For this June edition of Palmer News and Notes, Palmer representative Rev. Mathew D. George sat down with Rev. Dr. Stanley Smith (’06) for a heartwarming, humorous, and inspiring conversation about a lifetime of answering the call.
Currently residing in the Villanova area, Dr. Smith reflected on his winding path from corporate insurance to the high boards of the AME Church. Dr. Smith’s ministry journey didn't start in his twenties; it blossomed in his forties after a highly demanding secular career in sales and insurance at Aetna. His original spark for ministry came from the Promise Keepers movement in the late 1980s.
“All I wanted to do at that point... was just do a men’s ministry in the church. I wasn’t thinking about being a pastor.”
However, a discerning pastor recognized his potential and intentionally pulled him into leadership, placing him on the Trustee and Steward boards—the highest local church board in the AME system. Though pastoral ministry skipped his father, it reclaimed Dr. Smith, honoring a legacy left by his grandfather.
An almost 10-Year Palmer Journey (And a 9 AM Detour)
Dr. Smith began his theological education at Palmer in 1997, first in the certificate program before shifting to the MDiv program. Because of his heavy corporate travel schedule, he took just one or two classes a semester, leading to a nine-year graduation marathon in 2006, with special guidance from Rev. Dr. Marsha Brown-Woodard.
The transition to full-time study for his final year required a major leap of faith—and a lot of student loans—supported entirely by his wife, Wanda. Going full-time completely shifted his perspective of seminary life, taking him out of the "rush from work to class" cycle and immersing him in chapel and community.
The journey wasn't without its wild moments. During his final semester, he was suddenly assigned to a church in Niagara Falls, NY. Dr. Smith jokingly recalled the brutal weather:
"Up there in Niagara Falls... they basically have two seasons: August and winter!"
Exhausted after a 3:00 PM Sunday service, he accidentally drove west instead of east on Route 90, charting a massive accidental detour through Pittsburgh. He dragged himself into class at 9:00 AM Monday morning, much to the amusement of his classmate, Carlos Bounds.
He also fondly remembered iconic Palmer professors, such as Ian Scott, whose dramatic storytelling of Jesus left the entire New Testament class in tears, and Horace Russell, who hilariously lost one of Dr. Smith’s papers because it was turned in too early.
Now 73 and approaching the mandatory AME retirement age of 75, Dr. Smith looks back on a decorated legacy. He has served as a Christian Education Director, a local NAACP President, and currently thrives as a Presiding Elder over a district of 16 churches. He also sits on the elite Board of Incorporators, acting as part of the executive board handling major legal, property, and disciplinary decisions for the entire First Episcopal District of the AME church.
When asked what wisdom he would leave for the next generation of pastors, Dr. Smith emphasized that structural advancement is entirely relationship-driven:
- The Golden Rule: Treat everyone exactly the same, whether they are on their way up or coming down.
- Integrity First: Without personal integrity, you cannot build the relationships required to lead.
As for his next chapter? Dr. Smith wants to circle back to his roots by strengthening the Sons of Allen men's ministry, aiming to reverse the declining male membership in the church.
Palmer Seminary celebrates Rev. Dr. Stanley Smith for his decades of impactful, relational leadership!