In the wake of crisis, a calling endures and is honored: Rev. Ciarra Smith-Bond receives Beyond the Stained-Glass Ceiling Grant
VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 12/05/2025)—American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) is pleased to announce that Rev. Ciarra Smith-Bond, senior pastor of Faith Community Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia, has been selected to receive the 2025 Beyond the Stained-Glass Ceiling Grant.
Rev. Ciarra Smith-Bond, pastor of Faith Community Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia, and recipient of the 2025 Beyond the Stained-Glass Ceiling Grant.
“This award brings me great joy,” Smith-Bond said upon learning of her recognition. “It honors a legacy that creates sacred space for African American pastors committed to the work God has called us to do. It strengthens not only my personal growth and rest, but the ministry we are building together at Faith Community Baptist Church.”
Smith-Bond stepped into pastoral leadership in November 2019, just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the country. Her ministry unfolded against a backdrop of grief, uncertainty, and isolation. She recalls those days and weeks as a time of both learning and leading, when she faithfully guided her congregation through a period that changed the rhythm of church and community. Throughout it all, she relied on a deep sense of calling that continues to anchor her.
Today, Smith-Bond describes Faith Community Baptist Church as a small but thriving congregation. Yet, with fewer than 100 members and limited financial resources, the church currently lacks the means to support a full-time pastoral salary. To remain present with her congregation, Smith-Bond also works full-time outside the church, resulting in a bi-vocational schedule that often extends to seven days a week without respite. While her commitment to ministry remains steadfast, Smith-Bond acknowledges that the stress of her workload makes deliberate rest all the more vital.
The Beyond the Stained-Glass Ceiling Grant will provide timely support. Smith-Bond characterizes the award as a multifaceted gift. She sees it not only as facilitating both personal enrichment and intentional relaxation but also as strengthening the work she and her congregation are doing collectively. Despite its size, Faith Community Baptist Church lives out a wholehearted commitment to its community, investing in empowerment, family strengthening, and spaces where people can grow spiritually and discover who God is calling them to become. Smith-Bond believes that this grant will help her deepen these ministries by enhancing her capacity to lead with clarity, grounding, and renewed energy.
Smith-Bond is pursuing a Ph.D. with a concentration in public theology and community engagement. The award will help support her academic studies, which she sees as inseparable from her ministry, particularly in areas such as mental health, leadership development, and spiritual care. A portion of the funds will also go toward retreat and renewal. “Ministry is rewarding but demanding, and I have learned that sustainability requires rest,” she says.
Her leadership has drawn strong affirmation from those who have worked with her. Rev. Dr. Patricia Gould-Champ, who preceded Smith-Bond as pastor of Faith Community Baptist, commended her for her academic excellence, pastoral maturity, and strong dedication to both church and community. Colleagues in the Richmond Juvenile Court Service Unit, where Smith-Bond is a full-time supervisor, shared similar praise. Described as an inspiring leader, Smith-Bond has been asked to serve on committees that help shape juvenile justice work across the state and was selected by her peers as class speaker for her agency’s Leadership Development Program.
Smith-Bond’s academic background and ministerial work showcase a longstanding dedication to service. She earned her Master of Divinity from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University, where she received the Ella P. Mitchell Preaching Award. She also was a First Amendment Scholar at the Religious Freedom Center in Washington, D.C., exploring intersections of faith, law, and social policy.
This year, ABHMS also recognizes Rev. Dr. Lisa M. Goods, pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio, and Pastor Audrey Hawkins, who serves Kingdome Builders Christian Ministries, Inc., in Warrenton, Georgia, as first and second runners-up for the Beyond the Stained-Glass Ceiling Grant.
The Beyond the Stained-Glass Ceiling Grant is a $5,000 award that resulted from the vision of Rev. Chris Smith, pastor of Restoration Ministries of Greater Cleveland Inc. Drawing from her own experiences as the pastor of a small congregation, Smith recognized the need to support African American women whose ministries often thrive despite financial challenges. Her book, “Beyond the Stained-glass Ceiling: Equipping and Encouraging Female Pastors” (Judson Press, 2013), laid the groundwork for this grant’s mission. In partnership with ABHMS, Smith and Restoration Ministries established the Beyond the Stained-Glass Ceiling Endowment Fund, which provides long-term financial support to African American female pastors leading congregations of 300 or fewer members.
To help ABHMS uplift, encourage, and advocate for the well-being of African American female pastoral leaders, you can contribute to the Beyond the Stained-Glass Ceiling Fund. For more information, visit ABHMS online.
American Baptist Home Mission Societies partners with American Baptists to promote Christian faith, cultivate Christ-centered leaders and disciples, and bring healing and transformation to communities across the United States and Puerto Rico.
American Baptist Churches USA is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with approximately 5,000 congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.
