Bishop Horace Smith Is Stepping Down After 46 Years — What Happens To His Church?

After 46 years as senior pastor, Bishop Horace Earl Smith, M.D. is stepping down from Apostolic Faith Church in Bronzeville, Chicago. His final Sunday as senior pastor is October 4, 2026. So what happens to one of the South Side's most historic Black churches? In this deep dive, we cover: ✅ Bishop Smith's story, from losing his mother at a young age to becoming a pastor at 30 ✅ The history of Apostolic Faith Church, from a 1919 home gathering to a Depression-era building project ✅ How Bishop Smith balanced ministry with a career in pediatric hematology and oncology ✅ The church's planned transition and its team-based leadership model ✅ Who Elder Jonathan Banks is and why his 28 years of service matter ✅ Why founder transitions often fail, and what this church is doing differently ✅ What it all means for Bronzeville #BishopHoraceSmith #ApostolicFaithChurch #Bronzeville #ChicagoChurch #BlackChurch #PastoralSuccession #ChurchLeadership #ChicagoNews #SouthSideChicago #FaithAndLeadership