Pastor Erik Nation

 

Pastor Erik Nation is the youngest son of the late Pastor Ed Nation, Jr. and the internationally known Reverend Veola A. Lockwood.  Pastor Nation attended schools in Oakland and Alameda, CA.  He studied Theatrical Arts at Laney College in Oakland, CA.

 

Pastor Nation is Founder and Pastor of the House of Prayer Evangelistic Center (H.O.P.E. Center).  On May 6, 2001, the House of Prayer Evangelistic Center held its first church service at the Arroyo Viejo Park and Recreation Center in Oakland, CA, with approximately seventy two members. When Pastor Nation took the leap of faith and stepped out on God’s word he asked no one to follow him, he depended on God for the increase. Since then we have moved from the park to an auditorium capable of accommodating hundreds of people and God being true to his promises has allowed us to minister to hundreds.  The name for the church was given to Pastor Nation while he was sitting in a jail cell. In December of 2011, God made a drastic move in direction regarding ministry. God told Pastor and Lady Nation to take the church that they gave birth to House of Prayer Evangelistic Center, and merge it with their spiritual father and pastor in the ministry Apostle Alonzo B. Emerson’s church Zion Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church. It was by divine appointment that God told Apostle Emerson that Pastor and Lady Nation would be the ones to take his ministry to the next dimension. Therefore, they are now the proud founders of Zion Tabernacle the House of Prayer.

 

Today, Pastor Erik Nation and his members are committed to ministering God’s saving, healing and delivering power to a lost and dying world.  This is a ministry that has been forged in the flames and together we seek to create a place of healing, connection and empowerment.  We don’t remain here, our vision is to extend our ministry beyond the four walls of the church through evangelism and all that we do as faithful followers of Jesus Christ.  We are a ministry that prays and plays, laughs and cries, sings and serves, worship and works together. We are pressing on to fulfill the command of the great commission which is to seek and to save that which is lost in Jesus’ name.

 

 Since stepping out on faith God has made provisions for the ministry to clothe, feed and minister to hundreds of people in the city of Oakland.  God has blessed us with free office furniture, video equipment, music and sound equipment.  Pastor Nation not only preaches but he also works diligently in the prison/jail ministry.  He is an active member of the Northern California Service League.  Pastor Nation is also the Director of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, Intercessory Prayer Ministry for Northern California.