Our Pastors
Jim Cymbala | SENIOR PASTOR
Although unforeseen by them, God soon called Pastor Cymbala and Carol into ministry. Arriving at the Brooklyn Tabernacle, they found a congregation of fewer than twenty people meeting in a rundown building located in an impoverished part of downtown Brooklyn. During his early years of ministry, discouragements and challenges nearly led Pastor Cymbala to resign. He desperately sought the Lord for a breakthrough in the church and in his ministry that would reflect what could be seen in the early church in the book of Acts. God clearly spoke to his heart that prayer was the source of the power and change that they needed. As a result, the Tuesday night prayer meeting became the most important service of the week for the church. Today Pastor Cymbala’s ministry is still characterized by his emphasis on prayer in the church and dependence on the Holy Spirit for His leading and power.
Over the years, God has shown His faithfulness to Pastor Cymbala and Carol and their congregation in many miraculous ways. Their present campus includes a large renovated theater in downtown Brooklyn, where thousands of people come each week to hear the good news of Jesus.
Pastor Cymbala has a strong burden for the local church and has been blessed with the opportunity to encourage thousands of pastors around the country and world with what God has taught him throughout his fifty-plus years of ministry.
Pastor Cymbala is the author of several books, including Spirit Rising; Breakthrough Prayer; and Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, which was named 2000’s Christian Book of the Year. He has also preached a number of sermon series and made several video series on prayer and other important topics for the Christian church.
Pastor Jim Cymbala continues to serve as senior pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle. His wife, Carol, directs the six-time Grammy Award–winning Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, whose music has blessed people around the world. Together they have been blessed with three children, seven grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.
Alex Burgos | ASSOCIATE PASTOR
Pastor Alex Burgos was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, where he met the Lord at a young age. Both his great-uncle and his uncle were ministers of the gospel. Pastor Burgos is a graduate of Nyack College Alliance Theological Seminary, where he received his master’s degree in pastoral studies. He began attending the Brooklyn Tabernacle in 1985 and sang in the choir for eleven years. In 2002 he joined the staff of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, where he now serves as associate pastor. Pastor Burgos does extensive counseling and has oversight of many ministries in the church. He also serves on the boards of directors of several organizations and meets with pastors around the country to provide encouragement.
Lincoln Fritz | ASSOCIATE PASTOR
Pastor Lincoln Fritz is an associate pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle. Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, he joined the staff in 2015 as executive pastor and is responsible for the overall operations of the church. In that capacity he works closely with finance, human resources, information technology, and operations to ensure the highest standard of practice. In addition, he has oversight responsibility for the associate pastors and ministry leaders. Previously his professional career was in international banking, where he held global and county head positions.
Charles Hammond | ASSOCIATE PASTOR
Pastor Charles Hammond was raised in a Christian home and gave his heart to Christ at a young age. After college Pastor Hammond began a career in business but soon realized that God was calling him into full-time ministry. After serving for eight years in the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, he joined the pastoral staff in 1988. Over the years Pastor Hammond has served in counseling, directed the men’s chorus and the evangelism ministry, and led praise and worship in the church. Pastor Hammond has a strong passion to see lives transformed and used for kingdom building.
Justin Lewandowski | ASSOCIATE PASTOR
Pastor Justin Lewandowski was born and raised in Brooklyn. He attended Brooklyn Tech High School, Hunter College, and Nyack College. He worked in the real estate market for eleven years. In 2013 he felt God calling him back to a relationship with Him, and shortly after he started attending the Brooklyn Tabernacle. In the midst of this, Justin felt God urging him to leave real estate and rely on Him to provide. God was true to His word and provided Justin a position on staff at the Brooklyn Tabernacle. Today Justin oversees various ministries at the church, including men’s ministry, evangelism, welcome ministry, translation, and membership. He also heads up a chapel team at the Bowery Mission that ministers to the unsheltered. He lives with his wife and five kids in Brooklyn. Justin’s burden and desire is to see souls won for Jesus and men built up and revived through fellowship and study of the Word.
Jerry Park | ASSOCIATE PASTOR
Pastor Jerry Park worked in the technology and financial industry for many years. In 2000 he began putting together short mission prayer videos for the Brooklyn Tabernacle’s Tuesday night prayer meetings. Soon afterward he began organizing and leading teams to minister with our missionaries. Within a few years, he began the Brooklyn Tabernacle missions ministry, whose members meet regularly to pray for the world, organize short-term mission trips, and provide training and education about missions and the persecuted church. His experience in working in the impoverished and underprivileged Majority World led Pastor Park to create the non-profit World Compassion Fellowship, which has launched medical life centers and funded other international humanitarian projects.
Eric Perez | ASSOCIATE PASTOR
Pastor Eric J. Perez was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. He spent more than twenty years in the federal law enforcement and banking industries until the Lord called him into full-time ministry in 2022. He oversees the Brooklyn Tabernacle family and marriage ministries, along with his wife, Elsie. He is passionate about ministering Jesus to unbelievers, helping new believers become rooted in Christ, and strengthening marriages and families through faith and biblical principles. Eric and Elsie have been happily married for twenty-five years; together they are the proud parents of three young-adult sons.
Brian Pettrey | ASSOCIATE PASTOR
Pastor Brian Pettrey was born and raised in Clarksburg, West Virginia. While attending college at the Virginia Military Institute, he came to a place of desperation in his life that led him to read the Bible. He soon invited Jesus into his heart, and his life was supernaturally changed. Pastor Pettrey received his master’s degree in public policy at Regent University, and in 1996 he moved his young family to New York City, where he began serving at the Brooklyn Tabernacle. Within a few years, God called Pastor Pettrey into full-time ministry at the church. After directing the young-adult ministry for three years, Pastor Pettrey was ordained as an associate pastor. Today he oversees several ministries of the Brooklyn Tabernacle and encourages people in the Lord through counseling.
Luke Pettrey | ASSOCIATE PASTOR
Pastor Luke Pettrey was born in Queens and raised between Long Island and Brooklyn. In his high school years, he began to feel a call to ministry and a deep burden to see people come to know Jesus. After attending college in Virginia, he moved to Los Angeles, where he served at a Christian recovery program and led a street-evangelism ministry. Despite thinking he would stay in California forever, he felt that God was calling him back to New York City. He returned right before the pandemic and began serving at Sanctus, Brooklyn Tabernacle’s young-adult ministry, where he has served ever since. Luke married Emily, the love of his life, and together they are joyfully serving the Lord and the body of Christ. They have one child. Luke passionately desires to see young adults grow into the fullness of their salvation and to see Jesus glorified in New York City!
James Powell | ASSOCIATE PASTOR
Pastor James C. Powell has been attending the Brooklyn Tabernacle his whole life. He’s had the opportunity to serve in various ministries at the church. He most recently worked in BTKids!, specifically with Remix, the preteen ministry. He has a heart to connect and disciple teens in New York City and around the world. With a master’s in social work, James is attentive to the needs of teens and parents. He has a passion for discipleship and meeting teens where they are. As our director, he points our teens to Jesus and shows them that God can use them now!