Pastor Del Smith is the Senior Pastor of Christian Life Center. He and his wife, Marvina, have been married since 1985 and have three children: son Steven and his wife Joy, and two daughters Chelsey and Erica. He’s also the proud grandfather of Brooklyn Mckenna…his little angel!
He served as the Executive Pastor of CLC for four years prior to being elected as Senior Pastor in 2007. Del and Marvina have been in ministry since 1985, having served churches in Missouri and Indiana. He graduated from Central Bible College with a Bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies and holds a Master of Arts in Biblical Literature from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. Pastor Del has a consuming desire to preach and teach the Bible in contemporary and creative ways. He is passionate in leading Christian Life Center to become a place where people discover God and experience His power in life-changing ways!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and insights in the blog. I visited the church for the first time this past Sunday. I intend to return in two or three weeks with my daughter. We are in the process of seeking God on His direction for us for a church. Perhaps at the end of this process we will return to our current church or He will send us to a another mission. I have listed 4 churches we intend to visit over the next month.
I especially enjoyed the Psalm 69:3 reference this morning. I am encouraged and a bit excited to know that God has a plan and we are actively seeking a change within His will. I know his direction will hold growth and this is welcome as now “parched” is all to familiar. I spirit is expecting good things and my Faith is a witness to that Truth.
Praise God and Blessings to you and the mission at CLC. I will continue to read your blog and if at any moment your thought turn toward this need, for our family to find a church home– please ask God to clarify His direction for us.
PRAISE the Lord.
Thank you, Denise. I pray God leads you in your search. Hope we see you again too! Thanks.
Pastor Del-I can not tell you how much I have enjoyed CLC. From the moment I sat down I felt at home. As a music lover I was overwhelmed with the band and choir. So much that I have been singing in the choir for about two months now. How blessed we are to have Pastor Steve. His musical abilities blow me away. But more importantly your words touch my heart every week. I can hear and see the love of CHRIST in you. I want to become a member and also to be baptized. I did fill that out one of the cards we turn in. We are so very blessed to have you. Keep up the good work that GOD has sent you to do. I know that HE is proud of you. See you on Sun. and I hope we touch the unsaved who are hurting with our beautiful rendition of “BLESSED ASSURANCE” MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. IN CHRIST Warren Gilbert
Warren, thank you so much for your kind words! It’s great to have you, and I’m excited for what the future holds!
John 15:5
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Adrian Rogers comments below:
What can a branch do without a vine? Nothing! When you think your something, then God is not everything. And, God cannot be everything until you become nothing. But don’t’ worry about it, because God specializes in making something out of nothing.
Adrian Rogers (lwf.org)
Hi Pastor Del,
I am about a week late in writing this, but since our brief conversation after service two Sundays ago, I am following your suggestion.
Del, I am/was a Commercial Banker by trade, and have been recognized as being successful at it( or so I thought).. I took a position with a start up bank about 2 yrs ago, and we were doing terrific. Then within 3 months we were bought by another small bank, leaving no need for the double management and all of our executives were let go including me. That was October 08. I am still out of work and really haven’t had more than 2 viable opportunities. With the large family that we have its very unsettleing to say the least.
About 7 years ago I got into the thoproughbred racing industry as a small time owner, and the passion I’ve had for the sport since I was a little boy has grown substancially. When other kids were reading more common magazines and periodics in school, I was reading “The Bloodhorse” and “Thoroughbred Times”. I am plugged into the Industry and in fact my oldest son lives in Lexington ky, The thoroughbred capital of the world, attends UK and works as an assistant trainer for a well known trainer.
I have dreamed of making the thoroughbred industry my career for years and thought this might be the time to get something going, since the banking thing was moving at a pace a snail would laugh at. I have had a business plan in place for about 2 years and just needed the financing.
At the start of your service two weeks ago when you asked any and all to come up and receive prayer who were out of work or were looking to change jobs, I did. It was the first time I accepted prayer for this business outside of my home. My evil pride would not allow me. However the presence of GOD was so strong in the church that morning I had no choice but to surrender and go to the alter.
