Religious Spotlight: Meet Grace Community Church’s Pastor Samuel Tucker

I surrendered to God's call to preach at the age of seventeen. I started pastoring Antioch Baptist Church near Fairview at twenty years of age.”

Samuel Tucker, Interim Pastor at Grace Community Church

CULLMAN – Cullman County is located deep within the heart of the Bible Belt and as a result, it is full of wonderful churches and God loving people. This week’s religious profile concentrates on Pastor Samuel Tucker of Grace Community Church. Southern born and southern bred, Samuel has a deep love for his family, he’s a hard worker and enjoys spreading the word of God to the world around him. 

Samuel was born and raised in Cullman. He graduated from West Point High School in 1989, and attended two years at Wallace State Community College. From there, he completed almost two years of Bible College through New Orleans Seminary. He was raised on a farm and married the lovely Jennifer Peinhardt, who also came from a farming family. He has worked in many different jobs throughout his adult life but is currently a pastor and a salesman at Mitch Smith Chevrolet.

“I surrendered to God's call to preach at the age of 17,” he said. “It was in July just prior to starting my senior year in high school. I started pastoring Antioch Baptist Church near Fairview at 20 years of age. I have pastored at Antioch Baptist, FBC Shelby, FBC Addison, Valhermoso Baptist Church, and I have been the interim pastor at Grace Community Church near Holly Pond for two years now.”

Samuel also has an ongoing Mission Partnership in Uganda with Pastor Nathan Sserunjogi. They host pastor and church leadership conferences. Samuel has been there five times and is currently planning another trip for September.

“About five years ago, I began a radio preaching ministry called Solid Rock Radio Ministry,” Samuel continued. “I preach on 92.1 FM at 8 a.m. every Sunday and also on 99.9 FM at 7 a.m. every Sunday. Serving the Lord has always been a strong desire of mine, regardless if it is in the pulpit, in leadership, on the radio or in the market place like at a car dealership. God’s call is to serve Him faithfully wherever you might be,” he smiled.

Any church pastor will tell you, the vocation can be both very satisfying and extremely difficult at times.

“The most rewarding thing in ministry and the one thing that keeps me in the work of the Lord is to see one more person become a child of God,” Samuel grinned. “There is no better feeling than to pray for someone and witness to them and then see them understand the truth and surrender to God and get saved!”

Samuel then went on to speak about some of the difficult things pastors face at some time or other.

“Through almost 27 years of ministry I find the most difficult part is keeping unity and harmony among the congregation,” he said solemnly. “Our churches have become political machines and we have lost respect for the position of pastor. There are some members who will manipulate, spread rumors and lies and be deceptive, all to accomplish their own agendas.”

Pastoring a church is not for everyone. People are called to do it – people such as Samuel Tucker. The love he has for his church shows as he talks about it.

“Grace is only 10 years old but God is using it to reach the unreachable,” he beamed. “We are not traditional in the form of worship, operation or goal. We are trying as best we can to model the early church from Acts and doing all we can to reach the lost. God has blessed me in the last four years to more clearly understand my calling in the Kingdom and as a result, Grace Church has been a huge part of that. GCC is in the process of becoming a part of the East Cullman Baptist Association, we are very conservative in our theology and our heart is missions.”

For more information about Grace Community Church, visit them at 9350 US-278, Cullman, AL 35055. Their phone number is 256-796-7250. For more about Samuel Tucker, follow him on Facebook at Facebook.com/brobubba77 or stop by Mitch Smith Chevrolet and see him.