At 3269 Old Concord Road SE in Smyrna, Georgia, Highpoint Christian Tabernacle is a non-denominational charismatic church known for gospel preaching, soul winning, and a wide ministry network serving children, adults, seniors, and the surrounding community. Founded in 1985 by Apostle Thomas H. Vinson and Dr. Carolyn Vinson, the church worships at The POINT, a two-building complex with a 1,200-seat sanctuary, Bible college, family resource center, and ministry spaces.
From a Home Worship Service to The POINT
Highpoint began in August 1985 after Apostle Thomas H. Vinson and his wife, Evangelist Carolyn Vinson, moved their family from Denver, Colorado, to Marietta, Georgia, in 1984. Apostle Vinson had served at House of Joy Miracle Deliverance Church under his father-in-law, Apostle Reuben Beechum. After moving to Marietta, the Vinsons held the first Highpoint worship service in their home. Services continued there until growth required a move to a small office space off Canton Road. In 1988, the church moved into a small building owned by Calvary Children's Home. It was the second of four moves the ministry had prophesied. Apostle Vinson had worked for IBM for 23 years, but resigned in March 1990 to serve full time as Highpoint's pastor.
In August 1993, Apostle Vinson led the congregation to 3269 Old Concord Road in Smyrna. The first building seated 700, but people came from the north, south, east, and west until it was full. The Vinsons responded by enlarging the church's borders, and in February 2005 they dedicated a new sanctuary seating 1,200. The two buildings at the Smyrna location are called The POINT complex, which is estimated to be worth nearly $6 million. Approximately 27 ministries operate there. The Vinsons also established the Fellowship of Independent Churches, and Apostle Vinson oversees four other churches through that fellowship.
A Sunday at 10:00 and Wednesday at 7:00
Highpoint's weekly rhythm gives visitors two main gatherings: Sunday worship at 10:00 a.m. and Wednesday Bible study at 7:00 p.m. The church also meets for noonday prayer on Tuesdays and Thursdays and conducts an Outreach Bible study in Cartersville on Tuesday evenings. Sunday worship and Bible teaching can be joined in person or online through HCT TV on YouTube.
- Sunday worship: 10:00 a.m. at 3269 Old Concord Road SE, Smyrna, Georgia 30082. The service is available in person and live online.
- Wednesday Bible study: 7:00 p.m. at the Smyrna complex.
- Noonday prayer: 12:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Building A at the Smyrna complex.
- Cartersville Outreach Bible study: 7:30 p.m. every Tuesday in Cartersville, Georgia.
The 1,200-seat sanctuary is the largest gathering space at the Smyrna address, while Building A is home to The Ark, Sunday School, noonday prayer, and the Shaw Memorial Library and Career Center. The Sunday gathering is centered on Bible teaching and gospel preaching, and Friday Ignite shows the church's pattern of combining worship, prayer, fellowship, and focused ministry for a particular age group. Music also has a prominent place through the women's and recording choirs, Warriors of Praise, and the church's music and fine arts ministry.
Highpoint identifies itself as charismatic and non-denominational, with salvation, deliverance, and soul winning at the center of its identity. Its larger worship gathering also has a strong gospel and music dimension, reflected in choirs, gospel recordings, the Warriors of Praise, and the ministries of Highpoint's music and fine arts team.
The Ark serves children ages 3 to 12 every Sunday at 10:00 a.m. in Building A. On the second and fourth Sundays, registration and drop-off begin at 10:30 a.m. in Building A. Sunday School for all age groups meets at 9:30 a.m. in Building A on the first and third Sundays.
Highpoint includes modest dress among its teachings, and it has a ministry of sign for the deaf. For older children and teens, G.A.N.G., short for God's Anointed New Generation, serves ages 13 to 18, while the wider youth and young adult ministry also meets through monthly gatherings.
The POINT: A Ministry Network for Every Stage of Life
Approximately 27 ministries make up Highpoint's ministry network at The POINT. The network combines congregation-wide gatherings with age-specific groups and practical support services. The Ark, G.A.N.G., men's, women's, marriage, singles, senior, outreach, music, family resource, and Bible college ministries each have a distinct stated focus.
The Ark and G.A.N.G.
The Ark gives children a foundation in the knowledge of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Its teachers use stories, music, and activities, help children explore their gifts and talents, and seek to create future leaders. G.A.N.G. describes its work as making disciples and building God's Kingdom by training teens and young adults to put their gifts to work in the world around them. The ministry uses monthly gatherings and other innovative approaches to help young people operate under the power of the Holy Spirit.
Friday Ignite expands that gathering to a 7:00 p.m. monthly service with worship, prayer, and fellowship. Everyone is welcome for the service portion. The social gathering that follows is reserved for youth and young adults.
Men, Women, Couples and Singles
The Men's Ministry centers on discipleship, biblical teaching, and stronger relationships with the Lord. It emphasizes fellowship, unity, brotherly love, and responsible spiritual leadership in the home, church, and society. Its programs seek to increase men's sense of responsibility so they can assume those roles, proclaim the gospel, meet community needs, and demonstrate what the ministry calls the all-encompassing love of God.
The Women's Ministry was created as a spiritual support system for women. A care-group system connects participants with the pastors, and an annual prayer breakfast, a women's conference, and other gatherings are intended to strengthen and encourage the spiritual walk of those who participate.
The Marriage Ministry, founded by the pastors as an outreach to married couples, offers seminars, group-sharing sessions, outings, and sessions taught exclusively by the pastors. It also provides personal counseling for couples upon request, with the stated aim of strengthening both the natural and spiritual life of marriage.
