Berachah Bible Church began in a
Bible study in the fall of 1970. One of the contributing factors
was the refusal of Bible believing churches in the Atlanta area
to receive African Americans into their congregations. The founding
pastor, Howard Dial, was teaching at Carver
Bible College to train African Americans for ministry. It
was his vision to establish a church where Bible exposition governed
the life of the congregation and challenged the deficiencies
of the culture.
The word “Berachah” means
blessing. This name was given to a valley in Israel in celebration
of a great victory God had given His people. It was in that place
that the Lord God did wonderful things to provide for all Judah
and the inhabitants of Jerusalem (II Chronicles 20:26). It was
the desire of the founding members to live up to its name by
proclaiming the excellencies of God in word and in deeds.
A Vision Statement
The vision for Berachah is to offer
a pulpit ministry that will provide spiritual nourishment through
the preaching of the whole counsel of God, to exalt the redemptive
work of Jesus Christ, to send its people out into their homes
and neighborhoods alive with gospel witness, to gather on the
Lord’s Day to worship with authentic zeal for God, to be
a congregation filled with vibrant body life, to welcome people
from all racial and ethnic groups, and to carry the light of
the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth.