Community Church in Orange: A Pentecostal Home on MLK Drive
Community Church sits on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Orange, Texas, where it has become a Pentecostal home for English and Spanish-speaking families across Southeast Texas. The church's motto is a simple invitation: "You Belong Here." Pastors Stephen and Jenilee Samuel lead a congregation that gathers twice each week for worship, teaching, and fellowship under the voluntary fellowship of the Assemblies of God.
The church's mission is to help people know and experience Jesus, grow as His disciples, and lead family and friends into the freedoms He offers. That mission takes shape in Sunday gatherings, Wednesday-night services, kids' ministry, youth ministry, young adult small groups, leadership development through the Orange School of Ministry, and an affiliated preschool and K-12 program called Community Christian School, of which Dr. Stephen Samuel also serves as Executive Director.
Sunday Mornings and Wednesday Nights
Two weekly services anchor the life of the church. On Sundays at 10:00 AM, the congregation gathers for prayer, worship, announcements, and a message from the pastoral team. The service is offered simultaneously in English and Spanish, so Spanish-speaking families worship in the same building as the English congregation. On Wednesdays at 6:30 PM, the church hosts a midweek service and small groups, with a shared family dinner served beforehand at 5:15 PM.
First-time visitors are welcomed with a warm greeting, casual dress, and engaging music and teaching. The Sunday morning rhythm includes prayer, worship, announcements, and a relevant message designed to help people grow. Anyone planning a visit can fill out a new visitor form online, and the church office is happy to answer questions by phone at (409) 883-4498.
One Church, Two Languages
Community Church Español is the Spanish-language congregation that shares the same building and Sunday hour. Pastors Denny and Elizabet Tamayo lead the ministry. Both are natives of Cuba, where Pastor Denny was accredited as a National Minister with the Assemblies of God in Cuba and served as Director of Missions in the Eastern South District. He also pastored at the El Calvario Temple in Santiago de Cuba, where he led the multiplication of small groups in the youth department. Pastor Elizabet graduated from Global University as a Christian Communicator and served as secretary to the Superintendent of the South East District before the family moved to the United States.
The Tamayos joined Community Church in June 2021. Their mission is to reach the Spanish-speaking people of the Orange community, bring them to the feet of Jesus, and introduce them to His church as a family. Spanish-language services include dynamic worship, Bible study, prayer support, joyful community, and fellowship. Children, teens, and young people have their own spaces within the Spanish ministry, with all welcome on Sundays at 10 AM and Wednesdays at 6:30 PM.
C-Kids: A Place for the Youngest
From birth through fifth grade, children are welcomed into C-Kids, the church's children's ministry. The goal is for every child to encounter God in a way that turns into a lifelong relationship, with biblical foundations taught through crafts, games, lessons, and small groups. The environment is described as safe, nurturing, and family-friendly, with the church committed to partnering with parents to raise the next generation of disciples.
C-Kids meets on Sundays during the main service, beginning at 9:40 AM, and again on Wednesdays at 6:00 PM. Children's Pastor Taryn Vidalier oversees the ministry. Taryn and her husband Kameron have two children and grew up in Orange County. She has served at Community Church for seven years, first as preschool and daycare director for six years before stepping into the children's pastor role. She is also pursuing credentials with the Assemblies of God through the Orange School of Ministry.
C-Students: Middle and High School Youth
Middle and high school students find a home in C-Students, the church's youth ministry. The group meets every Wednesday from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, with two hours of fun activities, engaging messages, and meaningful conversations about the challenges of life as a young person. The goal is to create a space where students can explore their beliefs, ask tough questions, and deepen their relationship with God, whether they are new to church or have been coming for years.
Pastors Corey and Lucy McSpadden lead C-Students, with a vision of helping students belong, believe, and become everything God has called them to be. To receive updates by text, students and parents can text "Youth" to (833) 430-6477.
Young Adults: Sold Out for Jesus
Community Young Adults is for college-age men and women who want their faith to be more than a moment. The ministry's mission is to see young adults come into relationship with God and become sold out for Jesus in a real way that changes lives. That happens through discipleship, fellowship, and real community with one another, especially in weekly small groups where participants learn to hear the voice of God and operate out of love, obedience, and faithfulness.
Associate Pastors Jason and Jacquelynn Orme lead the ministry, with details available through the church office. Young adults can expect meaningful moments with Jesus, encouragement, real community, a discipleship focus, and faithful friendships.