Well, within two days a very successful and world known breeding farm in Lexington (who I sent the plan to months ago)contacted me and said they would not only assist me but would invest half the money necessary. I also had a meeting a day later with another investor and he agreed to put up about 20%. So within one week I have the backing of this wonderful farm and about 70% of the money needed!! I am no longer too proud to ask for prayer and hope you will continue to pray for me as I will for you.
Thank you for all you do for the Church and may God Bless you
Joe
Dear Pastor Dell,
I am writing you to notify you magnificent work you are doing bringing God’s word to us.
This Sunday’s message on “Prosperity and poverty was very well prepared and presented as God would have you do.
Thank you, Joe. I appreciate your kind words and encouragment!
PASTOR DEL-I WANT TO WISH YOU AND YOUR MOST BEAUTIFUL FAMILY A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS. MAY YOU FIND THE PEACE THAT ONLY OUR LORD AND SAVIOR CAN PROVIDE. BEFORE I CLOSE I MUST COMMENT ON YOUR SERMON SUN. AS ALWAYS POWERFUL AND TRUTHFUL. I WANT YOU TO KNOW I ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION FROM THAT SERMON. “WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT JESUS”? WELL I AM GOING TO HAVE A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. I HAVE STRUGGLED WITH HIS LOVE FOR ME FOR YEARS. UNTIL I HEARD YOU SAY,”HE ISN’T MAD AT US. HE IS MAD ABOUT US. THAT INCLUDES ME. PRAISE GOD AND THANK YOU PASTOR DEL. WITH LOVE IN CHRIST, WARREN GILBERT
Merry Christmas to you too, Warren! And thank you!
I just want to say ty for all you do you are a great pastor. And to ask you to please pray for us my husband lost his job and his unemployment has not come yet and we are running out of food and can not pay our bills. but on the up side I just got a part time job but we could really use that unemployment check. I personally don’t mind going without if I need to but Would not like for my son to have too. But again I appreciate all you do.
Hello. I visited your Church this past Sunday with my family. I know another Minister that attends your church and one random night, I ran into some of your other members when I saw a Hezakiah Walker van. I felt as if God kept bringing your church name into my path, hence the reason for my visit. I am currently a Minister at Provision of Grace World Mission Church and have been preaching the word of God for the past 3 years, both there and in the Philadelphia Prison system. I feel that God is leading me away from Provision of Grace, though I do not know where I am being led at this time. It may be to your church, it may be elsewhere, wherever I end up, it is the will of God. If God leads me to your church, I believe it would be for a reason and would like you to know that I am willing to serve in whatever capacity God would lead you to place me. Can you please email me with your thoughts and/or comments on this as I do not want to put my phone number on a public forum. My email is ltaylor2007@gmail.com. Thank you and God Bless, Minister Lamont Taylor, Sr.
