Tribal Ministry

The Tribal Ministry is the result of a vision of Dr. Melvin O. Marriner, Senior Pastor, to ensure that as the church grows, the family connection of care for each family will be maintained and even strengthened.

MISSION:

The mission of the Tribal Ministry of Grove Baptist Church is to aid in the connection and the fellowship of our church membership by:

1. Ministering to the needs of their everyday situations.
2. Establishing a relationship with others in the body of believers.
3. Promoting spiritual family cohesiveness between the church members by encouraging them to understand who they are in the body of Christ and by unleashing their spiritual self-identity, which is essential in aiding them to realize their potential.

GOALS:

The purpose of the Tribal Ministry is to maintain close contact with all the members of the church. This system provides a way of our members to feel our interest in them, our concern for their total spiritual life, and our joy in their relationship to the church. Our goals are:

1. Support the continued spiritual growth of every member.
2. Bring each member into a close relationship to the church.
3. Increase communication with others.
4. Maintain connectivity.
5. Stay committed to the vision.
6. Support the mission of the church.
7. Abide by the membership covenant.
8. Strengthen the family unit.

ORGANIZATION:

The tribal unit played an important role in the formation of the nation of Israel. The "tribe" was the major social unit that comprised the makeup of the nation. Each tribe was comprised of "clans." The clan was comprised of the individual households or families.

There are too many households or families in Grove Baptist Church to manage with just one person being responsible for an entire tribe. Therefore a tribe is made up of clans and each clan will represent a number of families. One family represents a household.

TRIBES:

The ancestral background of "the tribes of Israel" goes back to the patriarch Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel (Gen 32:28). The nation of Israel was identified as "the children of Israel," or more literally "the sons of Israel." According to the biblical account, the family of Jacob had twelve sons from which the tribes came. The names of our tribe at Grove Baptist Church are the same as the 12 tribes or Israel. Families will be assigned to a particular tribe based on the city in which they live.

Chesapeake, Va

• Ephraim
• Manasseh
• Zebulun

Portsmouth, Va

• Issachar
• Judah
• Reuben
• Simeon

Suffolk, Va

• Benjamin
• Dan
• Naphtali

All Other Cities and Out of State, Va

• Asher
• Gad

Click on your assigned Tribe to view your Tribal Leaders.

LEVITE TRIBE:

The Levite Tribe was formed for those members who have not completed New Members Class. The Levite Tribe will encourage members to complete New Members Class, and assist them in the registration process and with any other needs while they are members of the Levite Tribe. They will remain in the Levite Tribe until they have completed New Members Class and then will be assigned to a tribe based on the city in which they live.

• Davis, Waltrina - Chesapeake, Virginia
• Hudson, Harriet - Portsmouth, Virginia
• Lawrence, Sabrina - Suffolk, Virginia
• Surncey, Valerie - Other Cities, and Out of State