Obituary for Dr. Donnie W. Smith Dr. Donnie W. Smith, age 67, a resident Cleveland, passed away Saturday evening June 9, 2018 at the family residence. Dr. Smith was born on November 4, 1950 in Sylacauga, Alabama and he was the son of the late Reverend Dewey Smith and Christine Hudgins Smith. His brother, Rodger Smith also preceded him in death.
At the age of 17 he preached his first sermon and began a life of ministering the Gospel of Christ. Dr. Smith is a graduate of Piedmont High School in Piedmont, Alabama. .
He married his beloved wife, Barbara Masters Smith in 1967 and the two began a family that would grow in the Lord’s Grace to two sons and five grandchildren. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies and a minor in Missions from Lee University, two masters degrees from the Pentecostal Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry in Cross-Cultural Ministries from Columbia Theological Seminary. Dr. Smith has served the Church of God as evangelist, pastor, state youth and Christian education director in Mississippi, Oklahoma and Kansas and as a state administrative bishop in the Rocky Mountain Region, Western North Carolina and Florida.
During his pastorate of thirteen years in Atlanta, Georgia the church grew from 100 to over 1,000 members. At that time, he also began five ethnic congregations with over 1,500 members. He has ministered in 48 states and in more than 70 countries.
In November of 2009 he received commendation form the White House for his outstanding work among the Hispanic Churches across America and for teaching Hispanic pastors on how to help the nation’s poor. At the time of his death, Dr. Smith was serving as the Executive Administrator of the Church of God Division of Care. He was a member of the North Cleveland Church of God.
Survivors include his wife of 50 years, Barbara Smith of Cleveland, his sons, Shane Smith and his wife Lisa, Casey Smith and his wife Heather, his granddaughters, Alyssa, McKenna and Cianna, his grandsons, Israel and Alex and his sister, Sandra Bright. The Remembrance of Life Service will be conducted Wednesday, June 13, 2018 at 2:00 P. M. at the North Cleveland Church of God, main sanctuary with Dr. Mark Williams, Dr. Timothy Hill, Dr. Raymond Culpepper and Reverend Joseph Mirkovich officiating. Graveside Services and Interment will be held privately for the family in Sunset Memorial Gardens with Reverend Gerald McGinnis officiating.
Kip Box, Clayton Watson, David Cox, Raymond Culpepper Jr., Tim Maness, Charles Atkins and Harrison Atkins will serve as casket bearers. The family request that in lieu of flowers, Memorials be made to one of the following organizations, Chaplains Commission, Ministerial Care, SpiritCare, Ministry to Israel, Operation Compassion, Smoky Mountain Children’s Home or to Iris B. Vest SpiritCare Center, in C/O Anita Hughes, Church of God Division of Care, P. O. Box 2430, Cleveland, Tennessee 37320 and please specify which organization. The family will receive friends form 12:00 until 2:00 P. M. Wednesday at the North Cleveland Church of God, main sanctuary.
The Jim Rush Funeral and Cremation Services North Ocoee Chapel has charge of the arrangements. You may share your condolences and your memories with Dr. Smith’s family at www. jimrushfuneralhomes.com.
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