From Wheeler Road to Motor Parkway
Lighthouse Tabernacle Church of God has stood on Motor Parkway in Central Islip since the early 1980s, but its story begins with a rented sanctuary on Wheeler Road and a single sermon about prayer. Pastor David K. Fox and his wife, Linda, planted the congregation on June 25, 1978, opening with a message from Mark 11:17: "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations." People from many nations have prayed there ever since, and prayer remains the church's stated primary purpose.
The congregation moved to 1230 Motor Parkway, where the present campus includes a sanctuary, classrooms, a chapel, and a gym that doubles as a meeting space for volleyball, youth rallies, and children's programs. A new building on the same property was dedicated in 2005 to accommodate the growing flock. In 2012, the church launched its Spanish-language ministries, an outreach that has brought many new members into the body.
Sunday Mornings in English and Spanish
Lighthouse Tabernacle holds three Sunday services. English worship meets at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM in the main sanctuary, while a Spanish-language service gathers at 1:00 PM and is led by Pastor John and Ximena Robalino. The atmosphere is intentionally casual, with a contemporary worship band and teaching aimed at helping newcomers feel at home. A greeters team, ushers, and a Care Ministry staff the Welcome Area after each service; first-time guests are invited to stop by for bagels, coffee, refreshments, and a free gift.
The church offers live translation of its services through a testing-phase system that delivers audio in English and Spanish. Listeners are asked to use headphones so others nearby are not disturbed. Services are also broadcast on Vimeo, and past sermons are archived on the church's YouTube channel. The LightTab app, available for iOS and Android, lets members rewatch services, give, register for events, and check in to ministries from their phone.
Family Night on Fridays
Friday evenings are the busiest night of the week at Lighthouse Tabernacle. From 7:30 to 9:00 PM, the upper level fills with boys and girls in the church's two flagship discipleship programs.
Royal Rangers, led by Commander Brian Miller, serves boys from kindergarten through twelfth grade with a Bible-based, Christ-centered curriculum that aims to mold them into servant leaders. Girls Ministries, led by Lineth Fox, reaches the same age range with a parallel discipleship track that walks girls from preschool through high school. Both programs run during the school year, and both require registration, with annual fees covering activity books, badges, and uniforms.
At the same time, middle and high school students gather for Rewired Youth, a program for teens ages 13 to 17 that meets in the chapel and gym under Pastors Reggie and Angel. Its mission statement anchors everything to Romans 12:2: "Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Young adults meet separately in the chapel at 7:30 PM under Pastor Brian Lee.
Sunday School for Every Age
The children's ministry is structured around Orange curriculum materials. Preschoolers in the Pre-K class learn through First Look, built around three basic truths: God made me, God loves me, and Jesus wants to be my friend forever. Kindergarten through fifth grade students move to 252 Basics, a large-group-and-small-group format that begins with interactive worship songs, moves to a video lesson, and ends with small-group discussion. The elementary class is led by John Lawless; the middle and high school class that meets upstairs during each English and Spanish service is led by John Jerome.
A staffed nursery is open during every service for children from birth through age 2. The nursery has two separate rooms, one for infants 0 to 12 months and another for toddlers 12 to 24 months, both equipped with toys and a private bathroom. Parents who want to stay with their children can watch the live service stream inside the nursery rooms.
Weeknight Ministries for Adults
Adults have no shortage of options throughout the week. On Mondays, women gather for Mom's in Prayer from 7:00 to 9:00 PM every other week under Chrissy Sanchez. City Life, a teen-focused outreach that provides tutoring, sports, pizza, a reading program, and mentoring through Long Island Youth Mentoring, meets the same night in the gym from 7:30 to 9:00 PM.
Tuesdays bring the Retired Men's Breakfast at 9:30 AM at The Garage in Islandia, led by Tom Kelly, followed by Lighthouse Men of Action on the second Tuesday at 7:30 PM. Men also play biweekly volleyball in the gym at 7:00 PM under Mark Bloom. Young adults gather for Bible study at 7:30 PM under Pastor Brian Lee, while the Spanish ministry hosts its own Bible study at the same hour with Pastor John Robalino.
On Wednesdays, Gloria Duerr leads a women's Bible study and prayer time at 10:00 AM in the sanctuary. The first Thursday of each month opens the church's food pantry from 1:00 to 3:00 PM for neighbors in need.
A Pentecostal Declaration of Faith
Lighthouse Tabernacle belongs to the Church of God of Cleveland, Tennessee, a Pentecostal denomination with churches in more than 160 countries. The congregation's statement of faith affirms the verbal inspiration of the Bible, one God eternally existing in three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), the virgin birth and bodily resurrection of Jesus, water baptism by immersion, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit with speaking in tongues as the initial evidence. Members also confess belief in divine healing, the operation of spiritual gifts, the premillennial second coming of Christ, and the bodily resurrection with eternal life for the righteous and eternal punishment for the wicked.
The local body sits under the New York Church of God State Council, on which both the founding and current lead pastors have served.
Reaching Beyond Long Island
Lighthouse Tabernacle supports ministry work across the globe through partnerships with Church of God World Missions, Mwangaza Visionary Christian School in Kenya, MPC Kenya, Barnabas Ministries, the Japan Church of God, and mission efforts in Bolivia, Argentina, Ecuador, and Haiti. Pastors and church members have traveled to Africa, South America, and Asia to support these efforts.
Locally, the church hosts an annual four-day Kids Camp each summer with kids worship, skits, and crafts designed to teach children about Jesus. Worship life also extends into the wider community through the Lighthouse School of Music, and the church partners with ABC Preschool for early-childhood education. Married couples and adults looking to take control of their finances can join the spring or fall session of Financial Peace University, a nine-week class that walks through budgeting, debt reduction, and wise spending.
Giving, Connection, and the Church App
Tithing and offerings can be given in person through offering envelopes or online through Pushpay. Donors can also give by texting LIGHTTAB to 77977 or by transferring stock. The church pays all electronic processing fees so that contributions remain fully tax-deductible.
The church maintains an active presence on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Vimeo, where sermons, the girls' ministries channel, and live services are posted. A dedicated app, available for iOS and Android, lets members check in to ministries, rewatch services, give tithes, and sign up for events and small groups.
Leadership
The church is currently led by Pastors Darien and Lineth Fox. Pastor Darien has been active in pastoral ministry since 2001 and previously served as the church's Executive Pastor and Youth Pastor. He now serves on the New York Church of God State Council and frequently travels as a guest speaker and mission project leader to countries in Africa, South America, and Asia.
Founding Pastors David and Linda Fox remain associated with the congregation after David's forty years as senior pastor. Moises and Delmy Polanco pastor the Spanish-language ministry at 11:00 AM, and Pastors John and Ximena Robalino shepherd the 1:00 PM Hispanic congregation. Pastor Brian Lee leads the young adults ministry, Pastors Reggie and Angel lead the youth ministry, and Pastor Lucas Ortiz directs the young adult Bible study held in English.