Rufus Smith

Rev. Rufus Smith, IV is the Senior Pastor of Hope Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) in Memphis, Tennessee, one of the largest 100 congregations in America. He joined Hope’s Staff in September 2010 as Associate Pastor of Discipleship and in November of 2013, was elected to succeed the Founding Pastor of 25 years, Dr. Richard Craig Strickland. For nearly 12 years he was the Senior Pastor of The City of Refuge (COR) Church in Houston Texas, an inter-racial, inter-generational, biblically centered and socially active fellowship. Pastor Smith believes that the authentic and attractive gospel of Jesus Christ consists of three things equally necessary: preaching (the proclamation of a person); teaching (the explanation of principles) and healing (the mitigation of human pain).