Bishop Wesley G Smith

Bishop Wesley G. Smith was born on January 23, 1980 in Newark, New Jersey to the late Donald Williams and Carlin M. Smith. He went home to be with the Lord on Friday, April 18, 2025.

He received his early education at Avon Elementary School. The family relocated to Orange, NJ, where he attended Orange Middle School. In the 11th grade, he joined Job Corps, where he took up Accounting.

At the impressionable age of 14, Smith began preaching. In 1996, under the spiritual guidance of Apostle Antoine Obery of United Deliverance Tabernacle in Newark, NJ, Smith was ordained a Minister at the age of 16. At the sensible age of 19, God placed Smith under the guidance of Dr. O.B. Williams; where he received sound counsel and went on to attend Universal Manhattan Bible Institute of New York. Also at the age of 19, Smith ran the YMCA Evangelical Outreach Team for Newark, Elizabeth, and Plainfield, NJ locations. Pastor Smith's ministry began in 2001 in Newark, NJ, at the New Community Center. He went there twice a week where he met with the senior citizens that lived there.

Smith was deeply concerned for man's entire being his mind, body and soul. Under the Lord's leading, in 2003 Pastor Smith founded Total Man Ministries, and it’s motto is meeting the needs of the people. Total Man Ministries is committed to empowering and pushing the people of God to obtain everything God has for them. Total Man Ministries Universal Church of Christ helps feed, clothe, and provide shelter for over 100 families today.

Pastor Smith's favorite scripture was Isaiah 54:17 “No weapon formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me”, saith the Lord.

In 2006, God elevated Smith to the office of Pastor under the direction of respectful Bishop Michael Flourney of Elizabeth, NJ. Pastor Smith’s first church was called Bread of Heaven in Elizabeth, NJ. Doors began to open, which could not be otherwise closed. He walked through those doors and into the work of holding healing services at Premier Adult Day Care Center in Orange, NJ. In June 2007 Smith volunteered to assist with the food and housing ministries at the Salvation Army located on Broadway and DuPont Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Notably, Pastor Smith was the youngest board member of the Newark's Men for Prayer group and served as Presiding Elder with the United Fellowship Connection of Elizabeth, NJ. In this same year, the Lord saw it fit for Pastor Smith to get consecrated as NJ State Overseer for the Restoration Christian Fellowship located in Denver, Colorado under Apostle George L. Johnson.

Pastor Smith also serves as a Presiding Elder with the United Clergy of the Oranges. In 2010, Overseer Smith joined the Universal Church of Christ, Inc., where he serves under the exceptional leadership of Chief Apostle and Founder Robert Clinton Jiggetts Jr. of Greater Liberty Temple, Newark NJ. Overseer Smith relocated to Minneapolis, Minnesota to continue his work for the Lord. In 2011 He founded Fresh Steps Ministries and Youth Teen Outreach Ministries. These two Ministries work together to prepare the people of God to get their G.E.D., job preparedness, and life skills.

Bishop Smith leaves to cherish his memory, two sons, Wesley Tahir Smith, Jr., and Syncere Jacob Smith; his sister, Pamela Smith Taylor; his brother, Tokyo Williams; his niece, Kiara Taylor; nephews, Raekwan Taylor and Jaquan Taylor; a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, cousins; his ex-wife and mother to his beloved sons, Taheera Smith; and many friends.