Rufus Smith

Rev. Rufus Smith, IV is the Senior Pastor of Hope Church (EPC) in Memphis. He joined Hope’s Staff in September 2010 and became senior pastor in 2013. The church is “believer-centered but very unchurched friendly”. Over the past 9 years, Hope has transitioned from a predominantly Caucasian to a multi-ethnic, multi-generational congregation with 33% of members being African-American. In 2016, he founded the Memphis Christian Pastor’s Network (MCPN), an ethnically and denominationally diverse clergy-only network that “builds trust & broadens impact,” via candid conversation & collaboration to “close the economic disparity gap“ among under-resourced citizens of Memphis, over the next ten years.

He was born in Houston, TX and for 12 years served as the Senior Pastor of The City of Refuge (COR) Presbyterian Church (also a Mosaic, inter-generational congregation). While in Houston he Founded the FORGE for Families (FFF), a CDC that empowers under-resourced neighbors in the greater 3rd Ward community of Houston. Under his leadership, the FORGE completed a $6,400,000 million dollar capital campaign and built a 40,000 square foot campus, debt-free! In addition, he was a Founding Board Member of Yellowstone Academy, a private school for under-resourced elementary students & for three years the Lead Chaplain for the NBA Houston Rockets.