A Spirit-Led Family on West 19th
On the west side of San Angelo, just off the older streets that frame the city's mid-century neighborhoods, Galilee Missionary Baptist Church gathers at 721 West 19th Street under the steady leadership of Pastor John S. Pope Jr. The congregation describes itself in plain words as Christ-centered, family-friendly, and Bible-based, and that language shapes everything from how the building is used on a Sunday morning to how the associate ministers and deacons serve the wider neighborhood.
The Pastor and His Call to Galilee
Reverend John S. Pope Jr. is a native of North Carolina and a retired United States Air Force Chief Master Sergeant. After thirty years of military service, he and his family were led to San Angelo in 2006, where he served four years as Assistant to the Pastor at New Light Baptist Church. In November 2010, Galilee Missionary Baptist Church called him to be its pastor.
Pastor Pope was licensed to preach in 1996 and ordained in 2003. He holds degrees in Theology and Pastoral Counseling from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, with additional coursework in evangelism, prison ministry, discipleship training, and Christian education. Over the years the Lord has opened doors that have carried his ministry across the United Kingdom and into Hawaii, Iceland, Greece, and cities across the continental United States.
His guiding verse is Romans 1:16 - "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth." He and First Lady Gloria Pope are the parents of four sons - Dion, Antonio, Camron, and Shaun - and the proud grandparents of six.
A Ministerial Team and a Deacon Board
Galilee's pulpit is supported by an associate ministerial team of six. Reverend Anthony Crawford Sr. and Reverend Leroy Sennette serve alongside Ministers Tara Davis and Valerie Robles and Evangelists Linda Boone and Carrie Franklin. Together they share preaching, teaching, hospital visits, and pastoral care.
The diaconate ministry is shared by couples and individuals. Deacon and Deaconess Charles and Monica Wilson, Sam and Linda Modkins, and William and Robbie Raven serve alongside Deaconesses Morie Todd and Chris Weedon. The pattern - men and women, husbands and wives - reflects the family-friendly identity Galilee names in its mission.
Whys of Worship
Galilee has put its worship convictions in writing. A section titled Whys of Worship walks through the practices the congregation treasures, tying each one to scripture. Members worship God because, as Matthew 4:10 is quoted, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him alone shalt thou serve." They worship in Spirit and in Truth, drawing on John 4:23-24.
Singing draws from Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:18-19, with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs sung "with grace in your hearts to the Lord." The lifting of hands during worship is rooted in Psalm 63:4 ("I will lift up my hands in Thy name") and 1 Timothy 2:8. Audible praise follows Psalm 100 and Hebrews 13:15, where believers offer "the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name."
The same section addresses tithing with passages from Malachi 3:10, Luke 6:38, and Deuteronomy 16:17, encouraging members to give "as they are able according to the blessing of the Lord thy God." Taken together, the Whys of Worship paint a picture of Spirit-led, scripture-rooted, expressive worship in the Baptist charismatic tradition.
Music Ministry
Music holds a central place at Galilee. Brother Rashad Griffis serves as pianist, with Brother Tequil Franklin and Brother Gabriel Birden-Lewis on drums. The combination of piano and drums lends the singing its gospel warmth. Musicians who would like to serve alongside the team are invited to call by 2 p.m. on Fridays.
Church Ministries and Bible Reading
The church's ministries include a Mother's Day observance, weekly Bible reading plans, books-of-the-Bible reference pages, and an Encouraging Word devotional feature on the church's site. Vacation Bible School appears in the photo gallery, indicating an active children's ministry that reaches out to neighborhood families each summer.
A prayer request page invites members and friends to send prayer needs by email, with the request written in the subject line. The prayer ministry is one of the most visible community touchpoints beyond Sunday worship.
Galilee Media and Online Giving
Galilee Media is the church's broadcast arm. The church livestreams on YouTube and offers an online giving portal through Pushpay, so members and friends can worship from a distance and support the work whether they are in the sanctuary or across town.
Mission, Vision, and Motto
Galilee's mission is to be a Christ-centered, Bible-based, family-friendly church that worships God and demonstrates godly love by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, developing kingdom-minded disciples, and ministering to the needs of the community.
Its vision is to demonstrate spiritual excellence in service to God by exemplifying His love to the community while continually growing His kingdom.
And its motto captures the heartbeat of the congregation in one sweeping sentence: "We are a loving, friendly and warm Bible based church that seeks to transform the lives of the disadvantaged, the disenchanted, and the distressed by the power of the Holy Spirit, and lead people to their divine designations in Christ Jesus." Galilee is the kind of church, the motto continues, where "the heart can be affected, head aroused and hands assigned and ambitious to the will of God." The congregation declares plainly, "We know that together we build" - a phrase that has become the church's working rhythm: Building the Kingdom, Building Families, Building the People.
Visiting Galilee
The church office at 721 West 19th Street is open from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Visitors can stop by in person, call (325) 655-1328, or write to galileemissionary@yahoo.com. Directions, a gallery, and an events page are all available on the church's site, along with the Whys of Worship explanation that prepares newcomers for the expressive, scripture-saturated worship they will find when they walk through the doors.