Bishop Iris S. Smith

Dr. Iris S. Smith hails from Washington, D.C., the firstborn of six girls to Bishop and Rev. Robert Simpson of Laurel, MD. Educated in the DC area, she took a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Master of Education from the University of Maryland in 1977. She also took a Master’s of Divinity with a concentration in Church Administration and then a Doctorate of Divinity in Pastoral Studies from Wesley Theological Seminary of Washington, DC and Washington Theological Seminary of Tacoma, MD, respectively.

Before going into the ministry full-time, she taught Science in high school and worked at NASA. She served as a full-time evangelist for eight years, traveling nationally and internationally. She has been involved in active ministry for over three decades, first working in every capacity in her parents’ church (who were co-pastors) during her childhood and early adulthood. In addition, she served as her father’s Administrative Assistant in Laurel, MD for 20 years. She served as the Associate Pastor of Faith Tabernacle COGIC with her mother in Allentown, PA for 12 years and then began her own church, Community Fellowship Cathedral, Inc. in 1995, with a Bible Study group in Quakertown, PA and now in Allentown, PA, housed at 518 N. 2nd Street.

Because of her career of dedicated and excellent service to God, she was consecrated Bishop in 1996. Prior to this time, she had acquired seven ministries from various parts of the United States who looked to her for leadership. She organized these ministries as a diocese under the title of The Northeastern Diocese, Chainbreakers Liberated to Serve. The year 1996 also afforded the multi-talented Dr. Smith the opportunity to perform as lead singer, Mahalia Jackson, in the broadway play, “Sing, Mahalia Sing!” in a 21-day European tour.

As the Pastor of Faith Tabernacle COGIC, her administrations saw a growth in the church from 25 members to over 700. She began the first black Boy’s Scout group in the area and taught her congregation how to get better jobs, go to school and financial management. Married during this time, she suddenly became a widow. After a year’s sabbatical, she began her own ministry in Quakertown, PA as aforestated.

Dr. Smith’s over three decade tenure in Allentown reveals a woman very serious about her work both in the church and in the community. She has served as a visiting professor at Muhlenberg College, and Penn State Scranton. She has achieved the local honor of being the first African-American to become President of the Conference of Churches in this area. She presently holds several Executive Board seats in the Lehigh Valley in community organizations. Her Church ministry includes on-going recognition and celebration of senior citizens via an Annual Widow’s Luncheon, a Mother’s Day Limousine Ride, monthly social outings and inclusion of the older women in special occasions with complimentary tickets that Bishop Smith pays for personally. In addition, she employs senior citizens in her Day Care and Academy.

Historically, the birth of the Community Fellowship Cathedral was gradual but continual. Always visionary, Dr. Smith began a Day Care in Quakertown, a literacy program, a Woman’s support group, Feed-the-Hungry program and a Books-thru-Bars ministry which involved young people answering requests by inmates for educational reading material. Her move to Allentown to the present facility has afforded her the opportunity to begin to put in place many more aspects of her multi-faceted vision. The first of which was to open her long-dreamed of parochial private school and day care, Children First Community Academy & Early Learning Center, now in its 10th successful year. Hundreds of children and families have been served with quality day care, education and mentoring. She has also established a prison ministry in the Men’s Correctional Center in Allentown, PA; an After-School Homework Clinic that runs from 3:00-6:00 PM, Monday through Friday to avoid “latch-key” children; a scholarship program to several community agencies in the area; and has been conscientious about hiring people who live in the 2nd street neighborhood. She has an active weekly Youth Ministry which deal with inner city teen-agers and elementary aged young people otherwise ignored by the community in which they live.

What none of her accomplishments describe is her effervescent personality and her tenacity when faced with opposition to her work and ministry. They do not describe her deep wells of compassion for the needs of all people, nor her commitment to excellence in everything she endeavors. Neither can one see her awesome ability to inspire and motivate people to both give financially and of their time in the service of their God. She is able to meet crises and emergencies with calm, confidence, and pragmatic solutions. She is also able to launch and complete fund-raisers of all kinds. At the same time, she sees herself as a member of her church and always provides an example of consistent stewardship. She is a very kind person, steeped in a knowledge of the Bible, both applied and theoretical. As a result, she is very much loved by her congregation as well as those who come to know her.

Dr. Smith has demonstrated keen leadership ability which makes her ministry destined to be one of great magnitude and purpose. She is a woman serious about her ministry and is totally dedicated to making a difference in the community. Any help she receives goes into her work and benefits the people she serves. The school serves the welfare mothers and single parents as well as married couples who could not work without daycare and boasts the lowest prices in the area. Her church program always includes benevolent activities of the children and adults of the community.

Dr. Iris Smith is a very unique woman that God has placed in the Lehigh Valley. She is a writer, an inspiring, gospel preacher and singer, a compassionate counselor, a change agent, a businesswoman and a friend to those who now her. She has definite goals for her work and deserves al of the help she can get for her true altruism. She is a sincere person who asks nothing but a change to do what she can do. She is a true servant of mankind.

[ return to top ]