James Smith, MD is the Medical Director and Managing Partner, Raleigh office of Carolina Partners in Mental Health Care, PLLC, where he oversees 70 partners.  He spent thirty years with the Wake County Alcoholism Treatment Center as a staff psychiatrist and over twenty years with the North Carolina Department of Correction as Chief Psychiatrist at Central Prison Mental Health. He is also the current President of the North Carolina Minority Prostate Cancer Awareness Action Team. He completed his education at Howard University in Washington, DC where he obtained his BS and M.D.  He is board certified in Psychiatry, by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

He is proud to be a second generation psychiatrist as his father preceded him in this profession and it was not surprising that he followed in his father’s footsteps. He has held faculty appointments with both Duke and UNC Departments of Psychiatry. He has been a Board Member, Wake County Human Services since 2012 and is currently the Vice Chair. He has been a Board Member of the Governor’s Institute on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse and Catholic Social Ministries, Dioceses of Raleigh. He was also Chairman, Health Wake County 2000, 1996 -1999. He is a member of the Old North State Medical Society; the L.A. Scruggs Medical Society; the North Carolina Psychiatric Association and the American Psychiatric Association. He has been on the Advisory Council Rex Prostate Cancer Center of Excellence, a member of the North Carolina Minority Prostate Cancer Awareness Action Team, Gamma Sigma Boule’ Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity and St. Raphael Catholic Church. He was selected by the Triangle Business Journal for “Health Care Hero 2011 for Community Service”. He was honored with the Wake Pan-Hellenic Council Community Service Award, in 2009, the WSHA Community Service Award in 2007, and the Robert “Bob” Anderson Award by the, Prostate Cancer Coalition of NC, 2006 and the Sword Bearer Award, NC Minority Awareness Action Team in 2004. He is also a Distinguished Life Fellow, American Psychiatric Association, 2011.

He and his wife, Sandra have three sons; Anthony, Jason and Brian. Both Jason and Brian and their spouses live in the Northern Va. Area and he is most proud of his two grandchildren, Micah Alexander and Mischa Annilese Smith.

Reverend Prince Raney Rivers has served as our senior pastor since 2017. He is passionate about preaching, teaching, discipleship, leadership, and mentoring. He delivers powerful sermons each week to help transform us spiritually and empower us to transform those in our community. Pastor Rivers currently serves as the 3^rd Vice President of the General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, Inc. and he is a member of the board of trustees for Wake Forest University. He has previously served as a board member for The Baptist House at Duke Divinity School. He has delivered lectures and sermons in congregations, for denominations, and at colleges and universities around the country and abroad. He is the author of numerous articles, essays and two book chapters on pastoral ministry. Pastor Rivers book, John, was published in 2019 and it features over twenty sermons preached from the Gospel of John (Smyth & Helwys Press). In 2015, Rivers was invited to Duke Divinity School to deliver the “State of the Black Church” address for Gardner C. Taylor Lecture Series.

Rev. Sha’Reff Rashad was born in Albany, Georgia and raised in Daytona Beach, Florida. After attending the public schools of Daytona Beach, FL and graduating from Seabreeze Senior High School, he enlisted in the United States Navy where he served for 27 years. In June of 2005, he retired as a Master Chief Petty Officer. Rev. Rashad studied Theology Classes at Liberty University and went on to complete his Bachelor of Science degree at Columbia College. He is currently seeking his Masters of Theological Studies at Liberty University. Having been blessed by his military career, Rev. Rashad still strives to instill discipline, responsibility, and respect into the lives of young men and women in his current role as a Naval Science Instructor for the Clay County School District at Ridgeview High School. Rev. Rashad was ordained Itinerate Elder in the AME Church in 1996 and has served at Bethel AME Church in Summerville, SC; Allen Chapel AME Church in Pensacola, Florida; and Philip R. Cousin AME Church in Jacksonville, Florida where he served under Presiding Elder Eugene E. Moseley, Jr. for nearly 14 years. In 2012, Rev. Rashad was given his current charge as Pastor of New Mt. Moriah AME Church, Jacksonville, FL where he has served faithfully since that day. Reverend Rashad’s goal is to always teach and preach the True Word of God in a simplistic, easy to understand manner so that others will understand and be able to apply the word to their lives. He has a heart for the youth and believes we must prepare them spiritually to live a life that pleases the Lord. Rev. Rashad married Sharon Thomas Rashad in July of 1983 in Summerville, SC and to that union, God has blessed them with two wonderful sons, Sha’reff II and Shakeel Rashad.

Rev. Blane Joseph Newberry is a native of Philadelphia, married to the former Cathy Leigh Hill.  He was educated in the Philadelphia Parochial School System.  Reverend Newberry attended Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina, earning a B.A. Degree in Sociology and Social Work, having been awarded a four-year athletic scholarship.  He earned a M.S. Degree in the Administration of Justice from Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania.  Reverend Newberry has matriculated at the Palmer Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.  Reverend Newberry has guided the development of youth in Philadelphia as a Juvenile Probation Officer, Gang Prevention Officer, and Recreation Leader.  Prior to accepting his call into full-time ministry, Reverend Newberry attained a career in law enforcement for the U. S. District Court in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the U. S. Department of Justice as a Federal Probation and Parole Officer.  Additionally, Reverend Newberry is passionate in his pursuit of souls for the Kingdom and serves in the following capacities: Certified pre-marital and marital counselor with Gilead’s Balm Counseling Ministry; Lecturer/Facilitator (discipleship classes, marriage retreats, church member assimilation, community organizations, and organizational management) and Missions Educator.