Bishop Toussaint’s $60 million megachurch sparks mixed reactions among Haitians

By  Dieudonné Joachim and Fritznel D. Octave

MIAMI—One year after leading a global prayer movement for Haiti, Bishop Gregory Toussaint, senior pastor and CEO of Tabernacle of Glory (TG), has set the religious community abuzz once again. This time, the conversations sparked among followers of his Shekinah.fm platform and the broader Haitian community are about the $60 million, 60,000-square-foot church Toussaint inaugurated in Haitian-heavy North Miami.

Over the weekend of July 5 to 7, thousands flocked to the church – located at 390 NW 161st Street, North Miami, FL– with pride and excitement at the first-of-its-kind building in the Haitian diaspora. Throughout, worshippers and the curious alike sizzled with the electricity of the opening, braving the scorching sun and oppressive heat of South Florida to contemplate this grandiose achievement. 

“This achievement is a source of pride for the entire Haitian community,” said Marguerite Guerrier, a participant in the inaugural ceremony on July 5. “It goes beyond religion and divisions and represents a new beginning for Haitians living in Florida.”

In other places, however, on social media, traditional media and in private conversations, the megachurch six years in the making has aroused not only admiration, but criticism.

“60 million invested in constructing a temple where thousands of Christians will pray to God and ask him for jobs,’” Pierre Pierre Perkens asked on X. “That money could be better off invested in a business to provide jobs to many Haitians instead. We could do better imitating other nations that are building restaurants and hospitals.” 

After 20 years, church finally has own home

The ribbon-cutting ceremony coincided with the church’s annual 40-day fasting program and a 10-day conference, which saw well over 4,000 nightly attendees. 

Even with a capacity of 4,000, including 2,500 seats in the main sanctuary, many people were unable to find a seat inside the building. Organizers planted an air-conditioned tent equipped with giant projector screens for those who were not lucky enough to be seated inside to watch everything live.

For many church faithful, this achievement creates stability and a sense of ownership after being without a physical facility to call home since its inception nearly two decades ago. For the first nine years, services were held inside a leased space on the second floor of North Miami’s Bank of America building, then at North Miami Senior High School for another decade. 

But from now on, TG has a central and permanent address. The North Miami campus will serve as the headquarters to 62 TG branches worldwide, including locations leased in France, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Chile, the Dominican Republic and Brazil.

Marie Rose Josma sees the achievement as a precious experience and a divine blessing. 

“This is also our pride as a community,” the TG congregant said.

In his inauguration remarks, Toussaint told the worshippers about being denied by more than a dozen lenders, resolving to raise the $2.5 million needed to purchase the land, then continuing to raise the remaining funds to build over 10 years what is now an award-winning facility. 

“This is very significant for us because it provides stability,” Bishop Toussaint said. “A congregation that does not have its own place is vulnerable to disappearance, almost at any time. We were limited to the hours available to us. It’s also a big deal because we have a central place where we can serve the community,” he rejoiced.

Cornerstone of community in the making

For many, this occasion was not only about the inauguration of a worship center but also an important milestone for the Haitian American community. It drew a wide range of personalities – from political and religious leaders, elected officials, and community and business leaders – eager to witness history in the making. Among them, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava,  District Chairman Oliver G. Gilbert III and Miami-Dade District Commissioner Marleine Bastien.

“More than the leaders who built this temple well,” Gilbert said, “ what I saw in this bishop was a preacher in this community.”

“This is only the beginning,” said Bastien, adding that the real work would continue. “This inauguration is a historic event for the Haitian community in Florida. The Tabernacle of Glory is a place of gathering and inspiration for the faithful and a symbol of the promising future of the community.”

“The Haitian community must take the Tabernacle as a model to better inspire itself,” Rodnay Joseph, a candidate for U.S. Senate Florida in the Democratic Party primaries, said.

Too many, Toussaint’s accomplishments go beyond the religious.

 My conception of the gospel of poverty changed after having participated in a week of training in the Netherlands for 10,000 preachers from all corners of the world in 2000. “My first big lesson was that our thoughts are what limit us.

Bishop Gregory Toussaint

According to the church’s leaders, TG will serve not only as a place of spiritual refuge for the community, but as a haven for families seeking affordable housing, professional development, education and economic opportunities. They have announced plans to offer courses in project management and digital design, to build a housing development nearby and to establish a faith-based school and a credit union, the Shekinah Family Credit Union.

Leaders in other communities also celebrated the project. 

Congolese Pastor Marcelo Tunasi, for one, posted on X, “I’m Proud of you, my friend and brother Gregory Toussaint, for the inauguration of the temple. May all the glory go to Jesus Christ. Congratulations to the Tabernacle of Glory churches!”

Amid praise, no shortage of criticism

The building structure is designed to reflect the vibrant and fast-growing personality of the congregation, with a beautiful exterior tower, a cascading waterfall, and the prominent church TG logo. The tower accents a circular-themed design for the main building with terraced and partitioned side walls that wrap around the entire building. A curved and elongated eyebrow is above the spacious main entrance and a beautiful transom window. This architectural element hangs high above the spacious main entrance, creating a welcoming and grand entryway.

As for the interior experience, the cutting-edge audio-video-lighting systems in the Sanctuary will ensure that everyone attending Tabernacle of Glory worship services will have the most spiritually dramatic and inspiring impressions.  

“The church’s top-end audio system, holograms, backlit ceiling, and advanced video and lighting systems are designed to enhance the worship experience,” the organization leaders said.

Siebenlist Architects, a Texas-based firm that designed the church, received Build Architecture Award in 2021 in the category of Best Completed Liturgical Institution in the U.S.                                                                                                                         

But still, despite all the accolades, the church’s substantial investment has also drawn criticism.

Some have expressed reservations, while others have been grumbling about the ambitious project.

One vocal critic is Amel Lafleur, the pastor who came under fire for touching his daughter during a live-streamed church service. Lafleur has criticized the substantial investments required, saying such funds could have been better allocated to address pressing social issues in the Haitian community.

“The Tabernacle of Glory has nothing to do with a temple; it is a cemetery led by Gregory Toussaint,” Lafleur said via YouTube. “This movement of the invisible world will soon be destroyed.”

Soliciting financial contributions from the congregation, such as the “Solomon’s Offering” of $1,000, is also seen by some as placing undue financial pressure on church members. On various social platforms, criticisms have been abundant, even virulent at times.

“It’s a matter of personal business for him [Toussaint] and his cronies,” said X user Max-Imbert Marcelin. He added, “Why not build a beautiful restaurant or a supermarket?”

Toussaint has responded to some of the criticisms, saying he did not believe that to spread the “good news” one had to be poor and deprived of material means.

“My conception of the gospel changed after participating in a week of training in the Netherlands for 10,000 preachers from all corners of the world in 2000,” the senior pastor said. “I learned from one of the organizers that the week’s training session cost a whopping $40 million. And the sponsor was none other than the late famous American Evangelist Billy Graham.”

“After spending so much in one week, I noticed that Billy Graham had not become poor,” Toussaint said. “My first big lesson was that there is no favoritism in serving God. Anyone can serve the Lord in their own way, at their level. Our thoughts are what limit us.” 

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Bishop Toussaint’s $60 million megachurch sparks mixed reactions among Haitians was first posted on July 16, 2024 at 12:17 pm.