Our History
Light of the World Church (LWC) was founded by Angelo Pierri and his late wife, JoAnn, on February 21, 1999. Initially, Angelo preached to a small group in a friend’s basement, but as the congregation grew, they began searching for a larger meeting space. In February 1999, they secured a location at the Ramada Inn in Delaware Water Gap, PA. By 2002, LWC had moved to a former uniform factory on Ann Street in Stroudsburg.
From the start, Angelo and JoAnn had a heart for the gospel and a desire to minister not only to the spiritual needs of people in the community, but also to provide food and clothing to those in need. In 2007, after battling cancer, JoAnn went home to be with the Lord.
In 2014, after outgrowing the Ann St. space, the church purchased a 39-acre former school campus in Minisink Hills, where it continues to thrive today. There, Jo’s Outreach and Jo’s Closet were born, a food pantry and a clothing ministry named after JoAnn.
In January 2021, Reggie James was installed as the Senior Pastor. In August of 2024, Light of the World Academy, a Pre K – 12th Grade Christian school was added as a ministry of LWC.
Our primary purpose remains to make Jesus known.