Small Groups Throughout the Week
Small groups are the church's main pathway for connection and spiritual growth. Groups meet at various times and locations throughout the week and offer a welcoming space to deepen faith, build community, share prayer requests, and apply biblical principles to everyday life.
On Wednesday evenings at 6:30 PM, several groups run in parallel. The Freedom Group walks through a 12-week journey of spiritual freedom that ends with a powerful Freedom Weekend. Another group watches and discusses Season 5 of The Chosen. A third study works through The Practice of Honor and The Foundations of Honor. On Sundays at 9:00 AM, a group works through Seamless by Angie Smith, weaving together the people, places, and promises of the Bible into one continuous story. A women's Bible study meets on Tuesdays at 10:00 AM in the OSM Room, and a men's group meets on Fridays at 7:00 AM at Denny's, currently working through Everything You Need by David Jeremiah. A small group interest form is available online for anyone ready to sign up.
Orange School of Ministry: Equipping the Next Generation of Leaders
For those who want to grow deeper in biblical study and leadership, the Orange School of Ministry (OSM) is a two-semester training program. Its passion is to develop leaders who can effectively demonstrate and communicate the gospel, increase their confidence in biblical truths, and disciple others into a vibrant relationship with Jesus.
The spring semester includes Old Testament Survey, New Testament Survey, Eschatology: A Study of Things to Come, Christ in the Synoptic Gospels, Romans, Prayer and Worship, A Spirit-Empowered Church, and Local Church Evangelism. The fall semester includes Introduction to Pentecostal Doctrine, Relationships and Ethics in Ministry, Effective Leadership, Conflict Management for Church Leaders, the Prison Epistles, the Corinthian Correspondence, Introduction to Hermeneutics, Introduction to Homiletics, and New Covenant Theology. The OSM also serves as a credentialing pathway for those pursuing ordination with the Assemblies of God.
Worship: Encounter, Healing, and Discipleship
Worship is central to the life of the church. Grace Rutherford serves as Worship Leader and is a licensed minister with the Assemblies of God. Raised in an Assemblies of God family, she has served at Community Church for 29 years across many departments and considers worship to be a way of life. Together with her husband Ken, who is ordained with the Assemblies and has served in pastoral, evangelistic, and administrative capacities at Community Church, the Rutherfords pursue moments of encounter that they pray will mark and change lives forever.
The church's stated values shape that pursuit. Community Church teaches that every disciple can encounter Jesus, experience healing through love and friendship in small groups and services, and worship with powerful moments of revelation. The church's goal is to grow disciples who make disciples, through its church, school, and preschool.
A Pastoral Team Built Around People
The pastoral team reflects the church's multi-generational and bilingual mission. Dr. Stephen and Jenilee Samuel serve as Lead Pastors. Stephen is a published author, conference speaker, and family counselor who completed his undergraduate work at Lamar University and his master's and doctorate degrees at Mid-West Theological University. Jason and Jacquelynn Orme serve as Associate Pastors. Saul and Tonya Mendoza serve as Assimilation Directors, helping newcomers find a place to connect. Raymond and Rebecca Joiner serve as Discipleship Pastors. Taryn Vidalier serves as Children's Pastor. Pastors Corey and Lucy McSpadden lead the youth ministry. Pastors Denny and Elizabet Tamayo lead the Spanish-language ministry. Grace Rutherford leads worship. Aleshia Fenner staffs the church office and oversees small group connections.
What Community Church Believes
Community Church is in voluntary fellowship with the Assemblies of God and holds to its 16 fundamental truths. The church's core values include a conviction that God is good, a commitment to empathy and compassion, a culture of grace, the practice of truth-telling, a pursuit of justice in the character of Jesus, a commitment to serving others, and the development of Christlikeness empowered by the Holy Spirit. Putting people first is treated as a safeguard that keeps the church's mission centered on individuals rather than the institution.
Livestream, Sermon Archive, and Giving
For those who cannot attend in person, services are livestreamed, and a full archive of recent sermons is available on YouTube, with messages from Lead Pastor Stephen Samuel, Associate Pastor Jason Orme, guest speakers, and others. Online giving is available through Tithe.ly, and text-to-give is available at 833-959-1869. The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM and is happy to answer questions, take prayer requests, or help newcomers find their next step. The address is 3400 MLK Jr Drive, Orange, TX 77630.
Whether a longtime resident of Orange or someone new to Southeast Texas, anyone walking through the doors of Community Church will find the same invitation the church extends online: "You Belong Here."