TESTIMONY
Dear Pastor Del,
I want the congregation to know that when the Holy Ghost comes upon a person that it is an actual physical feeling. It feels as if a warm blanket is placed around you, and your mind is suddenly clear on what is right and wrong in regards to ones spiritual life. It’s as if God is giving you new moral beliefs. It feels great! That is what happened to my wife and I several years ago while attending a play called “He’s Alive”. During Easter Pastor Billy-Joe Daugherty, a well known Tulsa preacher (now deceased), stood upon a stage prop of the Tomb of Jesus in a facility called the Mabee center. ( a huge auditorium) He was preaching an alter calling in which approximately 100 people responded to. My wife and I were two of those who responded with some egging on from our high school son. You see, we had a serious relationship problem with one of two children we had adopted from Romania. Our son grabbed the hand of our daughter and ran to the stage waving us to join him. While standing on that stage I spoke to God and said “if there was anything he could do, it was now that I would like help”. The spirit hit not only myself, but my wife at the exact same time. We speak about it, and both described the same feeling. As we stood among the 100 people on stage, I made eye contact with Pastor Daugherty as he stood about 50 feet away upon the tomb still requesting people to make their way on stage. He handed the microphone to his assistant. I said to my wife, “He’s going to come down from there an speak to us, I just know it!” Pastor Daugherty got down from the tomb and came out from behind the curtain saying to people “excuse me” as he made his way directly in front of my wife and I and said “God tells me that you have something heavy on your heart. How can I help.” I broke down in tears of amazement and told him our story. He asked us what kind of seed did I plant. He explained that if I planted a radish seed I could reap the fruit in a matter of days, but if I planted an apple seed I would need to wait years before I could reap that fruit. “What did you plant?” He explained that I couldn’t stop watering and fertilizing the seed just because it has not produced as fast as I wanted it to. If I did it would surely wither and die. So even today our relationship with this child is still a problem, I look forward to a reunion as in Luke 15, where the Prodigal child returns and we can rejoice. Until then we rejoice that our lives completely changed on that Easter weekend as we sought out a new church that gave us more insight on following Jesus. Up until that day we were on again off again Catholics that could not wait until service was over and put our $2.00 in the offering plate. Now we cherish Sunday mornings and tithe appropriately as many great things have come to our lives since we have made our commitment with Jesus.
Pastor Del,
I have been to CLC for the past three weeks now and have been so abundantly blessed with the word of God & by the presence of the Holy Spirit! I had been at a church for the past 10 years and stumped in my growth and began to pray about where the Lord would have me to go. Honestly, I was a bit reserved about attended a mega type of church but if I would explain to anyone wanting to come to CLC I would say the only thing mega there is the annointing of God! From the ushers at the door, the staff at real kids, the choir members and last but certainly not least in how God is using you….the spirit of the Lord dwells in this place! From the first time I visited I felt UNITY in Christ. So many people that came to just worship our Savior! I know that only the Spirit of the Lord can do such wonders and I have been overflowing with joy ever since first attending! I have never experienced sunday morning service in such a way. I left wanting to tell everyone about such an amazing place of worship & Jesus !!! CLC has allowed me to rekindle that fire that desires to have an intimate relationship with Chirst and to serve him. CLC has not only been a blessing to me but my children as well. They have left each week with so much they have learned about Jesus and were so excited they wanted to bring their friends! I am excited to see where the Lord will allow me & my family to grow at CLC. To God be the Glory! The spirit in you & teaching of the gospel has blessed me in such a way that my cup runneth over! May the Lord continue to Bless you & your family & CLC!
Towanna
Dear Friend,
We live in a world where people are searching for internal peace, security, hope, and happiness.
These are things the world cannot give, and they do not know where to look.
My book, “Self-Identity”, has recently been published to be employed as a tool to help individuals.
“Self-Identity” was designed to encourage people to boldly share their contentment with others.
“Self-Identity’’ is a simple yet lesson-filled book of how one could meet God through Jesus Christ, and teach others how to meet God.
I hope that you will find this material to be an aide for others.
You can purchase “Self-Identity” at http://www.dorrancebookstore.com(Inspiration), Amazon.com (Help) or your nearest bookstore.
God bless you.
Kyu P. Hwang
248 Commerce Circle
Bristol, PA 19007
Pastor Del, I am so happy to be back to CLC. I have not been coming to church regularly since Pastor Cawston left. (Until now) These past couple of weeks (being present for your sermons) I have clearly felt Gods presence on that pulpit through you.
There is no doubt that you Love God and care about His children too!
I am going to be praying for you and the continued growth of our church.
God Bless You and your family.
