This Clergy Appreciation Month, it is right to begin at the beginning — with the woman whose obedience gave birth to Missionary Evangelist Center Outreach Ministries.
- BornVirginia Siplin · July 29, 1926 · Orange County, Florida
- ParentsCornelius Samuel Siplin & Mary Hagan
- MarriedArthur Smith, 1945 · nine children, two sons and seven daughters
- SavedAugust 1956 · Church of God by Faith
- FoundedM.E.C. Ministries, 1971
- Went homeSeptember 4, 1977 · Miami
- Motto“Speak The Word Only” — Matthew 8:8
A woman called by God
Virginia Siplin was born on July 29, 1926, in Orange County, Florida, to Cornelius Samuel Siplin and Mary Hagan. Both of their families had farmed the land in Jefferson County, Florida, for generations before moving south. She grew up among many brothers and sisters in Winter Garden, where census records show her father picking oranges in the citrus groves.
She married Arthur Smith in 1945. By 1950 they were raising their first three daughters in Orlando, and the family later moved to Miami. Together they raised nine children — two sons and seven daughters. She gave her life to the Lord in August 1956 and became a member of the Church of God by Faith.
She served first as an evangelist, then as a teacher, and finally as a pastor. She traveled throughout Miami, Orlando, New York, Philadelphia, and along the East Coast, ministering in homes, on the streets, in nursing homes, in hospitals, and in housing projects. In the 1960s, she was one of the few women boldly operating in deliverance ministry.
The story behind the story
The Lord had spoken to her about starting a church, but at first she wanted no part of it. One night her knee slipped out of place, and she called Johnny L. Kemp — then a deacon at The Church of God in Coconut Grove under Reverend Earl Wallace — to come help her. As he reset it, God dealt with her about the ministry. When her knee slipped again and he reset it once more, she yielded to the will of God.
In 1971 she answered the call. God gave her the name for the work, revealing that it would become a teaching and training ground for ministers of the Gospel. She found a storefront on Northwest 75th Street in Miami, and the owner let her move in with no money down. Deacon Kemp helped prepare the building for worship.
Because one woman said “Yes” to God, generations have been impacted. Her labor was not in vain.
The first families
The ministry began with a few faithful families: the Smith family, the Mortimer family, the Coley family, the Rachel family, and Bishop Otis Kemp and his family. Minister Otis Kemp served as assistant pastor in the early years, and even people who were not believers helped support the work financially.
As the congregation grew, M.E.C. moved from its first storefront to Northwest 54th Street, then to 90th Street, and finally to its headquarters at 1766 Northwest 95th Street.
Passing the mantle
In 1977, Pastor Johnny L. Kemp and Pastor Patty L. Kemp — her daughter — came home from Orlando to take up leadership of the ministry. Shortly afterward, on September 4, 1977, Evangelist Virginia Smith went home to be with the Lord at the age of 51.
The vision did not end with her. M.E.C. was incorporated in 1995 and has since grown to include MEC #3 Ministries of Deliverance, MEC Pompano (The Healing Center), the MEC Training Center, the Virginia Smith Scholarship Foundation, and MEC Charleston.
How her family remembers her
Her children remember a home filled with daily prayer, the Word of God, family devotion, singing, and vanilla ice cream after dinner. They remember a mother who cooked enough for the whole neighborhood, held hands with her family to pray before going anywhere, and always put God first. Pastor Patty L. Kemp called her “a God chaser, a devil stomper, a soul winner.”
Her nine children
Mother Virginia and Arthur Smith raised nine children — seven daughters and two sons. Listed in birth order:
- Vicki Smith Ross — the eldest
- Winifred “Winnie” Melvina Smith
- Patty Lynn Smith Kemp — Senior Pastor, M.E.C. Ministries
- Juanita Smith Reynolds
- Joann Delvin Smith McKinnon (1955–2000)
- Faye Smith McFadden
- Arthur Jerry Smith
- Latonya Smith Channey
- Deon Dirk Smith
Why her story matters
Great ministries rarely begin with great resources. They begin with obedience. A reluctant yes, a storefront with no money down, and a handful of faithful families became a work that is still training ministers today.
“Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” — Matthew 25:21