This week in Christian history: National Baptist Convention formed; oldest preacher dies

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, September 22, 2024

United States’ oldest preacher dies – Sept. 24, 2015

The late Rev. Noah Smith was oldest practicing preacher in America until September 2015 when he died at 107. | Wayman A.M.E Church

This week marks the anniversary of when the Rev. Noah Smith, who was believed at the time to be the oldest active preacher in the United States, passed away at the age of 107.

Born in 1908 and a former musician and artist, Smith spent over 50 years preaching at different churches and mentoring numerous pastors over the decades, attending his last worship service only 18 days before his death.

"He never seemed like he was 107," said Charles Hallman, a steward board member of the Wayman A.M.E Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where Smith had worshipped for the last several years of his life, in an earlier interview with The Christian Post.

"Every time that I saw him I made sure that I shook his hand basically because I never knew anybody who lived past 90, so I wanted to make sure that I at least touched his hand and talked to him."