Christian Pentecostal Church

Church History
It all started in 1978 in the basement of the Macedonia Church of Christ located in Newark, New Jersey. Willie L. Smith found and Pastored a church of six members, including his wife and himself. Two years later, he relocated to a one-room garage and later converted it into a church at 402 So. 11th Street in Newark, New Jersey called “Christian Pentecostal Church of Christ.”

The membership multiplied to 65 which encouraged the relocation to his present site at 971 Clinton Avenue, Irvington, New Jersey.

Since then, Bishop Smith has extended himself and allowed new and upcoming churches to utilize his new sanctuary. He also serves as a mentor for many new Pastors, including his son, Pastor Jerry Smith, who seeks encouragement and guidance.

Moreover, Bishop Smith is the Founder of Eastern Bible Institute, which was one of the first bible colleges in the State of New Jersey, established in 1977. There are at least 19 extension schools throughout the United States and Bermuda.

The institute offers High School Diplomas, Certificates, and Associate Degrees through Doctorate Degrees in Religious Studies.

The first graduating class consisted of five (5) students. Currently, there are approximately 250 graduates per year. In 1985, Pastor Willie L. Smith was elevated as Suffragan Bishop with his Seminary degree of a Ph.D. His affiliation with the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc., was well served for many years. Furthermore, Bishop Smith served as a board member for the mayor of Irvington, Beth Israel Hospital of Newark, New Jersey and Irvington General Hospital of Irvington, New Jersey for numerous years.

Under Bishop Willie L. Smith’s leadership, several outreach ministries were developed for the community. Bishop Smith initiated feeding with bagged lunches and clothing for the less fortunate on a weekly basis for over 20 years. He holds annually a Christmas toy drive for children in hospitals, as well as an annual Thanksgiving and Good Friday full course meal drives. The Bishop Willie L. Smith Community Day which is held on the weekend of July 23rd serves the community with rides, games, entertainment, food and fun. He annually sponsors an Outreach Community Picnic for the public in Rahway Park, New Jersey. In addition, he sponsors Alcohol Anonymous “AA” meetings which led to the development of Substance Abuse programs for the people in need within the community. Bishop Smith has National and International Disaster Relief fund drives such as the Katrina and Tsunami.

Last but not least, a Day Care Center was implemented in April 1993 and has flourished over the years with 400 students.

In 2006, Bishop Willie L. Smith passed his mantle and great legacy to his son, Elder Jerry Smith as Pastor of Christian Pentecostal Church of Christ. Presently, the congregation is approximately 850 members.