Gospel Tabernacle

2023

2007

Pastor, Brad Ratliff is the 7th pastor of Gospel Tabernacle over its more than 90 year history. He is the 4th generation of the Church on his father side, Roy Ratliff, and the 5th generation of the Church on his mother’s side, Iris Ratliff (Winters, Brisendine, Vassar Families). Both his parents and Grandparents on each side serve the Lord today in Gospel Tabernacle. Throughout Bro. Ratliff’s life in the church, he has sang and played the alto saxophone in the church band. In 1998, the Lord dealt with him to learn the piano and he he began lessons from his Pastor's wife, Sis. Avialee Burns. The Lord blessed his playing and singing, which has been a blessing to God's people all over the Body of Christ. At 18 months old, Bro Ratliff was taught and sang with an Israeli native, Bro. Moshe Ben Shmuel. Bro. Moshe received Jesus into his life during the Holocaust and then received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost under Bro. R.E. Dawkins in 1961; he was a great pillar to the work in Jerusalem. Bro. Ratliff still can sing many songs in Hebrew to bless Israeli's he encounters. Today Bro. and Sis. Ratliff have led many tours to Israel.
     Bro. Ratliff is married to Sis. Amber Ratliff who also has been in the Body of Christ her whole life. She is the daughter of Bro. Melvin and Sis Earlene Parker, originally from Ponca City, OK, but now reside in Carthage, MO where they continue to pastor. Bro. and Sis Parker also take turns in helping with the work in Israel by staying and ministering to the people there 3 months out of the year. Together Bro. and Sis. Ratliff have four children; Brook and Josh McKee, Autumn, Brent and Alexis.
     Bro. Ratliff keeps a professional work career while Pastoring the church. He holds degrees in: Associates of Arts, a Bachelor of Science in Sociology/Psychology and a Master’s Degree of Science in Human Management. He worked for Wyandotte County, KS which consolidated with Kansas City, Kansas to become the Unified Government for 11 years of his career of which, he held the highest position as the Administrator(Warden) of a Juvenile Detention Center for 8 of those 11 years in Wyandotte County. During his 11 year history with Wyandotte County he worked in several senior management positions and served on numerous Community Boards in K.C., KS. Since 2007, he has worked as the City Administrator for Peculiar, MO (KC Metro Area) where he worked for 13 years. In January 2020, he became the City Administrator of the City of Harrisonville, MO, where he still works today. Bro. Ratliff serves on many different appointed boards in Cass County, MO.
     He has been Pastoring the church since 2006 but officially was confirmed and laid hands on by the Body of Christ Ministry in a dedication service in April, 2007. Men of God that anointed him in that Dedication Service were Bro. Milford Burns, Bro. Daniel Sturgeon, Bro. Encil Edmonds, Bro. Alfred Daves, Bro. Rodney Whittle, Bro. Melvin Parker, Bro. Randy Leniger and many others.
Bro. Ratliff has a love for the people and a desire to see all of God’s people saved and redeemed in Christ. He strives for them to be in the perfect will of God. When the Lord called him during a bus ride in Jerusalem, Bro. Ratliff had a vision(his very first one) while sitting on the bus as it drove through Jerusalem. He saw a road stretched out in front of him, all the way to a very bright light. On each side of the road there were deep ditches full of people he knew and loved. He saw himself, in that vision, holding his arms out to each side of the road and he heard a great voice say with great authority, “Pull them in the middle of the road!” Bro. Ratliff responded to the voice while watching, “I can’t! I am not strong enough!” The voice repeated it again, “Pull them in the middle of the road!” From that day forward, Bro. Ratliff is working hard to pull people out of the ditch's of life and religion, to bring them into the middle of the road, where Jesus dwells.
Bro. Ratliff's pastorship can be defined by the scripture the Lord gave him in the midst of the church relocation to Belton, MO. “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” -Psalm 127:1

Congregation 2021

Congregation 2017

Congregation Picture 2017

Missing in picture due to work or illness that are regulary in services: Bro. Wayne Young, Sis. Karen Young, Sis. Fran Jones, Bro. Chris Jennings, Sis. Dawn Jennings. Sis. Berea Van Patten; Bro. Ralph Vogt, Bro. Gary Antilla, Bro. Alfred Winters, Bro. John Sombatchareun, Sis. Becky Sombatchareun; Bro. Kai Sombatchareun, Bro. Chay Sombatchareun, Sis. Allee Sombatchareun, Bro. Dallas Crabtree, Bro. Allan Henderson, Sis. Donna Henderson, Sis. Madison Riley, Sis. Roberta Harris, Bro. Ronald Robinson