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Meet Pastor Fred
The name “Smolchuck” is Ukrainian. Pastor Fred’s grandfather, Karol Smolchuck, came to the United States from Ukraine, alone, at age 17, settling in Boston, Massachusetts. Slowly he learned the language and established his own family, marrying another Ukrainian immigrant from his home village. In 1926 tragedy hit the family. Their only daughter, Mary, died suddenly. This brought immense grief to their home, especially to Mary’s mother, who, hoping to be united in death with her child, unsuccessfully tried twice to commit suicide. Her son, Fred Sr., purchased a ten cent copy of the New Testament at Woolworth’s dime store, (thinking it was a Catholic prayer book). As his Mother read the pages, she was introduced to the fact that she needed Jesus as her Savior. Accepting Christ ended her two-year period of darkness as Christ’s light came into her heart. Shortly thereafter her husband, Karol, and her son, Fred Sr., also received Christ in their hearts. Later Fred Jr.’s grandfather, Karol, became a minister and served congregations in New England. Fred Sr., attended Bible College and became an ordained minister, serving for several years as the Superintendent of the Ukrainian branch of the Assemblies of God. Throughout his life he has continued to have great influence with the family’s native homeland, making more than 20 trips to Ukraine and the former Soviet Union. He translated the New Testament into the Ukrainian language, and more than three million of these Bibles are in circulation today. When Fred Jr. was 12 years of age, his parents accepted the pastorate of an English/Ukrainian bi-lingual church in Detroit. From there the Fred Sr. was elected to serve as Secretary-Treasurer for the Michigan District of the Assemblies of God, and continues to serve as a lifetime elected National Presbyter. This ministerial heritage has enriched the ministry of Pastor Fred Smolchuck Jr. Upon graduation from Evangel College in 1963, Fred Smolchuck Jr. married Jetta Henry from Pryor, Oklahoma. They went to Warren, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, where they started a church. He completed graduate studies at Eastern Michigan University and taught school for support while pioneering the Warren Assembly of God church. During the next 5 years, they established a thriving congregation and constructed a church building. From there they moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to serve at Central Assembly, first as Youth Pastor; then as Interim Pastor, and later as Senior Pastor. In 1976, he accepted the position as Senior Pastor of First Assembly of God Church in Saginaw, Michigan. He is known for his sterling character, healings and miracles that attend his ministry, and his loving Shepherd’s heart. Pastor Smolchuck has a great love of animals, and for many years he owned quarter horses. He and Jetta enjoyed riding horses together, and they still love to be outdoors. During the Michigan winters, they like to downhill snow ski and in the summer they enjoy being near the water. They both have stayed involved in daily health and fitness routines. Praying together has been a habit they formed before marriage, and they have done a Prayer Walk together daily for the past 15 years. The Smolchucks have loving family relationships and are very close to their children and spouses. Their grandson, Brandon, is a special joy to them. They try to be with him whenever possible so they can be involved in his many activities. |
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Meet Pastor Fred Words to Live By • Daily Bible Reading Guide • Better Life Course by Randal Smolchuck Announcements The Bridge Verse of the Day Birthdays of the Month
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As a child, Fred Smolchuck Jr. loved horses and wanted
to be a jockey when he grew up. This all changed during his teen years.
While attending Youth Camp at Fa-Ho-Lo Park in Grass Lake, Michigan,
he received a divine call into the ministry. Pastor SmolchuckWhile praying
at the altar one night, he had a vision in which he saw his grandfather,
Karol Smolchuck, standing behind a pulpit. Then the vision became cloudy.
When it cleared, he saw the pulpit with his father, Fred Smolchuck Sr.
standing behind it. Once again the vision became cloudy and when it cleared,
he saw a pulpit with no one standing behind it. God said to Pastor Fred
Smolchuck Jr., “I want you to be the one who stands behind this
pulpit and preaches My Word as your father and grandfather have done.” Fred
Jr. obeyed and became a third generation Assemblies of God minister.