Tammy Ritterson
God came to me monday night Aug 1st 2011 when I was watching tv and my wife Tammy sleeping next to me. I had nothing on my mind or any thoughts of wrong or worry,I was just watching TV. All of a sudden I felt this thing inside me it was not pain but like my soul was slowly being emptied I felt this tingling sensation all over my body. I started getting scared. I thought am I being possessed; I got up walked into the bathroom looked in the mirror didn’t see nothing wrong, but inside I felt a sense of hopelessness, then I went into my kids room and looked at them like I was not there, I couldn’t feel anything l felt emptiness, in my mind I started to panic I didn’t know what was wrong with me, I felt like I wasn’t in my body. I felt like Bruce Willis in the movie the “Sixth sense” when he discovered he was dead. Finally, I woke my wife up saying something is wrong with me. I think I need to go to the emergency room. She was kind of mad I woke her up. But, she checked my pulse; it was fine after all she is a heart nurse. She checked all my vitals, they seemed fine. So I went back to sleep but; something was still wrong. I couldn’t sleep my soul refused to be comforted; my spirit grew faint. I thought about the past. I felt like I was going crazy, I thought is this how a soul and mind are tortured in hell . I couldn’t sleep 11pm 12am 1am 2am 3am I was getting scared I didn’t know what to do; this is it, I thought, I’m going to wake up crazy, nuts how am I going to go to work like this. I was seeing demons in my head I wasn’t dreaming I could not sleep. I never had a history of anxiety or mental disorder; I was a calm,cool,and laid back guy with no worries. But I did turn my back on God , Jesus, and the Holy spirit 15 years ago . I thought is it to late; but I knew God never ever leaves you, he has a plan for me.
Then I cried out to God for help I cried out for him to hear me . I rebuked the demons that were trying to make me crazy. You are God you can perform miracles. Jesus Christ my lord and savior please help , 4 am 5am with tears streaming down my face , me and the lord were battling the forces of evil. Then a peace came over me, it was over. The holly spirit was in me more powerful than ever. I got out of bed. I had not slept; my I eyes were sore from crying. I felt like a new man. I felt like my life was saved. I told my wife every lie and sin I did and did to her. How I was selfish . I told her how the holy spirit is in me . She just looked at me crazy, but there is no doubt, that can change me back to my old self and I know jesus will touch her like he touched me many years ago. Now I look at my kids and wife and everything around me different. I used to bite my finger nails since I was a little kid and now I can’t. All the the desires of this world had left me for good. All I want to do is be in the Word get wisdom from my lord. Share my Good News and love everyone. I truly now know what we were put on this earth for and that is to worship and praise our lord almighty. God will be with me always and hopefully with everyone I tell of my good news.” When this tent we live in- our body here on earth- is torn down, God will have a house in heaven for us to live in,a home he himself has made,which will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 5:1 thanks for reading pastor I took an old army buddie to your service last sunday haven’t seen him for 15 years,he led me to the lord in fort campbel kentucy and I had 2 strong years with the holy spirit living inside me but after I split the army and left my christian friends I couldn’t do it alone.I turned my back on God Jesus and the Holy Spirit . You deticated my 2 children at CLC Tommy and Olivia .and my friend chief warrant officer Mike Gonzales redeticated his life to the Lord.he was an Iraq war vet and because of the war he couldn’t sleep with the lights off but he text me today and for the first time in 8 years last night he slept with the lights off he got out of bed and worshiped and praised God. But I now know what my purpose in life is. So God gave me a lot of gifts and I want to use those gifts I want to be involved in our church and share the good news I’m a Bagpiper a Mural artist an electritian. Thank you pastor Del Jorge Cervantes
Jorge, that’s incredible…thanks for sharing!
Dear brother,
Thank you very much for your services. Really you was blessed. we will be praying for you and your ministry.
We want to do preach and teach services for our people from my office. Preachers can do wherever they live through Skype video call by using web cam.
If God ‘s will Please do to speak in front of 30 pastors via Skype Video call what an awesome tool and way to communicate. Modern technology has opened a lot of doors for the Gospel purpose.
