Pentecostal Church's Move to Brookfield Hinges on Sprinkling System

Pastor Brian Meyer calls himself a "church planter."

He says he has spent much of three decades as a pastor planting new churches, finding and cultivating leaders and then moving on to create new congregations.

"This is my fifth time doing this, this is my fifth city," Meyer told city plan commissioners this week.  "This is what I do."

Meyer wants to move one of those congregations — Tabernacle of Praise Apostolic Church — from Wauwatosa to Brookfield and move into leased space in a two-story office/retail building at 3145 N. 124th Street, at the northwest corner of 124th and Burleigh Road.

But the move could be doused by a requirement that the building install a commercial sprinkling system if a church operates there.

Meyer said the small congregation of about 15 members is part of the United Pentecostal Church International, which has more than three million members worldwide, although it's not listed among Wisconsin UPCI churches. Tabernacle of Praise would worship Thursday evenings and Sundays, with additional "occasional revivals" on other weekday evenings.

Pentecostal churches, which each are autonomous entities, include Apostolic Life Tabernacle in Waukesha and Parkway Apostolic Church in Oak Creek.

The church is known for its focus on the Bible and lively services, with loud music, drums and strong praise to God, Meyer said in an interview after the meeting.

Meyer asked plan commissioners for a delay up to 60 days to give the Brookfield building landlord Jim Goetter time to decide if he's willing to install a sprinkling system.

Meyer told Patch that if the cost is too steep it's unlikely Goetter will sink the cost into a system for a congregation that could eventually outgrow and leave the space. Plans show space for 35 worshippers.

But Meyer said he hopes the cost will not be prohibitive and the church will move in. The other office tenants did not object and the services will occur in evenings and weekends, when those tenants are not there.

"All we can do is hope that we can bring a positive influence to the community," he said.