Alfred B. Smith

Dr. Alfred B. Smith, 84, of 2200 Wade Hampton Boulevard, went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, Aug. 9, 2001, with his beloved wife, Nancy, by his side.

Born in Midland Park, N.J., he was the son of the late Barney and Carrie Junta Smith.

Often called the dean of Gospel music, Dr. Al Smith was a composer, Gospel soloist, song leader, lecturer and an authority on church music, recording artist and publisher.

You may have seen and heard him on national radio and television, met him in a little white New England church where he was giving a sacred concert, or you may have found him lecturing in a classroom to a group of college students - but wherever you found Dr. Alfred B. Smith, you found a man enjoying the work God had called him to do, and that is challenging hearts and lives with the "Singing Gospel" and telling the interesting stories of the songs and their writers as only he can tell them in his "Golden Treasury of Hymn Histories".

While a student at Wheaton College, young Smith was a fellow classmate with Billy Graham. Together they formed a gospel team with Smith as the song leader and Graham as the Evangelist. This eventually led to the founding of Youth for Christ.

In 1941, Smith published his first chorus book "Singspiration" which became a best seller. This led to other books such as the "Favorites Series" of solos, duets, etc., the "Action Series" for boys and girls, etc. He founded "Springspiration Publishing Company" in 1943. He also pioneered in the sacred recording field. Some of the early artists were George Beverly Shea, Helen McAlarney Barth, the Old Fashioned Revival Hour Quartet and others.

Some of Dr. Smith's early compositions have become "standard" in the realm of church gospel music. His "For God So Loved the World" has been translated into hundreds of languages all over the world and has taken its place with "Jesus Loves Me" as a favorite of boys and girls everywhere. And who doesn't know "Surely Goodness and Mercy, "My Father Planned It All", or "His Banner Over Me Is Love", with its many verses?

Feeling that much of the sacred music produced in recent years has drifted far from the moorings of required Christian standards, both musically and scripturally, Dr. Smith dedicated himself unreservedly to composing, publishing and recording God-honoring Christian music.

Dr. Smith was a graduate of the Moody Bible Institute, Wheaton College and held an Honorary Mus. Doc. from John Brown University.

Surviving are his wife, Nancy Wilbur Smith; three daughters and their husbands, Barbara and Dr. Lloyd Michael of Houston, Texas, Rebecca and Reggie Harris, and Sarah and Michael Faust, all of Greenville; three sons and their wives, Dwight Gordon Smith of Binghampton, N.Y., Dr. David B. and Ginger Smith of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Jonathan and Caroline Smith of Greenville; 13 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Al Smith Memorial Fund of Greenville Christian Fellowship, 2220 State Park Road, Greenville, SC 29609.

Visitation: 4 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Morningside Baptist Church. Service: 7 p.m. Tuesday at the church. Burial: 11 a.m. Friday in Montrose Cemetery, Montrose, Pa.

The family is at the residence. - Thomas McAfee Funeral Home, Downtown, is in charge of arrangements.