Occupation senior pastor Years active 1985-present | Name Leonard Smith | |
Dr Leonard N Smith on TBN 1-26-11 Interview
Leonard N. Smith (born October 4, 1961) is senior pastor at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Arlington, Virginia, with a congregation exceeding 2,000.
Contents
- Dr Leonard N Smith on TBN 1 26 11 Interview
- Pnbc 2009 dr leonard n smith
- Biography
- Ministry
- Books
- References
Pnbc 2009 dr leonard n smith
Biography
Dr. Smith was born in Baltimore, Maryland and raised partly in Washington, D.C. His grandmother provided a strong influence for his religious upbringing. He has a Doctorate of Ministry in preaching from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio as well as eight honorary degrees. He has two adult children.
Ministry
Dr. Smith began ministry in 1985 as pastor of Union Baptist Church in Gordonsville, Virginia. Four years later, he was called to Rivermont Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia.
In 1991, Dr. Smith became senior pastor at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Arlington, VA. The church was founded just after the Civil War in 1866 as the Old Bell Church and located in the free black settlement of Freedman’s Village, now the site of Arlington National Cemetery. The current location is in the established community of Nauck.
He serves as a Chaplain for both the Arlington County Fire and Police Departments. The Arlington County Fire Department was one of the primary responding agencies to the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon. As fire department chaplain, Smith was among the first on the scene after the tragedy and provided spiritual support to responders.
Dr. Smith is former President (2009 – 2012) of the Virginia Baptist State Convention (VBSC), which was organized in 1867 and counts about 700 member churches. VBSC is affiliated with the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. He is also the immediate past President of Richmond Virginia Seminary, having served since 2005.