Our Story
The story of Lighthouse Baptist Church is best described by Psalm 118:23: “This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.”
In 2000, the Lighthouse Baptist Church was started with a handful of people and a vision to reach Mobile County for Christ.
In 2000, Theodore Heights Baptist Church consisted of 8 people that were meeting weekly in an old outdated building. The church was getting closer to closing its doors. The spirit of the few remaining families was hopeful. They wanted to see God work in their church and community!
In June of that summer, a young preacher, Randy Tewell, came to candidate at the church not thinking Alabama was the place for his family. But God had other plans.
After his visit in June, the 8 members of the church voted unanimously to call Randy Tewell to be their pastor. Within just a few days of praying, the Tewell’s surrendered to the call with no doubt that it was God’s will for their future. They left a comfortable ministry position, packed up their belongings, and invested all of their personal savings into coming to Theodore even though the church could offer no salary.
During his first week in Theodore, Pastor Tewell began laboring diligently to get the church back on its feet. He knocked on hundreds of doors every week, repaired the church building, and preached God’s Word with conviction. In a short time, it was clear to see that God was beginning to bless the Tewells’ faith and sacrifice.
Within a year, the church was averaging over 150 in attendance and was growing rapidly. By the third anniversary, there were more than 300 people coming to Lighthouse Baptist Church each week, most of them being led to Christ personally by Pastor Tewell or another member of Lighthouse Baptist Church.
By 2006, the church family had grown to over 500 in attendance and had long since outgrown the original block auditorium. Souls were coming to Christ and families were added to the church on a weekly basis, and God provided by faith and sacrificial giving the means necessary to build a beautiful 22,000 sqr ft. auditorium, gymnasium, classroom, and office building. As we meet on this campus today, we thank the Lord for the church He has raised here in Theodore, AL. As we gather to worship the Lord on Sundays, every corner of our facilities is being used to teach and minister to people from all ages and walks of life.
While our church has become one of the largest Independent Baptist churches on the Gulf Coast, the spirit of the church family is the same as it was 16 years ago. We love God and each other, and we genuinely want God to continue blessing and multiplying the cause of Christ through our church.
Today, the Lighthouse Baptist Church is a thriving testimony that God is still in the business of changing lives! Words could not describe God’s goodness in this place, and all of the glory belongs to Him! The lives changed, the families rescued, and the victories won have all been by God’s amazing grace! To Him be all the glory for His wonderful works at Lighthouse Baptist Church!