Efrem Smith is the senior pastor of The Sanctuary Covenant Church, with the vision to be an urban, multi-ethnic, relevant, holistic, and Christ-centered community. He has held leadership positions in organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club of America and Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and is the author of numerous articles and books, including The Hip-Hop Church.

Posts By This Author

Pastors: God Calls us to Cross-Cultural Ministry

by Efrem Smith 11-10-2010
As we continue to live within the ever-increasing multi-ethnic and multicultural reality, it is more and more obvious that the "black and white" matrix of the American Christian church is outdated.

Women in Ministry: Following Christ's Example

by Efrem Smith 09-17-2010
I recently spoke to a pastor who made his case for not supporting women as senior pastors. "I've asked many men this question," he said.

Why Glenn Beck is a Danger to True Evangelical Theology

by Efrem Smith 05-19-2010
I watched the Glenn Beck show on Fox News yesterday. His topic was how churches that are using the term, "social justice" are misinterpreting scripture in order to spread Marxism.

Audio: For God So Loved the World

by Efrem Smith 11-04-2009
In this clip, Pastor Efrem expands on the very familiar verse John 3:16.

Confronting Urban Violence with Jesus' Nonviolence

by Efrem Smith 10-27-2009
This morning as I was running on the treadmill, I was also watching CNN. A story came on about a shooting in Washington, D.C. The police chief was speaking, with the mayor of D.C looking on.

Audio: Remember Your Immigrant Roots

by Efrem Smith 10-19-2009
In this short clip from a recent sermon, Pastor Efrem encourages European Americans to remember their own immigrant heritage and history in order to inform their current attitudes toward immigratio

Growing the Beloved Community in Spite of Sinful Soil

by Efrem Smith 10-12-2009
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke often of something he called the beloved community. This was the title given to describe a reality in which freedom, love, justice, and reconciliation would reign.

Health Care, Race, and the Role of Government

by Efrem Smith 10-01-2009
I was recently talking with a European-American friend of mine who is also an evangelical. I am African-American and evangelical.

Audio: 'If You Don't Do Compassion, Mercy, and Justice, You Will Catch Hell'

by Efrem Smith 09-22-2009
It's always hard to narrow down Pastor Efrem's sermons to a few key minutes, and this one was no exception. Preaching from Matthew 25, he puts some extended focus on the health-care debate.

Audio: Earmarked for Kingdom Justice

by Efrem Smith 04-30-2009
In this clip, Pastor Efrem preaches from the book of Proverbs, specifically chapters 10-18, in which there is a contrast made between the righteous person and the wicked person.

Audio: The Beloved Community, the Kingdom of God, and Candy Bar Christianity

by Efrem Smith 04-14-2009
In this sermon, Pastor Efrem discusses the focus in April on Martin Luther King's death and the Easter Season, and proclaims that there is no separation between proclaiming the gospel and advancing

Audio: Who is in Control? Wealth and Wisdom

by Efrem Smith 03-12-2009

It's always difficult to find just a few minutes from Pastor Efrem's sermons to highlight on the blog. With this sermon, it was impossible. So for a change, here's the entire sermon, in which he preaches from Proverbs 3 and talks about:

Audio: The Right Relationships to Fight Physical and Spiritual Poverty

by Efrem Smith 02-26-2009
Preaching from the story of Ezekiel and the dry bones, Pastor Efrem describes the "right relationships" that God wants to bring about for both physical and spiritual change in our lives.

Audio: Improving Our Party Invitations

by Efrem Smith 02-18-2009
In this clip, with Acts 2:36ff as his text, Pastor Efrem describes the church as the expression of the invitation to the party of God's kingdom -- and questions why so few are saying yes.

Audio: Shifting How We 'Have Church'

by Efrem Smith 02-04-2009
In this clip, Pastor Efrem talks about how the church has constantly changed throughout history to get closer to God's heart.

Audio: Taking 'Change We Can Believe In' to the Next Level

by Efrem Smith 01-15-2009
It was hard to narrow this sermon down to a short clip -- it makes so many good points!

Audio: Change We Can Believe In

by Efrem Smith 12-11-2008
In this clip Pastor Efrem talks about how, in order to be change agents in society, we need to change a church divided by race, class, and culture.

Audio: Biblical Redistribution of Wealth -- What You Think You Own is Not Yours

by Efrem Smith 11-20-2008

In this clip, taken from a Nov. 2 sermon, Pastor Efrem talks about the implications of the commandment not to covet, and a biblical approach to wealth and ownership.

Seeing True Worth Despite Financial Downfall and Political Demonization

by Efrem Smith 10-10-2008