FATHER OF COGIC URBAN INITIATIVES VP HAS PASSED AWAY

Superintendent Nathaniel Smith, a long serving Church Of God In Christ (COGIC) pastor in St. Louis, Missouri has passed away. Smith was the father of Evangelist Paula Hearn, Executive Vice President of COGIC Urban Initiatives. The following is from the Missouri Eastern First Jurisdiction Facebook page:

"Elder Smith joined Fountain Temple COGIC in the early 50’s and served faithfully under the leadership of Elder Virgil Sharp and the Elder Horace Beverly. He has served as deacon, Sunday School, and YPWW teacher, chauffeur, janitor, just to name a few.

After preaching and dancing around the offering table, the Lord blessed and his call into the ministry was confirmed. He was licensed and ordained to preach the gospel while serving under the leadership of Elder Horace Beverly.

One of his loves was working with the Evangelist Department. Because of his faithfulness to God and the work on the church, he was appointed to pastor in Pacific, MO in 1971 and later assigned the additional responsibility of pastoring in Robertsville, MO.

Elder Smith’s devotion to God continued and in 1974 he was appointed to pastor his home church, Fountain Temple Church Of God In Christ. In addition to his duties at Fountain, he is also District Superintendent of the Virgil C. Sharp District and the District Chairman of Superintendents for Eastern Missouri First Jurisdiction.

He and Missionary Mary Smith, who has passed on, loved the life they live and lived the life they love. They lived right next door to “The Old Fountain” which is where they raised their children and taught them to love and respect God.

For several years the church held a “Building Fund Drive” and on April 2, 1995 Elder Smith lead the saints in a march northward on Bayard, into their new church at 1138 Bayard Avenue.

In March 2000, God blessed Elder Smith with another angel, District Missionary Willie Mae Thomas who has been working faithfully by his side.

Elder Smith has coined a phrase that you will always hear whenever he is in the presence of the saints, “Stay with God”. He may not know all the words to a song, but he can tell you that: Living He Loved Me, Died, He Saved Me, Buried He Carried My Sins Far Away, (___this is the part he always forgets___) and “When The Lord Gets Ready, You’ve Got To Move”.

He will be greatly missed. Rest in Heaven Supt."