The Chosen Vessel Cathedral sits on Campus Drive in southeast Fort Worth, Texas, a Pentecostal church whose 2026 Homecoming will mark 106 years of continuous ministry in the city. Themed "Honoring Our Legacy, Embracing Our Future," the anniversary frames the church's story as a long arc of faith, family, and community life in the same neighborhood where the congregation was first gathered in the early 1920s. Today, The Chosen Vessel (often shortened to TCVC) draws a multigenerational congregation around Spirit-filled preaching, gospel music, and a tightly organized network of lay ministries that serve every age group on Campus Drive and, through an active online presence, far beyond it.
The Senior Pastor is Bishop Marvin L. Sapp, a celebrated gospel artist, author, and ordained bishop. He is the Co-Founder of Lighthouse Full Life Center Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and serves as a Metropolitan Bishop who oversees more than 100 churches in the Central Deanery of Global United Fellowship, the Pentecostal body to which The Chosen Vessel belongs. Bishop Sapp is recognized for his preaching as well as for his music - his own church describes him as "not a singer that happens to preach, but a Preacher called by God who is gifted to sing" - and his recordings, including the chart-topping single "Never Would Have Made It," have earned multiple Grammy nominations, Stellar Awards, Dove Awards, and BMI songwriter honors over a career that began with the gospel group Commissioned in 1990. He is joined in ministry at The Chosen Vessel by First Lady Dr. La'Boris Sapp.
The church's stated mission is plain: to lead people to honor and glorify Jesus Christ. Its beliefs are Bible-based and centered on Christ, and the church teaches that spiritual growth happens through intentional practices - giving one's heart to God, putting God first, connecting with a ministry, spending daily time in Scripture, memorizing Scripture, praying, and receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Members are encouraged to grow in faith not only on Sunday but through the week, anchored in Scripture and the fellowship of a ministry community.
Sunday Mornings and Tuesday Night Live
Worship at The Chosen Vessel follows a clear weekly rhythm. Two Sunday morning services are held in person at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM CST. Adult Sunday School meets from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM, and a Live Youth Church runs at 11:00 AM for students, providing age-appropriate teaching and worship alongside the second morning service. The midweek gathering, called Tuesday Night Live, takes place at 7:30 PM CST and is offered both in person at the Campus Drive sanctuary and online. An online broadcast is also available earlier in the evening on Tuesdays for those who prefer to join remotely.
All services are livestreamed on YouTube, and online giving is available through Givelify. Visitors who would like to plan a first visit can do so through the Plan Your Visit page on the church's online home.
Music and Fine Arts
Worship at The Chosen Vessel is shaped by a deep commitment to gospel music and the arts. The Music and Fine Arts Ministry is organized into four units: a Worship Team that leads Spirit-filled praise and points every heart back to Jesus, a Praise Team that brings energy and bold declaration, a band of Musicians who play with discipline and sensitivity, and a Choir called The Sound, whose blended voices are described as a powerful expression of unity and worship. The wider umbrella of the ministry also includes a Mime Ministry, a Liturgical Dance Ministry, and a Drama Ministry, all of which can be joined by members who want to use their gifts in service. Those interested in joining any of these teams can apply through the music ministry page.
MoMENtum: Ministry to Men
MoMENtum is the men's ministry of The Chosen Vessel, a brotherhood inspired by 1 Corinthians 15:58. The ministry gathers men for fellowship, in-depth Bible study, mentorship from older believers, and active service in the community, and it describes its calling as helping men embrace their roles as sons, brothers, husbands, fathers, and friends. Events such as Shop Talk - a brunch-and-conversation gathering held at the church - give men space to connect, while ongoing Bible study and mentorship equip them for daily life. The ministry's tagline, "nothing we do for the Lord is ever useless," reflects its emphasis on faith expressed in action.
