Our Pastor

Frederick Eugene Clarida, Sr. was born in Nakina, North Carolina to the parents of the late Joe Robert and Mary Clarida. He feels blessed to have six brothers and one spiritual sister. He feels extremely blessed to have grown up in a large family with loving parents. He is married to First Lady Dora Clarida, who he often refers to as “his seventh-grade girlfriend”. They are the parents of a wonderful son, Frederick Eugene Clarida Jr., a lovely daughter in law Serobia, and their first grandchild, Nathan. They also have a precious daughter Kristina Joceyln Clarida, affectionately referred to by her dad as Baby Girl”.   

He is a graduate of North Carolina Agriculture & Technical State University (NC A&T) and obtained a master’s in administration from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He has been in education with the Harnett County School System for over 30 years and currently serves as an assistant principal at Harnett Central High School in Angier, NC.

He preached his initial sermon on October 1, 2000 at Lillington Grove Original Free Will Baptist Church. His text was Matthew 6:33 and his sermon topic was “First Things Ought to Be First”. Pastor Clarida lives by the belief “that whatever will be important at death should be a priority in life”.

He is a man that loves the Lord and his family. He has committed his life to fulfilling God’s call and purpose.  He treasures the blessings that God has given him though family and his life reflects his familial commitment. He enjoys reading the Bible, planning for ministry, beautifying the landscape, playing basketball, and of course spending time with his family, especially little Nathan.

He counts it an honor and a privilege to have been the pastor of Smith Chapel for the past nineteen years. God has and continues to do great things through this ministry. He was consecrated as Bishop in 2010 and later elected as the Presiding Prelate of the Original Cape Fear & Southwestern Free Will Baptist Annual Conference in 2017.