Bishop Gregory C. Smothers and wife Esterine

1 Tim. 3:1 ¶This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

His primary oversight and the deacon leading that ministry:

·          New Members (includes Gift Assessment) – Deacon Seon Jones

·          Member Services – Deacon Seon Jones

·          HIT Team (includes web site)  – Deacon Sylvester Hester

·          Club Med – Deacon Theotus Butler

·          Health Fair – Deacon Theotus Butler

·          Emergency Response Teams (CERT & MERT) – Deacon Theotus Butler

Why he desires the office of a bishop:

·          “I desire the office of a bishop because I really love the Lord and His people and believe that God has equipped and empowered me to lead and to feed His precious sheep.”

Shepherd’s Favorite Expressions:

         “We are blessed beyond measure and highly favored by God.”

         “Be our guess at the Crest where we guarantee you will be blessed!”

         “We need to have a Hillcrest Head and a Christ-like Heart.”

Shepherd’s 2011 Charge to the Flock:

         “The First Brick is Prayer.  There are times when prayer alone is not enough.  Recall the time of Nehemiah when the holy city of Jerusalem was defenseless and disgraced because its walls and gates were torn down.   Nehemiah, after much prayer and meditation, decided it was time to get up and go to work and rebuilt the walls in only 52 days (Neh. 6:15)!  Let us unite in our Brick By Brick building effort, making the first brick prayer and the second brick, good  works.  Let us humbly pray, then boldly get up, and go to work.  Everyone can do something!”

Important Dates:

         Member at Hillcrest since:  June 1996.

         Natural Birthday – February 2, 1956 (Groundhog’s Day), Cleveland, MS.

         Spiritual Birthday - August 25, 1974 (Lincoln Garden Church of Christ, Cleveland, MS).

         Wedding Anniversary – November 7, 1976.

         Hillcrest Youth Minister – January 1999 (resigned December 2006). 

         Ordained as a deacon – September 2003.

         Ordained as an elder – July 2009.

         PhD in Urban Higher Education –  Jackson State University, August 7, 2010.

         Wife’s Birthday – February 23, Ruleville, MS.

         Wife’s Spiritual Birthday – November 3, 1975.

Adult Children: 3

         Gregory C. Smothers, II and wife Maxayn, Acworth, GA

         Shanaal S. Smothers, Irving, TX.

         Solomon A.L. Smothers and wife Lora, Athens, GA

Grandchildren: 1

About the Smothers:

         Bro. Smothers worked as a health scientist, public health advisor, or public health analyst at the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for 13 years and resigned in August 2008 to pursue a Ph. D. in urban higher education.  Prior to CDC, Bro. Smothers worked as a hospital microbiologist and medical technologist.  Currently Bro. Smothers is serving as the Owner’s Representative for the Brick By Brick campaign.  Brother Smothers has done some public health and education consulting and is considering a family business.

         Sister Esterine Smothers currently works with the DeKalb County Georgia School System as a Master degreed special education teacher at Redan Elementary School.   With over 29 years of teaching experience, Sister Smothers has also taught Special Education in Mississippi, Arkansas, and Tennessee.  An avid worker with the youth when her husband was youth minister, she still coordinates the Hillcrest Youth Ministry Singers (HYMS), was co-founder of the Hillcrest Club Med Exercise Ministry, and sings with the award winning adult Hillcrest Singers.  In 2011 she, along with Sister Rosetta Tillman will again co-chair the Hillcrest Ladies Day Program.

Greg’s Favorite Pastimes:

        Bible Study

        Sports Fan (all Atlanta pro teams)

        Water Aerobics

        Acappella Singing

        Weigh lifting