Pastor Lester Smith brings decades of service, faith and leadership to pastoral role

The calling to ministry has taken Pastor Lester E. Smith across the country, through military service, classrooms, hospitals, prisons and pulpits—but his latest role marks a historic milestone for the congregation he now serves. He will preach his first sermon as pastor on February 1st at the 10:30 am service. All are welcome.

Smith was recently hired to the post of Senior Pastor at Mt. Tabor United Church of Christ in Lexington at 102 East Holly Grove Road.

According to Lee Comer, head of the church’s Consistory, the hiring of Rev. Smith represents the first time the 145-plus-year-old church in Holly Grove has called an African American pastor to lead its congregation.

“Mt. Tabor UCC is thrilled to have Smith join our church and become our spiritual leader. He is such a humble and dedicated man of God, and we believe that he, along with his wife Freddie, will be a powerful source of new light for our congregation. We just can’t wait to see what new doors God will open for us, and what we, together, can accomplish for His kingdom,” said Lee Comer, head of the Consistory.

Smith previously served as an associate minister at Union Baptist Church in Lexington under Senior Pastor Rev. Darrell Thomas, where he assisted with teaching, preaching, counseling and worship leadership. His ministry, however, spans more than three decades and reflects a life shaped equally by faith, public service and advocacy.

Ordained in 1992 through the Bear Creek Missionary Baptist Association, Smith has served congregations in North Carolina, Alaska, Utah and beyond. His ministry experience includes worship leadership, Christian education, prison ministry, pastoral care and outreach, often stepping into congregations during times of transition. Over the years, he has filled pulpits at churches across Davidson County and surrounding communities, including Presbyterian, Baptist, Episcopal and United Church of Christ congregations.

Beyond the church walls, Smith dedicated 28 years to the United States Air Force, retiring honorably in 2003 after serving in senior leadership roles in bioenvironmental engineering and aerospace medicine. His military career included managing large teams, overseeing million-dollar budgets and ensuring public and occupational health compliance on bases across the country.

Following his military service, Smith continued his commitment to service through civilian work with the Department of Veterans Affairs. For a decade, he worked at the W.G. “Bill” Hefner VA Medical Center in Salisbury, ultimately serving as Compensated Work Therapy Program Coordinator. In that role, he supervised vocational rehabilitation programs that helped veterans—many facing PTSD, mental illness, physical disabilities or criminal records—return to meaningful employment and stability. He retired from federal service in 2017.

Smith is also an educator by training, holding a Master of Divinity from Hood Theological Seminary, a Master of Science in Counseling and Psychology from Troy University, and a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Education from Wayland Baptist University. He previously taught middle and high school mathematics in Florida, working closely with students with learning disabilities and mental health challenges.

His leadership extends deeply into the community. Smith has served on the Davidson County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, chaired the county’s Racial and Ethnic Disparities Committee, and remains active with organizations such as the NAACP, the Society of St. Andrew, the Lexington Community Ministers Conference and the Greater Lexington Area Ministerial Alliance. He is also involved with Advocates for Charles A. McNeair, supporting efforts for justice and clemency.

At Union Baptist Church, Smith led the church’s prison ministry, providing monthly Bible studies at the Davidson County Correction Facility, and served as financial secretary, overseeing tithes, reporting and tax documentation. His ministry philosophy emphasizes servant leadership, accountability, and preaching that equips believers to live out their faith beyond the sanctuary.

“I believe that effective preaching and teaching should strengthen, edify and equip the body of Christ to go out into the community and be a witness,” Smith writes in his ministry philosophy. “Spirit-filled preaching directs believers to care about the things that God cares about—saving souls, transforming lives and building the Kingdom of God.”

Smith, a retired veteran with a 60 percent service-connected disability rating, is married to Fredricka Enid Lee. The couple celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary in September 2025. He is the father of three adult children, Lynisha, Stephen and Timothy.

As the church steps into a new chapter with Rev. Smith’s leadership, the moment represents both a milestone in the church’s history and a forward-looking commitment to faith, service and community.

For Smith, the role is not about history, but responsibility.

“I am the servant of Christ,” he writes. “This is not my church, but Christ’s church, and I have the sacred trust to serve in the building of the Kingdom of God.”