BIOGRAPHY
A native of Hope, Arkansas, Reverend Frederick L. Smith committed to serving God as a young boy at his spiritual home, Canaan Baptist Church in Texarkana, Arkansas. He answered the call into ministry, preaching his initial sermon at age nine. Under his father's pastoral leadership, Reverend Frederick L. Smith began honing essential leadership skills that would become utilized in numerous capacities as a school teacher, baseball coach, chaplain and pastoral ministry. Reverend Frederick L. Smith continued to nurture his intellectual curiosity at Williams Baptist University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in English Education. While working as a high school English teacher, he followed God's call into pastoral ministry, accepting the invitation to serve as the Senior Pastor of Gennesaret Baptist Church in Arkadelphia. During his eight-year tenure at Gennesaret, Frederick led the church to mature emotionally and spiritually, fostering several community partnerships to help families and individuals experiencing economic hardship in Arkadelphia. Collaborating with the University of Arkansas Medical School Extension Program, Gennesaret established a community garden and offered Faithful Families classes focusing on families' holistic well-being. In addition to serving as senior pastor, Frederick was a chaplain for Arkansas Hospice, a frequent lecturer on Religion and Culture at the Telford Unit State Prison in New Boston, Texas, and a contributing writer to Texarkana Community Journal. Reverend Frederick L. Smith furthered his educational aspirations at Memphis Theological Seminary, where he earned a Master of Divinity degree with a concentration in preaching & leadership and social justice. After his time in seminary, Reverend Frederick L. Smith served as the Executive Pastor at Saint Luke Baptist Church and worked as a hospice chaplain and bereavement coordinator for Baptist Health in Little Rock. Believing his life call to confront spiritual, social and economic forces obstructing people's ability to live fully, Frederick volunteered for the Arkansas Poor People's Campaign and mentored youth with Urban Promise of Arkansas. He recently earned a Master of Sacred Theology degree from Chicago Theological Seminary, focusing on political theology and pastoral care. He also released his first book, Seeing God in All Seasons: A Devotional Journey through Uncertainty, Grief, Hope and Relief. Frederick is married to the former Dr. Cemeka Agugbuem, Ph.D. They are the founders of Ginomai, a personal development firm for faith-based and community contexts. They journey with leaders, families, and students toward paths of fresh perspectives to discover and optimize their untapped potential. They are proud parents of three sons, Benjamin, Braxton, and Michael.
PASTORS
Rev. Robert Aaron
OFFICERS
Deacon Fraiser
Deacon Moore
Deacon Davis
Deacon Alford
Deacon Lark
Deacon Taylor
Deacon Lark
Deacon Fifer
Deacon Paige
Deacon Howard
Deacon Hicks
Deacon Jones
Deacon Benton
Deacon Stennis