As Keys Change Hands, Temple Becomes Church

A set of keys to the door of a Park Avenue building passed from the hand of a rabbi into the hand of a pastor recently. With the exchange, the building, which had served the Jewish community for 60 years as a synagogue officially became a Christian church.

Rabbi Amy Levin of and Pastor Allen Pangburn of Praise Tabernacle Church on Magnolia Street announced that the two congregations had finalized the sale of the Park Avenue building, the first stage of which was dedicated in 1952.

"That building has been a gracious, inspiring spiritual and physical home for our congregation ever since," Levin said.

But the West Bay Jewish community has moved south over the decades. Eighty-percent of the children enrolled in Torat Yisrael pre-k to middle school religious education programs live in East Greenwich and North Kingstown.

“Jewish community always thrives when a close-knit community can
gather in an accessible location.  We have loved this neighborhood and
this neighborhood has been very good to us, but the critical mass of
our membership is no longer living in this area of Rhode Island," the rabbi said.

The temple's status of a house of worship was removed in a ceremony on April 22 when the congregation's sacred Torah scrolls were taken from the building in procession. They are being held for safekeeping in East Greenwich until the congregation's new synagogue building is dedicated at the end of the year.

For Praise Tabernacle, the new building will provide more space for the congregation, which has outgrown its present facilities. The non-denominational church started in 1953 by Pastor Gene Zinni and has been located at 251 Magnolia Street since 1956. Pastor Allen Pangburn has been the Pastor since 1999 and Youth Pastor Noel Hernandez has been serving since 2001.

"Praise Tabernacle's goal is to always communicate to people that God is their friend," a release stated. "Be it feeding the homeless daily from our food truck, or going to senior citizens' homes and painting their nails."

“Praise Tabernacle is always reaching out to the churched and the dechurched. As we move in to the facilities of Temple Torat Yisrael we honor and respect the great heritage of the Jewish Community and nation, and 'pray for the peace of Jerusalem,'" Panburn said.

Levin said the Jewish community finds "profound significance in the fact the God of Abraham will continue to be served by the membership of the wonderful Praise Tabernacle Church community."

"Our Torat Yisrael congregation feels as though we are bequeathing a rich spiritual legacy to our building’s newest faith community.”

Praise Tabernacle expects to have its first service at the new building after interior renovations are completed by early this summer.