The Singles Ministry leads single adults into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. It emphasizes that an unmarried person can be whole and complete with the Holy Spirit, rather than needing another person for completion. Members also gather periodically to lift and encourage one another.
Pearls of Essence, Warriors of Praise and Music
Pearls of Essence, formerly called Sponsor Our Seniors, serves adults age 55 and older. It holds evangelistic services and dinner and information days once a quarter, with a trip planned every year or every other year. The ministry also helps members 70 and older through fundraisers and offerings that can offset household bills. Outreach includes visiting the sick and making care baskets for military members and college students. The Pearls seek to equip their members with information for a good quality of life and to prepare them to reach out and give back.
Music and fine arts are substantial parts of Highpoint's ministry. Larry Robinson serves as choral director, Stephanee Pinkney works with drama, and Sean Satterwhite is associated with Warriors of Praise. The church has also recorded projects with its women's and recording choirs. The Vinsons' three youngest daughters form the contemporary gospel trio V3, which has been nominated for a Stellar Award.
The Shaw Memorial Library and a Bible College
The Shaw Memorial Library and Career Center is in Building A. It offers career counseling and encouragement to people seeking employment or a new career, plus internet access for job searches and resume work. The center is available Tuesday and Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., with tutoring Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. Its career work includes links to job searches, resume examples, scholarships, and the Cross Roads Career Network.
The Highpoint Bible College seeks to transform students through knowledge of God's Word and equip them to teach in their local assemblies and communities. It is a satellite campus of Aenon Bible College, Inc., accredited by the Accrediting Commission International for Schools, Colleges and Theological Seminaries. The APPLE program considers qualifying college coursework along with documented professional and life experience when awarding credit. Degree programs require a high school diploma or GED, while certificate programs require demonstrated academic ability and a pattern of Christian living.
Food, Clothing and Care Beyond the Church
Highpoint's Outreach ministry calls its members Field Servants of Christ and pairs evangelism with practical care. Teams visit local nursing homes and administrative ministries, share the gospel, pray for sick and shut-in people, and operate food and clothing pantries. Thanksgiving food baskets and toys at Christmas extend that work. The October Harvest Month and Go Ye campaign focus on taking the gospel into the surrounding community. The Family Resource Center provides counseling for people who need it and also offers premarital counseling.
Jerome Mack leads the Outreach ministry, Wilhelmina Hammond oversees the Food and Clothing Pantry, and Sharon Williams leads the Family Resource Center. Their work combines volunteer service, material assistance, counseling, and visits to nursing homes and local administrative ministries. The church also encourages members to participate in these efforts as a practical expression of serving the community with the love of Christ.
Apostle Thomas and Dr. Carolyn Vinson
Apostle Thomas H. Vinson was born in Middletown, Ohio, in 1945 and was saved at 15 under Elder Alfred Perry. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1965 and served in Texas and Colorado, where he met Carolyn Beechum in 1968. He served at House of Joy Miracle Deliverance Church under his father-in-law, Apostle Reuben Beechum, and later at First Pentecostal Bibleway Church in Oxford, Ohio. He received his ministerial license in 1975, an associate degree from Miami Jacobs College in 1977, and then worked for IBM before being called into the Marietta pastorate in 1984. He continues as Highpoint's senior pastor. He has been honored by the Gospel Heritage Foundation and the Gospel Superfest Organization, and in November 2008 he received an honorary doctorate from Saint Thomas Christian College.
Dr. Carolyn Vinson is an author, speaker, gospel producer, inspirational songwriter, philanthropist, and church leader whose teaching centers on what she calls God's transforming power. Before moving to Georgia, she served as youth leader, psalmist, and church organist at House of Joy and founded its children's choir. Her first book, First Lady, reflects on the life of a pastor's wife, and her second book gives a personal account of her 2004 breast cancer experience. Her songwriting credits include Peanut Butter and Jelly, recorded by the Truthettes, and I Feel Jesus, recorded by Vanessa Bell Armstrong. As co-founder of Highpoint, she works alongside her husband in the vision, teaching, worship, and music ministry of the congregation.
What Highpoint Teaches
Highpoint's vision calls the church to be a beacon of light and a place where the unadulterated truth of the gospel is preached. Its chief goals are salvation, deliverance, and soul winning, with an emphasis on people from all walks of life. The church also identifies Everybody is Somebody as its guiding sense of belonging.
- Core doctrine: The Apostles' doctrine, the virgin birth, and salvation.
- Faith and baptism: Water baptism in the name of the Lord, feet washing, the Lord's Supper, tithes and offerings, fasting, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
- End times and marriage: The rapture and second coming of Christ, and marriage between one man and one woman only.
- Discipleship and community: The five-fold ministry, modest dress, holy conversation, holiness, and being one in Christ without prejudice.
New Members Class and the Highpoint Family
The New Members Class provides foundational teaching on baptism, the Holy Spirit, fasting, prayer, and practical, disciplined service to Christ and one another. Elder Tan Allen teaches the class. Highpoint also maintains a collection of sermon videos and a livestream through HCT TV, while financial gifts, including contributions to the building fund, can be made through online giving by major credit card. Donations are tax deductible, and contribution statement requests are available.
At The POINT in Smyrna, Highpoint Christian Tabernacle remains a non-denominational charismatic congregation centered on biblical teaching, worship, support for families, practical help for neighbors, and sharing the gospel in Smyrna and Cartersville.