Bishop Victor Paul Smith
Victor was born on December 15, 1935 in Los Angeles, California--the third son of the late Bishop Joseph C. Smith, Sr. and Celina C. Caldwell Smith Conic. He received his secondary education in Los Angeles, graduating in 1954 from Thomas Jefferson High School. It was in high school that he became interested in printing and later attended Los Angeles Trade Technical College, pursuing a career in printing. He also attended Los Angeles City College for two years. He later attended Los Angeles Bible College (BIOLA), Moody Bible Institute and Georgia State University. Victor received a Bachelor of Science Degree in English Bible from Beulah Heights Bible College and a Master of Arts Degree in Ministry in May 2000 from Luther Rice Seminary, Atlanta, Georgia.

Victor was raised in the church, and he was involved in the Sunday school, the Holiness Young People's Union and the choir. On a Sunday night in September 1955, he came down from his place in the choir, as they were singing:
"Oh Why Should I be Lost? So careless meet my doom? I hear the loving voice, inviting me to come. Yes, whosoever will, may freely come to God: 'Tis mercy calling still, Come sinner to the blood."
With this song ringing in his ears-and the Spirit speaking to him from Revelations 3:20, "Behold I stand at the door and knock: if any man hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him; and he with Me." Victor gave his life to the Lord as he responded to his heavenly Father's invitation.

After serving in the armed forces where he heard the call to ministry, he moved to Chicago to take on the responsibility of managing the National Publishing House of the Church of Christ (Holiness) U.S.A. While living in Chicago, he met and married his first wife Juanita. His daughter, Vania, was born and he entered the ministry as a preacher of the gospel in 1967. In the fall of 1969 he and his family moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he was assigned as pastor of Beulah Church of Christ (Holiness) U.S.A. Elder Smith pastored Beulah for 27 years. Paul, his second child, was born in Atlanta in 1971. After several years of illness, his wife, Juanita, went home to be with the Lord in January 1982.

In December of 1982, the Lord blessed Victor and his children with the lovely Ms. Elma R. Johnson of Detroit, Michigan as wife and mother She brought sunshine into their lives. Victor and Elma have been married for 22+ years and are the parents of two sons, Kristofer and Eric. Both sons are honor students in college, Kristofer at Florida A & M, and Eric at the University of Tennessee.

In 1989 Elder Smith was elevated to bishopric and assigned as Presiding officer of the Southeastern Diocese of the Church of Christ (Holiness) U.S.A. In 1996 Bishop Smith assigned another pastor at the church he pastored for 27 years and began a mission program in the diocese of planting new churches. For several years he traveled to Jacksonville and Apopka, Florida on the first and third Sunday of each month to serve two congregations. For a two-year period he served with Promise Keepers in the state of Georgia as a statewide speaker. In January of 2003 Bishop Smith returned as the pastor of Beulah Cathedral Church of Christ (Hol.) USA.

Bishop Smith served as 1st Vice President of the Church of Christ (Holiness) USA for 8 years, and Chairman of the National Publishing Board for 10 years, and is Presiding Bishop of the Southeastern Diocese. He is the Co-Chairman of the National Juneteenth Christian Leadership Council (NJCLC). He has served as Sr. Vice President of the National Common Ground Coalition. He has also served on many boards here in the Atlanta area. The Butler Street (Northwest Branch) YMCA; The Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club Advisory Board; Metro Atlanta Youth for Christ; Christian Council of Greater Atlanta; and several other groups.