EASTERN STAR BAPTIST CHURCH

What EASTERN STAR BAPTIST CHURCH does

Eastern Star Baptist Church (ESBC) is a private, non-profit Baptist congregation organized in 1924 in Port Arthur, Texas, currently operating from a single sanctuary at 548 15th Street. The church delivers traditional in-person worship services — including Sunday School, Morning Worship, midweek prayer, Bible study, youth ministry, and women's mission — and extends reach through a digital ministry built on Facebook Live streaming, YouTube on-demand sermon recordings, a daily podcast titled "Five Minutes in the Word," and conference call Bible studies. Congregants contribute voluntary tithes and offerings collected in-person or via the Givelify mobile giving application.

The church operates a comprehensive multi-generational ministry ecosystem covering children, youth (including the S.T.A.R.S. program), men (Brotherhood/Laymen Ministry), women, singles, seniors (Seasoned Saints ministry, established 2024), and a health ministry, along with disaster relief capabilities demonstrated during Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Its core technology is essentially a digital ministry platform built on standard consumer social media, video streaming, and mobile giving integrations — no proprietary software or AI capabilities are indicated. The Media Ministry, led by videographer Hope Scott, handles video production, livestreaming, and website maintenance.

ESBC's business model is entirely donation-based: the church sells no products or services and operates solely on voluntary congregational contributions. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. The congregation is governed under Baptist church polity with Senior Pastor Rev. Vester Thompson, Jr. (installed July 2022) serving as the operational and spiritual leader, following 33 years of leadership under Pastor Emeritus Rev. Lloyd W. Scott, Sr. ESBC celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2024 and has historically maintained a debt-free facility expansion philosophy.

Name

EASTERN STAR BAPTIST CHURCH

Legal name

Eastern Star Baptist Church

Website

https://esbcpatx.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Eastern Star Baptist Church is a 100-year-old non-profit Baptist congregation in Port Arthur, Texas, delivering in-person and digitally streamed worship services, Bible studies, and multi-generational ministries funded entirely by voluntary congregational tithes and offerings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (813110)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Religious worship services
• Bible study programs
• Youth ministry programs
• Senior fellowship programs
• Community outreach services

Headquarters

HQ city

Port Arthur, Texas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Voluntary contributions from congregants during worship services, both in-person and virtually via the Givelify mobile application

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Eastern Star Baptist Church provides scheduled Christian worship, Sunday school, prayer, Bible study, discipleship, fellowship, and age- and life-stage-based ministries. Congregants can participate at its Port Arthur sanctuary or remotely through livestreamed and recorded media, while tithes and offerings are collected in person and through Givelify.

Product overview

Eastern Star Baptist Church is a traditional church offering in-person and virtual worship services as its core offering. The church operates a digital ministry infrastructure including Facebook Live and YouTube streaming, a Media Ministry with video production capabilities, the 'Five Minutes in the Word' daily podcast, online Bible resources, and digital giving via the Givelify app. These products collectively support the church's mission to Exalt the Savior, Equip the Saints, Edify the Soul, Enhance the Spirit's Effectiveness, Encourage the Sufferer, Enjoy the Society of People, and Evangelize the Sinner.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Worship Services Scheduled in-person and virtual Christian services for congregants and community members, including Sunday School, Morning Worship, Women's Mission, prayer, youth Bible study, W.O.W. Bible Study, and conference-call Sunday school.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature4 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Gateway Church: Gateway Church is a large Texas multisite congregation with worship streaming, digital engagement, and broad ministry programming. Its multi-campus scale and media sophistication provide a broader benchmark for ESBC's digital outreach potential.
• Lakewood Church: Lakewood Church is a major Houston-area congregation with extensive in-person and online ministry, broadcasting, giving, and community programs. It is relevant as a scaled digital-reach and congregational-engagement comparator.
• First Baptist Church of Dallas: First Baptist Church of Dallas is an established Baptist church with worship, education, outreach, and media capabilities comparable to ESBC's core activities. Its larger footprint makes it a broad incumbent rather than a direct local peer.
• First Baptist Church of Houston: First Baptist Church of Houston is an established Baptist congregation offering worship, discipleship, community service, and digital ministry. Its broader scale and program portfolio provide an incumbent benchmark for ESBC's operating model.
• Second Baptist Church, Houston: Second Baptist Church is a large Houston-area church with multiple ministries and substantial community programming. It overlaps with ESBC in worship and congregant engagement but operates at materially greater breadth and scale.

Regional players

• Greater Hope Baptist Church: Greater Hope Baptist Church is a Texas Baptist congregation with worship, ministry, and community functions comparable to ESBC. It operates in Houston rather than Port Arthur, making it a regional rather than direct competitor.

Direct peers

• First Baptist Church of Port Arthur: First Baptist Church of Port Arthur serves the same city and broadly similar congregation with worship, discipleship, and community programs. It is directly comparable in mission, denomination, and local scale.
• Green Point Baptist Church: Green Point Baptist Church is a Port Arthur-area Baptist congregation serving a similar local worship and community-support population. Its city-level overlap makes it a direct operating and audience comparator for ESBC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCSUOQutkEXfnkwi7ZBEjvZQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/ESBCPATX/videos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eastern-star-baptist-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EASTERN STAR BAPTIST CHURCH