J. Alfred Smith

Smith was born in Kansas City, Missouri to Amy Gates Smith and Clyde Anderson.[3][2] Dr. Smith graduated from Kansas City's R.T. Coles High School in 1948.[1] He obtained a license to preach that same year.[2]

Dr. Smith is married to Reverend Bernestine Smith. Dr. Smith's first wife, Joanna Goodwin Smith, passed in 2007.[2] Smith's son, Dr. J. Alfred Smith Jr. now serves as the senior pastor of the Allen Temple Baptist Church

Dr. Smith earned a B.S. degree from Western Baptist College in elementary education in 1952.[2] In 1959, he earned a bachelor's degree in divinity from the Missouri School of Religion, and in 1966 he earned a master's degree in “theology, church, and community.”[2] In 1972, he received a master's degree from the American Baptist Seminary in American Church History. In 1975, Dr. Smith received a doctor of ministry degree from the Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary.[2]

Dr. Smith is a minister and a scholar of theology.[4] Dr. Smith has served as Senior Pastor of the Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland, California, and is currently Pastor Emeritus of Allen Temple.[4][2] He has been a Professor of Christian Ministry at American Baptist Seminary of the West, and has been a professor at the Graduate Theological Union, Yale university School of Divinity, Duke University School of Divinity, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; Harvard University School of Divinity; American Baptist Seminary; Pacific School of Religion; and as Howard University's Distinguished Pastor in Residence.[2][4]

The Progressive Baptist State Convention of California elected Dr. Smith as president in 1979, and in 1986 he was elected president of the Progressive National Baptist Convention.[2]

Dr. Smith has been named as one of the Most Influential Black Americans, two years consecutively, by Ebony Magazine.[2] Dr. Smith was named Outstanding Citizen of the Year by the Oakland Tribune in 1990. He was also awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Greenling Institute in 2001, and Humanitarian of the Year by the East Bay Agency for Children.[1]

Dr. Smith was also named a Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference Beautiful Are Their Feet Honoree in 2006.[4]

Dr. Smith has written an autobiography, The Road to Jericho (2004). He is also the author of several other books including Speak Until Justice Wakes (2006), The Overflowing Heart (1987), and Preach On (1996).[1][2][4]