Our Pastor

Thomas E. Smith, Sr. is the sixth of seven children born to the late George and Robena Sapp Smith. He is a native of Wake County and grew up in the rural Raleigh/Garner area and was a member of Juniper Level Baptist Church. He attended the Garner Public Schools and graduated from Garner Senior High School. Rev. Smith continued his education with undergraduate studies at UNC-Chapel Hill where he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Chemistry. Following college he returned to Raleigh where he was employed by the City of Raleigh as a Chemistry Laboratory Supervisor for twenty-two years. While in college Rev. Smith met and married Sarah Marie Littlejohn and they are the proud parents of three children, Thomas, Jr., Michelle, and Reginald. They are also the grandparents of seven, one of which Keshaun Smith lives with Rev. & Mrs. Smith.

Also while in college at UNC, Rev. Smith fully surrendered his life to Christ and embarked upon a fruitful spiritual journey. In April 1980 he was called by God into the gospel ministry and began his ministerial journey. He preached his initial sermon in November of that year and was licensed by his home church, Juniper Level Baptist Church. In December of 1983 he was ordained at his home church by the Wake Baptist Association. Seeing the need for greater equipping, Rev. Smith began his ministerial education pursuit by attending Shaw Divinity School, Raleigh, NC and received his Master of Divinity Degree graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1990 from that institution. He later furthered his education at the Virginia Union University Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology, Richmond, VA and graduated with a Doctor of Ministry Degree in 2001.

Rev. Smith began his ministry service as an Associate Minister at Juniper Level Baptist Church (home church). He then served as Associate Pastor of Good Hope Baptist Church, Knightdale, NC. Next, for fourteen and a half years he served his first pastorate at Brookston Baptist Church, Henderson, NC. Currently, Rev. Smith serves as pastor of First Calvary Baptist Church in Sanford, NC.

Pastor Smith currently serves in various capacities in the church and in the community and for it all to God be the glory. In 2019 Pastor Smith authored the book New Covenant Christians and in 2020 The Bible Truth About the Devil. But out of all that you have heard, the most important thing is that Rev. Smith loves the Lord Jesus Christ with his whole heart and is not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. His greatest desire is to see people saved and in a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.