Pastor Harold and Barbara Arrington
Church History
The Late Pastor Harold Adam Arrington founded Bethel House of Prayer in Dixmoor, Illinois and later changed the name of the church to Bethel Gospel Tabernacle when the church grew and moved to Harvey. Bethel has touched thousands of lives throughout the South Suburban area through its years of Vacation Bible School and at one time had one of the largest Sunday Schools in the area. Pastor and Mother Arrington have avidly supported foreign missions in Liberia, West Africa, and Malawi, along with other missions throughout the world.
Pastor Arrington pioneered the first local preaching of the gospel from Chicago television station WCIU Channel 26 with the “Impact” television broadcast in 1970. For 25 years he also hosted a radio program named, “The Tabernacle Hour” affectionately known as “America’s Prayer Meeting of the Air” where people called in for prayer and untold thousands of lives were changed and transformed through the power of God. Many people were saved, healed, and delivered. He would often have an old fashioned tent meeting in the summer where he would lay hands on drug addicts and those with other vices and issues and see them set free by the power of almighty God. He was an old school preacher who simply believed and boldly proclaimed all of God’s word from traditional marriage to clean living, faithfulness, living within your financial means, and actively looking for the return of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Pastor Arrington’s real burden was for black men.
He said they were an endangered species so he started a residential rehabilitation program for men called, “Page One” where they could be set free from alcohol and drug addictions. This blossomed into Bethel Human Services and Outreach Ministry with food pantry, housing support, and the daily community feeding program that feeds families 365 days of the year. He was a highly sought after Counselor, Mentor, Advisor, Political strategist, Community Advocate and Father to countless families, ministers, and elected officials and a former School District 147 School Board Member. Pastor Arrington was a humble man but highly intelligent, and an intellectual giant. He was very well versed in local and global events and was gifted in putting everything in context with the Word of God and end time events. He was extremely knowledgeable and well versed not only in the Word of God, but also involved in local and regional affairs. He was a warrior in the faith and a respected leader and activist in his own community.
He was known for his kindness, grace, humility, and loyalty. Since his homegoing on January 25, 2014, his son John Arrington is now the Pastor of Bethel Gospel Tabernacle.