On Austin Street in San Angelo, Providence Baptist Church gathers a multi-generational congregation around expository preaching, reformed worship, and an unusually deep network of community ministries. The church meets in a pair of buildings on its lot: a worship center and the Faith Building, where nurseries, classrooms, and the Fellowship Hall host nearly every program that runs under the Providence name.
Sunday School and Gathered Worship
Worship at Providence follows a steady weekly rhythm. Sunday School opens the morning at 9:30 am, with classes for every age meeting in the Faith Building. At 10:30 am the congregation moves into the worship center for gathered Sunday worship.
Services are shaped by what the church describes as "solemn contemplation of the Bible and its doctrines, public reading of the Bible, preaching, passionate corporate singing, and friendly interaction with one another and our guests." Children age five and older are welcome to remain in the worship center with their families for the service. Services are carried on a livestream through Boxcast for those unable to attend in person, and recordings of past services are kept for later viewing.
Wednesday Night Worship and Discipleship
On Wednesdays at 6:30 pm the church gathers again for midweek worship. Student ministry shares that same Wednesday evening hour on the second floor of the Faith Building, focused on discipleship and giving students the vocabulary to communicate the gospel and the whole counsel of Scripture. The Wednesday hour is also when the food pantry team serves neighbors on the first and third Wednesdays of the month.
Expository Preaching at the Pulpit
Providence calls itself an expository church, and the pulpit sets the tone for the rest of the ministry. Senior Pastor Jay Clatworthy, who has served the church since 2013 and took the role of Senior Pastor in February 2016, preaches through books of the Bible week by week.
Clatworthy came to faith as a child in Vacation Bible School at First Baptist Church in Fayette, Missouri, earned a Bachelor of Science in Pastoral Studies and Bible from Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri, and completed a Master of Divinity at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The teaching approach carries into every age group: Kids Club and the Student Ministry both operate on the conviction that the Bible, taken verse by verse, is what shapes a Christian worldview.
The Gospel at the Center
The church's stated focus is the gospel of Jesus Christ. "It is in Christ that we find life eternal! There is no other name by which we may be saved." The Constitution and Covenant documents lay out the doctrinal commitments the members affirm together.
Music for the Glory of God Alone
The music ministry operates under the banner Soli Deo Gloria and grounds its song choices in reformed catechisms and the regulative principle of worship. Musicians and the congregation sing hymns and songs, both ancient and modern, chosen for theological substance and melodies that draw the church into song together. The opening page quotes Charles Spurgeon on the danger of beautiful buildings and fine music without the gospel: "Go where the gospel is preached, the gospel that really feeds your soul, and go often." A running Spotify playlist of the songs used in gathered worship keeps the music available for the congregation to sing, meditate on, and learn during the week.
Kids Club, Nursery, and the Student Ministry
Children's ministry at Providence stretches from the nursery through sixth grade. The nursery serves newborns through age four during every weekend and midweek service, located in the Faith Building. Kids Club welcomes children age four through twelve and meets on Sunday mornings at 9:00 am for check-in, opening with Bible skills, science, games, and a missions lesson, followed by the lesson hour at 9:30 am.
Volunteers in the nursery and Kids Club all go through MinistrySafe training and background checks, and a check-in system matches each child with the correct parent or guardian. The student ministry welcomes seventh through twelfth grader on Sunday mornings at 9:30 am for expository Bible teaching and Wednesday nights at 6:30 pm for discipleship. Parents carry primary responsibility for raising their youth in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, and the church works to support and encourage parents in that calling.
Troop TX 2810 of American Heritage Girls
Providence is the host site for American Heritage Girls Troop TX 2810, which meets on Thursdays at 6:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall at 810 Austin Street. The troop adopts the national AHG oath, "I promise to love God, Cherish my family, Honor my country, And Serve in my community," and works under a troop vision of commending the gospel to young ladies and their families by teaching biblical truth, adventuring together in God's creation, and modeling a heart of service. Troop Coordinator Jessica Goodman handles inquiries for girls who want to join, and registration paperwork, a medical form, behavior agreement, and firearm policy are available from the church office.