Yours in His Ministry,
Pastor Isaiah
Please Visit our Blog:
http://anchorofhopeindia.webs.com/apps/blog/
Dear Pastor Del, I have attended CLC since Pastor Cawston was the senior Pastor. At one point I was a member but because my staying in Florida for long period of times, I missed the membership renewal but in my heart I love CLC and consider myself part of the CLC family. I became ill with a heart condition including blockage of my arteries specially the aorta. I was unable to continue working due to the symptoms of the condition and the stressfulness of my job. I was a treasury technician at GMAC finance headquaters. For the last two and half years I have been fighting with Social Security to grant disability benefits. It was a very hard and difficult fight. All along I kept my faith in the Lord and even though sometime I felt the water reaching my nose I knew the Lord would not let me drown. As much as we could we continue giving our offerings and tithes. We were faithful and the lord provided for our needs. A week ago I received notification from Social Security that my disability claim was approved, including all back pay entitlements. This morning Im happy to confirm monies were deposited into my checking account, when im in the most need of it. The Lord is never too early or late, just in time. Praise The Lord. First item in my agenda..my tithes. God bless you
Pastor Del: I’m a member at C.L.C. I’m very blessed to see how God is Blessings you with each message you give on Sunday.I would like you to contiune in HIS GRACES FOREVER! Mother day will be coming up shortly and my prayer is that my daughter & her husband would attend that would make me very happy to see.KEPT THEM IN PRAYER for that day!! Before I end this I would like to thahk you for helping me out with my finical crises last year.I’ve been a widow for eight year now and had trouble with my tithes C.L.C. My daughter Denise has a inoperable tumor which is causing seurizer she is blessed that this year she is able to work. So I’m trying to tithe better. I’m trying to live here in Bensalem and doing Gods work for ladies that are also widow’s.I’m also going to be visting those that are lonley.God is so assume to me .Once again THANK YOU for your wonderfull messages that help me walk in the LORDS Graces. God Bless you!!!! Gloria
I would like to say a few things. I am a christian. i have spent a lot of my life devoting my self to a christian cause. I believe in helping people. Ive never had to much to give but I did what was nessecary to make sure that every person i came across that needed a helping hand would get as much as i could to them. Whether it be emotional support, food, money, transportation to a doctor or family. Anything i could do to help. I felt good doing it. I see so many in despair around me. I love life and I love people. Its a funny thing though when it comes time to ask for support nobody is there to give it. I do not resent the fact that nobody is willing to help my family out there. The system is broken when it comes to our government and our places of faith. They have no funding and when they do most of them only hand it out to certains groups minorites or members of their own faith. How can people be so closed minded when the people that strive to help others there whole life are denied any kind of assistance. Something needs to be done. I am a father of five that has been laid off for 6 months. Im unable to find another job and the little income that i have coming in barley pays my rent. I get a small amount off food stamps that get us through about half the month. i am seriously concerned that my children may get taken away. I have no way to pay my bills and there isnt a single social service or church in my area that i haveent tried. The most i was able to get was 25$ food voucher. I need help and I know god will provide. I also know that god doesnt want me sitting around not doing anything about it. Im looking for help for my kids not me. God Bless you all and have a great day. If anyone has any reasonalble suggestions i am open for anything. Thank you My email address is drobs0422@gmail.com My name is Donny
I just wanted to say how much I enjoy all things CLC has to offer. I have been attending since July 2011. My daughter loves the children’s church and looks forward to church.Pastor Aaron and miss Jen are so wonderful with the children. I especially look forward to hearing Pastor Polly speak.I do have to say something keeps me coming to CLC, alot of the things you talk about ring so true as to what is going on in my life at the time. The first time I attended your sermon was about Storms in life,so weird I was just getting out of one of the biggest storms in my life, one week about doubting your faith,again what I was going through!. I guess we all go through a period of doubt at least once and then around Christmas in 2011 Pastor Polly was speaking one Wednesday night and was telling a story about a trip to NYC with a friend and they were shopping at a department store and she looked up and on the ceiling was written “Just Believe”.I almost fell out of my seat ( I know the people in front of me heard me gasp) Something keeps me coming back and I know it is God speaking to me through you and your staff.There just is not any other explaination.Thank you for all you do and keep the great sermons coming
Hello,I just wanted to say this past Sunday’s sermon was so powerful!!!You were really powerful in your message.If someone didn’t get that,well, God help them.Keep up the good work Pastor Del