Rev. Ray P. Smith is only the second pastor in the history of the Atlanta Bible Baptist Church, succeeding Dr. John McNeal, Jr., the church’s founder and now Pastor Emeritus. Pastor Smith was the founder of New Community Baptist Church in Flint, Michigan. He had been its sole pastor from its inception in 1993.

 

Pastor Smith was born in Statesboro, Georgia, and raised in Atlanta. He accepted Jesus Christ as Savior in 1973, promptly joined ABBC, and grew under the ministry of Dr. McNeal. He served for several years as youth director, men’s fellowship leader, and deacon. He was also married in this church to his wife, Linda, in July of 1980. They are the parents of four children and two grandchildren.

 

Pastor Smith received his Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from Mercer University Southern School of Pharmacy in Atlanta in 1978. He was licensed to practice pharmacy the following January and worked in that field in Atlanta for six years. Sensing God calling him into vocational ministry, and after consulting with Dr. McNeal, he and his family moved to Scranton, Pennsylvania. In the fall of 1985, he entered Baptist Bible Seminary in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania. In 1991, he received his Master of Divinity degree, graduating with honors.

 

In the summer of 1991, the Smiths moved to Flint, Michigan to plant a Bible believing, Bible teaching church. After a time of acclimation, the work began in earnest in 1993, under the supervision of Riverdale Baptist Church, where Pastor Smith was ordained and briefly served as its Pastor of Care. New Community Baptist Church was chartered and incorporated in September of 1994. Pastor Smith and his family served God and the congregation of NCBC faithfully until the fall of 2020.

 

Pastor Ray (as he prefers to be called) has a great delight in teaching the Word of God,

explaining its truths with practical illustrations and applications. His passion, to teach the whole counsel of God to minister to the whole person, flows out of his life verse, which says “  And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men”   (Luke 2:52). As Jesus grew mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially, so should His followers.