New Zion Tabernacle was organized in June 1998 as a non-denominational ministry.  God gave Pastor Pitts a vision of a ministry whose founder would not be Pastor Pitts but the chief cornerstone, Jesus.  This new ministry would operate on the principles of excellence and integrity with a vision of ministering the Gospel of reconciliation to a lost and dying world.  The foundational scriptures for the ministry were Isaiah 28:16-17 and I Peter 2-6.  Later, God expanded the vision given to Pastor Pitts to include equipping the saints of God to be all they could be for God and enjoy the abundant life Jesus came to provide as stated in John 10:10.  The vision motto of NZT was then changed to “Building People of Purpose, Power, and Praise, who reflect the image of Christ.” 

The initial congregation consisted of 9 families totaling 29 individual members (18 adults and 11 children under age 18).  We began holding services in a poorly maintained storefront with inadequate heating/cooling capacity and a leaking roof.  Pastor Pitts preached the word of God and sometimes had to do so with buckets on the floor catching dripping water from the ceiling.  Despite these conditions, NZT membership grew from 29 in Jun 1998 to 94 in Oct 2001 as people responded to the word.  NZT paid off all the debt generated by the previous ministry and began a search for a better, larger facility to hold services. 

In 2003, NZT purchased land at its current location of 120 Patrick Drive, Fort Walton Beach FL with building construction beginning in 2005.  NZT’s first service at this location was a Watch Night service held on Dec 31, 2005. 

The large military presence in our community has enabled us to minister to a number of young transitory active duty military members and their dependents.  For a number of these individuals, NZT has served as a training ground providing them with either a spiritual foundation or enhancing their already God given ministry gifts.  Many of these individuals have left our area and gone on to do great things for the Lord serving as deacons, elders, teachers, evangelists, pastors.  At NZT we firmly believe your future is not determined by your past or limited by your present.  Better is always possible with a revelation of who Jesus is and what he has done for you.