Reverend Robert Smith, Jr. is a native of Pensacola, FL.  He is the third of ten children born to the late Reverend Robert Smith, Sr. and Ollie Mae Smith.

Rev. Smith has been a Baptist Minister for forty eight years and a pastor for more than forty two years.  He currently serves the historic New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan as pastor where they are celebrating twenty nine years of shepherding and innovative dynamic leadership he provides.

As a graduate of Miles College in Fairfield, Alabama and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in New Orleans, Louisiana he earned his Master of Divinity Degree, continued his studies at Drew University in the Doctor of Ministry Program and is currently enrolled in the Doctoral Program at Houston Theological Seminary.

Reverend Smith is a member of the Executive Board of the Michigan Chapter, Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and is past Vice President of the Detroit NAACP.  In 2002 President Shaw appointed him Chairman of the Evangelism Board of The National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. In June of 2007 Dean George Waddles appointed Pastor Smith lecturer of the Ministers Wives of the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education. He is also Chairman of Foreign Mission for the B. M. & E. State  Convention. He becaame the leader of the Michigan District Association in 2007 as Vice Moderator at Large do to the illness of  Dr. John D. Kelly. One of Rev. Smith’s greatest passions is his mission work in Haiti. In November of 2004 he begin working with C & S Missions led by Dr. John Hearnes and Dr. Nellie Williams. Born of that passion, in 2006 Pastor Smith founded and currently chairs the Haiti Mission Alliance. He is President of Redeemer Community Development Corporation, which has purchased 17 million dollars in housing, commercial development projects and continues to provide affordable housing and a better quality of life for youth and adults.

In addition, under his leadership, New Bethel has developed and sustains many ministries for the broken and needy of the community, The Redeemer Housing Delvelopment Corporation, Open Hands Prison Ministry, Angel Land Child Care, The Center of Hope Human Resource Center, The Samaritan Ministry, and The Forgotten Harvest Food Distribution Center all work to make life better for the broken of the community.     

Reverend Smith has received many awards and accolades to numerous to detail.  He is a Community Activist, Publisher, Columnist, Evangelist and Vocalist. He is the author of two books, In The Shadow of C. L. Franklin and Tragedy, Trial & Triumph as well as many periodicals. He is a featured writer for the Judson Press, The National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. and appears regularly in the Detroit News (blogs).

Robert Smith, Jr. and his best friend Cynthia Perkins Smith will celebrate their thirty ninth wedding anniversary in December of ‘08. They have one preaching son, Rev. Conderidge Robe'rt Smith who has added to the family, one grandson, Joshua Robe'rt; two daughters, educator Sherique who is married to Olander Ransby, they added to the family Austin Olander Ransby, they reside in Georgia and Terique Moshelle Parker, Esq. who currently practices law in the District of Columbia, who is married to Gray Parker, they reside in Laurel, Maryland. Pastor and Sister Smith also have and one goddaughter, Erma a senior in Illinois Institute of Art at Chicago. 

Rev. Smith’s favorite saying is, How Good The Lord Is!