Bible-Centered Counseling
The Providence Counseling Ministry is a free, church-based service staffed by volunteer biblical counselors. Most counselees come for help with marriage, parenting, sexual sin, or struggles with emotions such as depression and anger. Counselors commit to regular appointments over three to four months and assign weekly homework aimed at lasting change.
Sessions are held in strict confidence, with the only exception being situations where biblical requirements demand involving others, such as disclosed criminal activity. The church provides the facilities and the counselors offer their time without charge; donations are accepted. The counseling process begins through the Biblicare intake system.
Local Outreach: Carver, Shannon, the Food Pantry, and the Pregnancy Help Center
Providence has woven a tight web of partnerships with ministries and institutions across San Angelo.
At Carver Learning Center, the church encourages students by meeting physical needs such as clothing and food alongside spiritual needs, and supports the teachers in the daily challenges of their work.
The Providence partnership with the Shannon Women and Children's Center takes volunteers into the hospital to assist new mothers, rock babies in the NICU, sit with sick children, organize birthday parties for pediatric cancer patients, bake cookies, hold a hand, assist with dog therapy for pediatric patients, knit and crochet blankets, booties, and gowns for NICU babies, sew incubator coverlets, compile patient packets, and decorate pediatric patient doors with art.
The Providence Food Pantry provides perishable and non-perishable food, including meat, bread, and produce when available, to any family that completes an application. Distribution runs on a point system tied to household size, with points renewing each month. The pantry opens on the first and third Wednesday of each month from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. Call the church office at (325) 655-9319 if help is needed outside those hours.
The Pregnancy Help Center receives volunteer support from Providence in the form of donated clothing, office assistance, teaching, and prayer for staff and clients.
The church also fields benevolence requests for short-term financial help, often routing applicants through a Faith and Finances class for long-term budgeting. Utility bills, rent, and other urgent needs are usually referred first to the Concho Valley Community Action Agency.
A Church Built on Missions
Missions are part of the church's stated identity. Providence currently partners with over fifty missionaries and frames the work around the Great Commandment and the Great Commission, sending the gospel into San Angelo, across the United States, and around the world through prayer, giving, personal evangelism, and going. A dedicated missions email and a missions survey allow prospective missionaries to connect with the team. A printed missions booklet, available through the church, lists each missionary and field.
Homeschool Resources
Providence recommends a wide range of homeschool resources, including third-party online resources and apps, Christian bookstores, classical and Charlotte Mason-style curriculum publishers, extracurricular activities in San Angelo, and dual-credit options through Boyce College and Angelo State University. The list is a starting point for families in the church who homeschool and reflects the size of the church's homeschool community.
Volunteers and Deacons
Providence leans heavily on its lay people. Volunteer roles include lawn care, audio and visual, Kids Club and nursery check-in, greeters, military pickup, nursery workers, shut-in care, cleaning, and Kids Club teachers and helpers. Positions working directly with children require background checks and Ministry Safe training.
Eight men serve as deacons under the pastor's leadership - Ted Butts, Chris Carney, Ray Douglas, Robert Franke, Dallas Johnson, Paul McClure, Fred Preston, and Blane Rose.
Planning a First Visit
Visitors can expect a Christ-exalting service shaped around expository preaching, public Bible reading, congregational singing, and a warm greeting. Sunday School begins at 9:30 am, with the morning service following at 10:30 am; on Wednesdays the church meets at 6:30 pm. The nursery welcomes children up to age four in the Faith Building for every weekend and midweek service; children five and up are invited to sit with their families in the worship center.
Providence Baptist Church sits at 810 Austin Street in San Angelo. The office can be reached at (325) 655-9319 or by email at frontdesk@providencesanangelo.org.