James R. Cymbala (born 1943) is an American author and pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle.
He is also a former college basketball player, serving on the teams for the United States Naval Academy and the University of Rhode Island.
In 2002, Cymbala was nominated for a Dove Award for Musical of the Year, for his work on Light Of The World, along with his wife, Carol Cymbala and their 270-voice Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.
[1][2] He has been the pastor of the multi-racial megachurch The Brooklyn Tabernacle, since 1971.
[1][3] When he began serving The Brooklyn Tabernacle, the church membership numbered fewer than 30 persons.