About us
church history
Resurrection Missionary Baptist Church was organized on February 8, 1998 by twelve believers. We read I Peter 5:1-11, prayed, elected Rev. Smith as Pastor by acclamation, selected our name and accepted two persons as the first candidates for baptism. We elected officers and members to a Board of Trustees and collected our first offering of $42.00. We incorporated on March 9, 1998 and on Sunday, March 29, 1998, we held our first worship service at the Quality Inn Hotel on Tulane Avenue.
For five months we held services at the hotel and Bible Class and choir rehearsals at Pastor Smith’s home. Then, on Sunday, August 9, 1998, we moved to 1210 South Rampart Street, where we worshiped until, Sunday, March 7, 1999, when we moved to a tent on these grounds at 746 Market Street.
When we arrived we found the blighted two-story building that previously had been a bar and which is depicted in the photos below and those on the wall at the entrance to the sanctuary. First, we renovated the kitchen area and moved our services indoors. Then we renovated the remainder of building into the present sanctuary, just in time for our Second Year Anniversary in March of 2000.
Following our church’s motto, which is “giving back to the community”, we have: held worship services, revivals and bibles classes; housed other churches; provided shelter; fed and clothed many; sponsored neighborhood “clean-ups”; conducted summer camps; operated aerobics and weight training sessions; provided swimming, skating, pool table games, air hockey, football and basketball activities, conducted hair and nails salons for the girls; and, taken boys on fishing trips.
However, in the past few years the demographics of our community changed and the opportunity to minister locally diminished. So on March 12, 2018 God allowed us to liquidate our former assets, with sufficient funds to buy and renovate our new and present location in New Orleans East off the I-10 Service Road at the Morrison Exit (formerly “Lace Grand Ballroom”) 6978 Martin Drive. We are now ministering in a new community and DEBT-FREE!
our FIRST FAMILY:
Reverend L. Gerome Smith is the founding Pastor of Resurrection. He was baptized at Guiding Light Missionary Baptist Church at the age of 6, accepted his call to the ministry and preached his first sermon at the age of 10, was licensed at the age of 12 and was ordained by Ideal Missionary Baptist & Educational Association in 1996. He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Harvard University and both a Doctor of Laws Degree and Master of Laws Degree from Tulane University School of Law. He also received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree from Christian Bible College. Reverend Smith also is a licensed attorney.
Reverend Smith is the son of the late Deacon Louis Smith and Reverend Gloria M. Collins Smith Rankin. He is married to Sister Arion Holmes Smith and is the father of his niece, Sister Geralyn Smith.
First Lady Arion Holmes Smith was baptized at First Emmanuel Baptist Church. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of New Orleans and she is employed as a teacher at Akili Academy Of New Orleans. First Lady Smith serves as Secretary for the Church, Director of the Youth Department, a Sunday School teacher, a teacher in the Christian Education Department and a member of the Choir. She also is active in the Women's Department and in any other capacity where she is needed.
Geralyn Louise Smith is Pastor Smith’s niece, who he has raised since she was four. She graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2018 and is doing an internship for NBC.
Ava Leslie Smith (born February 2015?) is the toddler with personality! She is a member of Petite Praise.
Aria Grace Smith (born November 2016) is a member of Petite Praise.
Alana Lauren Smith (born September 2018) and is a member of Petite Praise.
Amelia Gabrielle Smith is a member of Petite Praise.