RefresHER: Ministry to Women
RefresHER is the women's ministry of The Chosen Vessel, designed for women of every age and stage. It centers on encouragement and real connection, worship and prayer gatherings, Bible-based teaching meant to equip women for daily life, and pastoral support through difficult seasons. RefresHER hosts annual gatherings for women in the church, including Girl Fight, an afternoon dedicated to women who have battled cancer or are still in the fight. Attendees are invited to dress in pink and stand together in faith, strength, love, and support.
Connex: Ministry to Young Adults
Connex is the young adult ministry, geared toward adults who want to grow in faith while navigating career, finances, and community. The ministry organizes networking events, financial classes, career preparation sessions, brunches, and local mission projects, and it surveys its members to find out which events they would attend and which they would help plan. Members of Connex often serve as a feeder into other ministries across the church, including children's, youth, music, and hospitality teams.
Children, Youth, and the Silver Saints
Children are welcomed at The Chosen Vessel through Children's Church, which runs alongside the regular Sunday services and is staffed by background-checked volunteers. Students from ages three to five can be part of Chosen Kids, while students ages six through eighteen are served by Chosen Youth, both of which are organized under the church's children's and youth ministry umbrella. The Live Youth Church at 11:00 AM on Sunday mornings provides a parallel worship experience for students during the second morning service.
For adults aged 55 and older, the Silver Saints Ministry plans fellowship outings, trips, and gatherings throughout the year, including a seven-day Caribbean cruise out of Galveston that brings the group to Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.
Chosen Vessel Everywhere and the Chosen Ministerial Alliance
For members and friends who are traveling, ill, or out of town, Chosen Vessel Everywhere is the church's online ministry. It allows absent members to tune in to services live or rebroadcast, and it offers Cyberchurch Membership to people outside the Fort Worth area who want to be part of the church's life from afar. The ministry frames its work around Mark 16:15-16 and the call to preach the gospel to every creature.
For believers called to vocational ministry, the Chosen Ministerial Alliance (CMA) gathers the pastors, ministers, and ministry leaders of the church for ongoing teaching and equipping. CMA video teaching features Bishop Sapp and other pastors addressing topics such as prayer and sermon preparation. The alliance grounds itself in passages like Romans 12:4-5, Philippians 2:2, and 2 Timothy 3:16, and sees itself as an outreach-minded body committed to making disciples of all nations.
Serving and Belonging
The Chosen Vessel is built on lay ministry. Members can join teams as Parking Lot Attendants - often the first point of contact for guests arriving on Campus Drive - or as Brother Servants, the church's term for ushers who serve inside the sanctuary. Other volunteer opportunities include Greeters, Campus Enhancement (a team that tends the church's grounds and prepares the sanctuary for Sunday), Visions Bookstore (a small in-house shop where members and visitors can browse books, cards, and apparel over coffee), and the Audio/Video Media Ministry, which operates cameras, sound reinforcement, projection, and lighting for worship services.
The church also runs an annual Engage Conference that mobilizes hundreds of Door Holders - the term the church prefers over "volunteer," drawn from Psalm 84:10 - to serve during the gathering.
Anyone who wants to make The Chosen Vessel their church home is invited to take the Next Steps Class, a short orientation that explains the church's beliefs, ministries, and member expectations. Membership is open to any Christian believer who desires to draw closer to the Lord, and new members are paired with mentors from the ACTS Ministry (Acclimating Christians To Serve) to help them settle in. The four steps to membership are simple: complete the membership form, attend the New Member Class, live out membership vows by getting involved in a ministry, and continue growing in faith and fellowship.
Planning a Visit
The Chosen Vessel Cathedral is located at 4650 Campus Drive, Fort Worth, TX 76119. Sunday services are held at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM CST, with Sunday School for adults from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM and a Live Youth Church at 11:00 AM. Tuesday Night Live begins at 7:30 PM CST, with an online option available earlier in the evening. All services can be joined online through the church's YouTube channel. Visitors with questions can reach the church office at (817) 413-9849 or info@thechosenvessel.org.