and chickens, tithed by members. During these difficult days, the women of the church would sell chicken plates each Friday in order to make the payments on the Hooker and Desmond Street buildings. The Desmond Street location had only a sawdust floor until the men worked together to put flooring down. In 1969, property was purchased on Rouse Road for $15,000. A church building was constructed, at a cost of $30,000, in 1972. Two years later, a parsonage was purchased for $40,000.

A turning point in our church history was in 1982 when Pastor Kenneth Hensley, and his wife Priscila, came to Tanglewood. During his 11 year tenure the church experienced substantial growth in all areas. As the Lord blessed, and our congregation grew, the need for a new sanctuary became very evident. Under the leadership of Pastor Hensley, construction was begun on a new 400 seat sanctuary. This building program was completed in 1985, and involved the transformation of the former sanctuary into an educational department.

On October 27, 1990 the foundation was laid for a Family Life Center. Once again, the air was filled with excitement as our men began construction. The Family Life Center was completed in 1991 and contains a gymnasium, a fully-equipped kitchen, and spacious classrooms.

Under the leadership of Pastor Timothy Lanier the Tanglewood Church continued to experience growth and as a result the need arose yet again to build a new Sanctuary. By the year 2000 this building project was completed, providing this church community with not only a spacious worship area but also a new administrative office complex.

Today Tanglewood Church is once more looking ahead and experiencing God’s plan within this community of Faith by adding more classrooms in a new education building, providing much needed space for our growing children and adult Sunday School classes. Now under the leadership and vision of Pastor Allen Stocks, Tanglewood Church is “Moving Forward” to pursue what God has in store for us as a community of believers.