Small in number, but with a Mega heart!
Small in number, but with a Mega heart!
Welcome to Our Baptist Church in Fort Wayne, IN
Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church’s mission and vision is to cultivate, educate, and motivate the community through spiritual and educational ministries that will serve to meet the needs of the lost, unchurched, hurt, sick and shut-in, and homeless as well as family outreach to help build stronger family foundations that will benefit the total man. It is our belief the Holy Spirit will empower us to accomplish this and therefore be effective in our ultimate assignment: to transform the society we live in for the Glory of God!
Apostle Darence & Lady Cathedral Smith, Sr. Pastor
We personally invite you to visit and worship with us this week. We welcome you to become part of our family of believers as we work to remain Focused on Christ, Committed to One Another, and to Impact Our World!
“I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’” Psalm 122:1. Joy is a soul set free by the power of God. Come and experience the Joy of the Lord with us this Sunday.
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6. Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church provides activities that encourage our young people to succeed in becoming strong, prosperous, and successful men and women of God.
Apostle & First Lady Biography
Pastor Darence L. Smith
Pastor Smith was born on August 5, 1961, and raised in Gary, IN. He graduated from Gary West Side High School in 1979 and then attended Purdue University (Calumet Campus – Hammond, IN) and Northland College (Ashland, WI), where he studied electrical engineering technology/pre-engineering. While in Gary, he held an elected office of Precinct Committeeman for his precinct from 1994 to 1996, at which time he and his family moved to South Holland, IL, where they still reside today.
On August 5, 1994, he married his lovely wife, Lady Cathedral Smith. They have seven children, Chanan Dozier, Amanda Parks, Sandtricia Dean, Christan Smith, Brandon Norfleet, Azariah Smith, and Nissi Smith. They also have eight grandchildren, Jayden, Chayil, Cory Jr., Heaven, Eliana, Daniel, Alyssa, and Ava!
Pastor Smith was born again, receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior in July 1979 and later rededicated his life to Christ in September of 1988 as he also became a member of Power and Light Evangelistic Church in Chicago, IL. In 1992, Pastor Smith became the Men’s Leader at Power and Light Evangelistic Church and also began teaching Sunday School Classes. In July of 1995, Pastor Smith heard and acknowledged the call of God on his life to preach and to be an assistant to the Man of God, Sr. Pastor Benny Dozier, Sr. Pastor of Power and Light Evangelistic Church.
Pastor Smith was ordained and installed in the office of Pastor in November 2000 and has been serving under the Man of God and the members of Power and Light Evangelistic Church ever since. He is a five-fold teacher and preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Pastor Smith functioned in many areas of ministry, including but not limited to Pastoral Care, Men’s Ministry Leader, Business and Entrepreneurship, Property Acquisition, Sunday School (Life Class) Teaching, Pre-Marital/Marital Counseling, and any other duties that were required in the ministry. Pastor Smith has ministered Internationally in countries in the UK and on the continent of Africa.
Pastor Smith had been a full-time employee of Best Foam Fabricators, Inc./Genesee TriStar, Inc. for 25 years. He was responsible for marketing and business development of military/defense sales. Prior to working at Best Foam, Pastor Smith worked in restaurant management for seven years. With an anointing from the Lord to Pastor and to operate in the marketplace, Pastor Smith, with his wife, and partners, own and operate East Side Academy of Early Learning, Inc. and East Side Academy of Calumet City, Inc., child day care centers that have 12 employees and provides childcare services for approximately 60 children on the east side of the city of Chicago and South Suburbs.
On April 1, 2007, Pastor Smith, his wife, and his team were sent, introduced, and appointed to pastor Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Wayne, IN. Since becoming Sr. Pastor of Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church, the Lord, through Pastor Smith, has introduced new life and vision into the ministry. The membership (church attendance) of Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church has increased from 8 to 10 when he started to 60 to 80, and revenues, too! The Lord, through Pastor Smith, has:
- Introduced Solid & Clear Practical Biblical Preaching & Teaching with his Personal Lifestyle/Living Example that has resulted in a revived trust and faith in church leadership, new life commitments to Jesus Christ and His Local Church, and reaching those who others had forgotten!
- Installation of Weekly Corporate Prayer (3 days per week)
- Home Prayer Cells & Fellowships (3 Wednesday per Month)
- Youth Ministry was created and as a result, five separate ministries that our youth focused on were birthed that initiated the youth’s interests in Jesus Christ and local church participation!
- Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church developed synergistic partnership relationships with a church and other local community focused organizations and governmental offices (State & City)!
- Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church’s Community Outreach efforts were ignited resulting in the creation of:
- EMBC Childcare Ministry (serving 35 children and their families everyday)
- Annual Community Youth Blast (attended by over 300 annually)
- Weekly Radio Broadcast (FM 100.5 “Marketplace Ministry” Saturdays at 5:00 p.m.)
- Neighborhood Association Participation
- Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church Property Management & Rental Ministry
- Job Creation through two outside businesses and our Summer Food Service Program that serves approximately 30,000 breakfast and lunches to school-aged children to 15 sites in the city of Fort Wayne and two locations in the state of Illinois and creates 30 part-time summer jobs
- Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church Arts & Entertainment presented its first stage play, “The State Needs the Church,” Gospel Quartet Extravaganza, Dinner Comedy Shop, Dinner Theater, and more!
- Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church Foot Soldiers for Jesus Evangelistic Street Ministry
Pastor Smith loves the Lord, loves his wife and family, and loves God’s people. He desires to see the people of God walk in the blessings and the promises of our Father and the lost come into the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. He desires to see true biblical multi-church fellowship done that creates true unity amongst church leaders across denominational and racial boundaries, as well as community unity in our neighborhoods and city through the Power of God, and His Love is expressed through His Church, the Body of Christ!