From a Hotel Conference Room to a San Angelo Sanctuary
Word of Life Assembly of God stands on South Bryant Boulevard in San Angelo, Texas, where the two buildings on its lot now serve a congregation its founders could not have pictured at the start. More than forty years ago, a small group of believers began gathering in a meeting room at the former Holiday Inn and Convention Center, with Pastors David and Gaynell Smith leading the assembly. The story the church tells begins with one of those early days, when David and Gaynell sat in their car in front of the hotel and asked the Lord what to name the group. The answer came from Philippians 2:16 - "Holding out to them the word of life..." - and Word of Life was born.
Within a year, attendance had grown to one hundred. By 1984 the church purchased its first building; a year later the congregation had doubled again and the space was too small. The Lord led the pastors to a vacant piece of land, the property where the church now sits. The original building, completed in 1986 and now home to the youth and children's ministries, was eventually joined by a larger sanctuary built to accommodate the continued growth. Two buildings stand on the property today: a main sanctuary for adult services and a second building dedicated to children, students, and the nursery.
A Pastoral Lineage Carried Forward
Pastor David Smith went to be with the Lord on January 13, 2024. Founding Pastor Gaynell Smith continues to serve the church, including through her "Word for Word" ministry each Sunday morning. The pastoral role is now carried by Julian and Sylvia Falcon as Lead Pastors. Julian first visited Word of Life in October 1995 and served as Associate Pastor from August 2009 through October 2023, when he stepped into the lead role; he is an ordained Assemblies of God minister. Sylvia holds an Assemblies of God Certificate of Ministry and an associate degree from Howard College. They have been married more than forty years and have three adult sons and a daughter.
Pastors Louis and Melissa Watson serve as Associate and Youth Pastors. Louis began as Youth Pastor in October 2018 and was promoted to Associate/Youth Pastor on October 8, 2023, by the founding pastors. He received his Ministry License with the Assemblies of God on June 20, 2025, and is beginning the ordination process. Melissa has attended Word of Life for twenty years and serves on the praise dance team. The couple has four children.
Sunday in San Angelo
Sunday is the heartbeat of the church. Bible study for all ages begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by corporate worship and the morning sermon at 10:30 a.m. Children ages six to eleven head to WOL Kids at the same hour in the second building, while a separate WOL Jr.'s class gathers there for ages three to five. The main sanctuary includes a cry room for parents of little ones. Each Sunday morning, after a time of praise, Gaynell Smith shares a "Word for Word" - a brief, personal word she believes the Lord has given her - and the sermon follows. The Sunday Night Service runs from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the main sanctuary, while the Souled Out student ministry gathers in the second building. Services have been livestreamed since the summer of 2018.
Wednesday Nights and Thursday Prayer
Wednesday night is structured for the whole family. Adult Bible study meets at 7:00 p.m. alongside the Souled Out Youth Service. In the second building, Royal Rangers hosts boys from preschool through fifth grade, and Missionettes gathers girls in the same age range, all at 7:00 p.m. Nursery care is available for infants through two-year-olds on both Sundays and Wednesdays.
On Thursday evenings from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. the church hosts a come-and-go prayer hour offered in both English and Spanish, giving members of the congregation a quiet window to stop in and pray together during the work week.
WOL Kids: Training Tomorrow's Leaders
Word of Life teaches that children are "the leaders of tomorrow who need to be trained today." WOL Kids provides a fun, kid-friendly atmosphere where children learn the truths of the Bible and make friends along the way. Sunday programming includes WOL Jr.'s for ages three to five and WOL Kids Church for ages six to eleven, with worship, puppets, and interactive learning. The Wednesday night programs round out the week: Royal Rangers is a mentoring ministry for future men, with Rainbows (preschool), Ranger Kids (grades K-1), and Discovery Rangers (grades 2-5); Missionettes focuses on intentional outreach and Christian discipleship for girls, with Rainbows (ages 3-4), Daisies (kindergarten), Prims (grades 1-2), and Stars (grades 3-5). Calista Martinez serves as Children's Ministry Coordinator, with Maria Castaneda overseeing the nursery.
Souled Out Students and Fire Gen
Souled Out Student Ministries exists to help the current generation discover who God is through discipleship, worship, serving, evangelism, and relationship-building. The ministry's prayer is that students "receive a greater revelation of who Jesus is and experience Him in a personal way." Students meet for worship and teaching on Sunday and Wednesday evenings in the dedicated youth center inside the second building.
For older students and young professionals, Fire Gen is the young adult ministry, named after John 5:35 - "He was a burning and shining light..." Fire Gen hosts monthly gatherings on the second Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. - nights for fun, friendship, and spiritual growth. Pastor Louis Watson, known around the church as "Pastor Lou," serves as core leader.
Women's Ministry and Men's Ministry
Adults at Word of Life find their own pathways to growth through dedicated women's and men's ministries. The women's ministry aims to "touch the lives of women by the transforming power of Jesus Christ, discipling them to follow His example, and equipping them to minister to others," resting on five principles: reaching women through Christ, discipling them to live overcoming lives, building spiritual and mental wholeness through prayer and study, providing an atmosphere for developing gifts and lasting relationships, and training women to find their places of ministry.
Men's Ministry is about camaraderie, affirmation, personal development, and spiritual growth - "integrating men into church" rather than building another club. The church cites D. Murrow's observation that "deep in his heart, every man wants to be a part of a team that does something great," and seeks to connect men into ministry teams where they can grow together and serve.
Reaching Beyond San Angelo: Missions
Missions is woven into the church's identity, framed as Upward in Worship, Inward in Community, and Outward in Evangelism. Through the General Council of the Assemblies of God, Word of Life supports missionaries around the world, including Robert LaFon (AGWM Admin.), Steve Skipper (Latin America), Brandy Wilson (Int'l Ministry), Sharon Reeves (Germany), Gerald Dollar (Ukraine), Bryan Burr (Kenya), Jason Morris (Asia), and India's BGMC outreach.
John and Joann Hawkins, raised through Word of Life, serve with World Indigenous Missions and partner with Nation-2-Nation Ministries. After thirteen years of church planting in Mexico, they now help lead Nation-2-Nation Christian University, which trains Christian leaders in more than fifty countries. A Kenyan denomination told them it had taken eighty years to train one thousand pastors by traditional means; using N2NCU, it trained two thousand pastors in six years and grew its churches from 3,100 to 5,536.
In the United States the church supports Pleasant Hills Children's Home, the Bluebonnet Connection Tour, American Indian Bible College, Southwestern A/G University, Fellowship Partner's Offering, the Pregnancy Help Center, Kairos Prison Ministry, Christians in Action, Fullness in Christ, and Rock of Israel. Around the world the church backs Bob Sullivan (Peace International, India), Bethel A/G (Blessed to Bless), Mexico Missions (Toys for Kids), Speed the Light, and Rock of Israel.
Plan a Visit
Word of Life is located at 5173 S. Bryant Blvd. in San Angelo, Texas. Visitors will see two buildings: the main sanctuary where adult services gather, and the second building housing the nursery (infants through age two), WOL Jr.'s (ages three to five), and the Souled Out Youth Center, which is also home to WOL Kids (ages six to eleven) on Sunday mornings. After each service the pastors wait to greet first-time guests with a personal word and a small gift of welcome. Come as you are.
Office hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with a lunch break from noon to 1:00 p.m.