NEW SALEM MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH
2186 Hawkins Mill Road, Memphis TN 38127 (901) 354-7755
Our Pastor
Rev. James W. Smith, Jr.
A Tennessee native, Rev. James W. Smith, Jr., grew up in the Walker Homes section of southwest Memphis. As the ninth child of Rev. J. W. Smith, Sr., and Lillie B. Smith, he has been exposed to Christian living his entire life. Rev. Smith is a graduate of Mitchell High School in Memphis and attended Georgia Institute of Technology and graduated from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He continued his graduate studies at Memphis State University and obtained Public Leadership Certification from Harvard University. Rev. Smith is currently doing postgraduate work at Jacksonville Theological Seminary.
Rev. Smith was called to the gospel ministry in 1991 and was ordained in 1994 by Rev. Rogers Pruitt at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Memphis. There, he served faithfully as an associate minister and Church Business Administrator. He also served for a time as choir president and assistant Sunday school superintendent.
Rev. Smith is certified by the Sunday School Publishing Board of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., to teach in five different subject areas.
Rev. Smith is married to Helen S. Smith, and they have three children - Antwan, Jay, and Kiara. He is a retiree of Memphis City Schools where he served more than 20 years in various capacities including Director of Information Technology, Chief Technology Officer and member of the Superintendent's Executive Staff. His life?s motto is, "If you pray the prayers you ought to pray, you won?t need the prayers you've got to pray!"