About Us
Our Story: Who Am I?
While the leaves were falling in Jonesboro, Arkansas, in late October 1944, a large host of ministers and saints were gathering in preparation for the conference of the Pentecostal Church, Incorporated (PCI)...
Who Am I? The host of this grand event was Rev. T. Richard Reed, pastor of Bible Hour Tabernacle. The PCI and local church constituents were all in heightened awareness that a great merger was under consideration. Speculation was that the PCI was planning to join another Pentecostal organization, the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ (PA of JC).
Irene, a member of the Jonesboro church, opened her home with the agreement of her husband, Billy, to host ministers who needed housing. Due to the large gathering of Pentecostals, housing had become a logistical problem. Two ministers entered their residence and ousted at least one of the Smith boys from his normal sleeping arrangement. As I recall being told, one of those visiting ministers was named Rev. George L. Glass. The young man who lost his bed was none other than Vondas A. Smith, my father at 17 years of age.
My roots into the United Pentecostal Church (UPC) go back to 1944 and earlier. It wasn’t until September of the next year, that the two organizations both had their conference in St. Louis, Missouri, and separately voted on the merger. I can’t tell you when my father was first licensed with the UPC, but were I to guess, I would say around 1950, shortly after graduating from Pentecostal Bible Institute (PBI) in Tupelo, Mississippi. And as for my being, it hadn’t even been thought of yet.
1960 was the year of my birth in the city of Memphis, Tennessee… READ MORE…
'The Ministry Team'
Marcus D. Smith
Marcus has a Bachelor of Theology from Jackson College of Ministries and 40 years of ministerial experience. He is the Founder and Director of The Open Door Ministry.
TBD
“I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name." Revelation 3:8
Barbara C. Smith
Barbara has a Bachelor of Missions from Jackson College of Ministries and a Master of Science in Communications from Mississippi College and has been in ministry for 40 years.
Stephen M. Kovach
Stephen has a Bachelor of Theology from Texas Bible College and has been assisting in various ministries since his graduation in 2015.
RaNae Vaughn
Ranae has a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Library Science. She is a former pastor's wife and has been involved in various aspects of ministry for over 40 years.
Ashley Kovach
Ashley has completed college courses in Medical Assisting and in Biblical studies. She has worked side by side with her husband in ministry since their marriage in 2014 and grew up working in the ministry prior to that.