The Norwich Tabernacle was started in 1985. Ren Rutledge and his two daughters: Melody and Michelle came to New England led of God to raise up a work that would later reach around the world. He came with a vision; one that is still in effect these many years later. Pastor Rutledge ministered in Norwich for 32 years.

He used his passion and experience in Radio and TV to reach for souls appearing first on WJJF 1180AM. Later, in the early nineties, he was called by the owner of WJJF, John Fuller, and asked to take all day Sunday on his new WBMW 106.5FM radio station, the most powerful FM radio station at the time. Many of the saints in the church gained on-air radio experience during this time. John Fuller also gave Pastor Rutledge air time on his Providence station WPJB 102.7FM.

In the late eighties, the New England School of the Bible TV program began on Norwich’s public access station and remains till this day. In addition, the TV broadcast now airs in Westerly, RI., New London County, and Windham County, CT. We look forward to expanding into Boston and New York.

The Internet became a huge part of Norwich Tabernacle’s outreach in the mid-nineties. Pastor Rutledge, using the Internet, became one of the first churches to broadcast a live service online using a website called mp3.com co-founded by Michael Robertson and Greg Flores in 1997. Over the years, as the Internet evolved, Norwich Tabernacle evolved with it using live broadcasting on social media to reach souls for Jesus Christ.

Pastor Ren Rutledge passed away on August 13, 2017. But the work continues…