About

Smithfield Church of God had its humble beginnings in the homes of people having prayer meetings around Burlington Cotton Mill on North Street in the early 1900’s. Leonard Parnell (Mae Hall’s father) built a brush arbor to be used as a church across the railroad tracks behind Burlington Mills. In 1931 Rev. William Pollard preached a Revival that lasted several weeks and many people were saved.  He stayed on as Pastor of the church.  1932, the Smithfield Church of God was organized.

Until the mid 1940’s the church had part time Pastors until Rev. Willie Crowderbecame the Pastor.  Around 1948, they moved the church from the bush arbor to the Mill Village on Hancock Street.  There was a little white church on Hancock St that was owned by the Methodist, then by the Baptist.  Eventually, with so many people living in the area and working for Burlington Mills that attended the Church of God, Burlington purchased the church from the Baptist and sold it to the Church of God for $1.00 .

Under the direction of  Rev. Billy Franklin, anew brick sanctuary was built in 1952. The white church was used for Sunday School Classes.  A Parsonage was built while Rev. Henry Likeswas Pastor.  Later, during the mid 1960’s Rev. J.W. Wilsoncombined the white church (and had it bricked) with the brick church and added a fellowship hall.

In 1999, under the leadership of Rev. Jesse Hathaway, there was a vision for the church to be relocated.  After Guy Lee purchased the church property on Hancock St., land for the relocation was purchased, Rev. Aaron Leonard began construction and in 2000 Rev. Jerry Waters saw the completion of the new church with an expanded sanctuary, Sunday School class rooms and fellowship hall in 2005.  The church was blessed with a miracle and was debt free in February 2009.  The church was incorporated with Rev. Mike Wells in 2010.  Rev. Terry Hayes began plans and fundraising for a much-needed canopy and Rev. Ramon Mizell finished raising funds and oversaw the construction.

9-1-32 organized

1999 smithfield hancock st.

1999 to central

2000 smithfield cog

Former Pastors and their Tenure

Willie Crowders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mid 40’s – 1949

Rev. Gosnell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1949- 1951

Rev. B. Franklin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1951- December 1953

Henry Liles . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . January 1954- August 1960

M.L. Berry    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . September  1960 – August 1962

E.W. Hollifield . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 1962 –  July 1964

J.W. Wilson    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . August 1964- November 1967

E.E. Slater     . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 1697-  June 1968

R.E. Johnson     . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . July 1968- August 1970

Odell McBride      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September  1970 – July 1974

Ralph Wood    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . August 1974 – July 1977

Kermit Kennedy    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . August 1977- July 1980

Reid Huffman      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  August 1980 – October 1992

Haywood Preslar . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . November 1992- October 1994

Bill Braswell         . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . November 1994 – May 1997

Jesse Hathaway   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  June 1997- May 1999

D.A. Leonard       . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June 1999- February 2000

Jerry Waters      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . March 2000- June 2009

Michael Wells    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  July 2009- February 2013

Terry Hayes      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 2013- December 2014

Ramon Mizell       . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . January 2015 – December 2017

Jerry Waters      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April 2018 –  present