Most people know Ocean City, New Jersey as America’s Greatest Family Resort. What fewer people know is why it became that — and that the answer begins not on the boardwalk, but inside a church.
In 1879, four Methodist ministers purchased a barrier island called Peck’s Beach with a singular purpose: to create a Christian seaside retreat where families could rest, worship, and grow in faith — all within sight of the Atlantic Ocean. What they built became one of the most beloved beach towns on the East Coast. And at the center of it all, then and now, stands the Ocean City Tabernacle.
Four Ministers and a Vision
The founders were Reverends Ezra B. Lake, James Lake, S. Wesley Lake, and William Burrell — all Methodist ministers with a shared conviction that faith and rest were not mutually exclusive. In their vision, a family should be able to spend a summer week at the shore without sacrificing the rhythms of worship, community, and spiritual growth.
They formed the Ocean City Association, mapped out the town, laid the streets, built the bridges and infrastructure, and constructed the Tabernacle itself — all in service of that founding mission. Reverend Burrell captured it simply in 1881:
“We consecrate another portion of this coast to the service of God, and for the best interests of humanity… where a Christian family may pleasantly and profitably spend the heated term.”
That founding intent — faith, family, and the shore, held together — is not simply a historical footnote. It is the reason Ocean City, New Jersey remains a dry town to this day. It is why the Tabernacle still opens its doors every Sunday morning in June, July, and August. And it is why hundreds of thousands of visitors return year after year, generation after generation.
Building a City Around a Tabernacle
The Tabernacle was not incidental to Ocean City’s founding — it was the organizing principle around which the city was built. Streets radiated outward from the Tabernacle’s location at Asbury Avenue and 6th Street. The town’s name itself reflected the founders’ intent: Ocean City, grounded in Christian community at the water’s edge.
From the beginning, the Tabernacle served as the spiritual and social heart of the island. It hosted services, concerts, community gatherings, and civic events — a role it has never relinquished. Today, the Tabernacle’s 1,000-seat sanctuary draws nationally recognized speakers every summer Sunday morning at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m., continuing the same tradition the Lake brothers began nearly 150 years ago.
What Has Changed — and What Hasn’t
Ocean City has grown in ways its founders could scarcely have imagined. The boardwalk stretches two and a half miles. Millions of visitors arrive each summer. The Tabernacle itself has expanded to include a preschool, after-school programs, youth initiatives, concert series, and facility rentals for visiting churches and community groups.
And yet the mission Reverend Burrell articulated in 1881 remains unchanged. The Tabernacle still exists to offer a place where faith and family life can flourish together, by the sea, in a community built for exactly that purpose.
In 2026, the Tabernacle enters its 147th year of ministry — and the vision that launched it is as alive as it has ever been.
Partner With Us
Each season, the Tabernacle becomes a place where people gather to hear the Word of God, worship together, and be renewed in their faith. our support helps make that possible—strengthening a ministry that proclaims the Gospel, invests in the next generation, and provides a place where residents and visitors alike can encounter truth, encouragement, and community. By partnering with the Tabernacle, you are helping ensure that this work continues with clarity, purpose, and lasting impact.
