ics ▁at ▁More house ▁Medical ▁School . ▁He ▁also ▁taught ▁at ▁Atlanta ' s ▁Columbia ▁Sem inary . ▁ ▁Smith ▁was ▁deeply ▁influenced ▁by ▁Howard ▁Th ur man , ▁the ▁founder ▁of ▁the ▁Church ▁for ▁the ▁Fellow ship ▁of ▁All ▁Pe op les , ▁the ▁country ' s ▁first ▁explicitly ▁inter - ra cial ▁and ▁inter - c ult ural ▁church . ▁Smith ▁has ▁followed ▁Dr . ▁Th ur man ▁in ▁seeking ▁to ▁eng ender ▁intention ally ▁diverse ▁con greg ations . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁Dr . ▁Smith ▁attract ed ▁media ▁attention ▁as ▁far ▁away ▁as ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁and ▁Miami ▁when ▁he ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁black ▁minister ▁of ▁all - white ▁Hill side ▁Pres by ter ian ▁Church ▁in ▁Dec atur , ▁Georgia , ▁outside ▁Atlanta . ▁Being ▁a ▁black ▁Pres by ter ian ▁past or ▁in ▁an ▁all - white ▁church ▁made ▁Smith ▁" unique ▁among ▁the ▁more ▁than ▁ 4 , 0 0 0 ▁con greg ations ▁of ▁the ▁Pres by ter ian ▁Church ▁in ▁the ▁US " ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁Within ▁three ▁years , ▁church ▁membership ▁sw elled ▁and ▁become ▁proud ly ▁multi - ra cial . ▁ ▁Smith ▁left ▁Atlanta ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁having ▁been ▁chosen ▁from ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 0 0 ▁candidates ▁to ▁lead ▁historic ▁First ▁Pres by ter ian ▁Church ▁in ▁Brook lyn ▁He ights , ▁New ▁York . ▁He ▁became ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁and ▁first ▁black ▁past or ▁of ▁a ▁pre domin antly ▁white