About the Founder

Bishop Marcia J. Smith-Perkins

One thing is certain, "...nothing can separate us from the love of GOD..." Romans 8:38, 39 (KJV)

 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 (KJV).

There is a call on my life that cannot be shaken, and with all certainty of this I "... press toward the mark of the high calling...". 

Born Marcia Lynn Gibbs; adopted at the age of 4 months old and name changed to Marcia Jayne Sutton. Adopted by Bill and Anna Lee Sutton in Columbus, Ohio 1958, and raised as a Seventh-Day Adventist. Bishop Smith-Perkins was taught and trained in the knowledge of the WORD of GOD.

It was all those days at the Ephesus Seventh-Day Adventist Church, in Columbus, Ohio that Bishop Smith-Perkins came to know about GOD, somehow was able to get a taste of what HE would have her to do throughout the rest of her life. Her first singing recital solo ‘Just One Little Spark’ at a very early age, was evidence even then that GOD was at work in her life; the one little spark would ignite the fire that is in her bones today. 

As a child at Ephesus Seventh-Day Adventist Church Bishop Smith-Perkins sung in the youth choir under the direction of two dynamic choir directors, Miss Hale and Miss Beverly Vaughn and also sang as a second soprano two years in the Handel’s Messiah concerts, sung in the ‘Just for Today’ television chorale recorded in Dayton, Ohio. She served as usher on the junior usher board and leading the song service for the Young People’s meetings. Once during that time at Ephesus, an oratorical contest was given, Bishop Smith-Perkins won first place and was selected to represent the church at the annual Allegheny West conference meeting.

Despite the downward turn as a teen stemming from abuse, and negative behavior; smoking, drugs and teen pregnancy, GOD’S love never left her side. HIS mercy endureth forever! O Bless HIS Name! It was while all these things were going on that she could still hear GOD speaking through HIS WORD. Her first message preached in public was at a Youth service it was from the book of Acts chapter 8 about the Ethiopian Eunuch and Philip the evangelist.  Those early indications of what GOD had for her are cherished memories.  

Married in 1975, GOD saved Bishop Smith-Perkins and filled her with the HOLY Ghost. It was a hot day, Friday June 30th 1978, while on her job, the LORD spoke kindly and showed how good HE had been to spare her life from certain destruction. By 3:00 P.M. that afternoon she was saved. 

Bishop Smith-Perkins literally hurried to the church that she had visited a month earlier (Greater Emmanuel Apostolic Church, Bishop Sherman Watkins, Pastor) that evening and got baptized. On that Sunday July 2nd, 1978 GOD poured out HIS SPIRIT in Bishop Smith Perkins and filled her with HIS SPIRIT, speaking in other tongues as the SPIRIT gave utterance. 

It took a few months for Bishop Smith-Perkins to start going to Bible Study and participating in other church functions and events going on at then known Greater Emmanuel Apostolic Church; but after joining the church her appetite to know more and more about JESUS gave her an ear to hear the call to preach HIS WORD. 

So, the work began; faithfully serving on the pastor’s aide for a while, ushered, she sang in the agape choir, played in the church band, taught Sunday school Youth ages 13-18 for 7 years, worked in the radio room until she became the president of the audio department and paid staff as the sound engineer, recording, traveling with the church, radio announcing, recording and producing the recorded tapes for the radio program. The first cassette tape catalog of which people could order archived tapes of the services was compiled during her time working in the tape ministry containing 100's of preaching tapes of Bishop Dr. Sherman Watkins.

Bishop Smith-Perkins was licensed to preach the gospel and on December 8th, 1991 and preached her first initial message. Ordained in June of 1994 by the Chief Prelate Bishop Dr. Sherman S. Watkins and Vice -Prelate Bishop Thomas Jakes of Higher Ground Always Abounding Assemblies, Inc. (formerly Greater Emmanuel Apostolic Church).

In June of 1994 Living Water Bible Fellowship officially opened its doors as a church; GOD’S hand truly being great on her and through HIS grace was blessed to do what the LORD told her to do. In the same year and month Bishop Smith-Perkins was ordained to the gospel ministry. Originally, the church started in Circleville, Ohio with 17 people in attendance for the first service; 12 became members that day. 

Shortly afterwards the School of Ministry was formed and graduated 3 students the first year of operation. The SPIRIT & Truth School of Ministry and Christian Development is still in operation today with an expanded curriculum to equip the people of GOD. Plans are in the making to also start a university in the near future.

Education experiences include: Ephesus SDA School, Shepard Elementary, Eastgate Elementary School, Champion Jr. High, Eastmoor Sr. High and East High School in Columbus, Ohio rounded out childhood education. 

Secondary education began with after obtaining a G.E.D. with studies in Real Estate and Graphic Communications at Columbus State, and Biblical / Ministerial Studies at Higher Ground Institute under Bishop Dr. Sherman Watkins. Continuing to move forward toward other pursuits Bishop Smith-Perkins obtained a Paralegal Diploma in 1989 from Scott Institute of Business and Technology and also a certificate of completion from ‘Doing Business with Ohio’ through the Minority Business program sponsored by Ohio Department of Transportation and the Benson Company.

Continuing educational accomplishments include an Associates of Applied Science Degree in Computer and Electronics Engineering Technology in 2011 and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer and Electronics Engineering in 2013 from ITT.  While pursuing a M.B.A from Daniel Webster College, a time of the loss of her biological father, Bill ‘Ironman’ Wilson and shortly after her husband, Apostle Reginald A. Perkins, Sr., prompted a holding off on educational pursuits for a while.

After birth of two children Eugenia Marie Smith and Todd J Smith, Bishop Smith Perkins went into business for herself. Which turned into a lifelong quest as a business owner and entrepreneur for over 40 years in the Columbus, Ohio area in the areas of screen printing/graphics, business consulting, called DocuMark and M.G.M.T. Enterprises which started in 1980. Earlier business ventures included screen printing, graphic layout and design and offset printing. 

Self - published books include the New Creation Workbook for New Church Members, Study of the Old Testament, Characteristics of Ministry Workbook I and Characteristics of Ministry Workbook II, Membership Handbook, Leadership Handbook and the Bishopric Notes.

In 2017 Bishop Elect Marcia J. Smith-Perkins was consecrated as bishop by Apostle Janice D. Hughes, founder and pastor of Holy Ground Ministries Worldwide, in Columbus, Ohio; under her Bishopric several other churches and ministries have been planted and are Fellowship Partners with us. 

Other little-known facts about the founder:

Graduated with honors 1989

Graduated With Honors 2011 and 2013

Former Women’s Professional Football Player for Cleveland Fusion 2001

Ohio Benefit Bank Counselor

2017 Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award

IFCJ Patriarch Fellowship Jacob Member Honoree

To GOD be the Glory for Great Things HE has done!

Within the confines of the ecclesiastical cloud of peers and colleagues 

there seems to be competition and pressure in building up GOD’s 

kingdom as fast as we can and as much as we can.

While I do not believe there is anything wrong with the competition 

or even the pressure; I do believe that as spiritual leaders we must be 

careful of our motives that drive the competition.

The reason we do the things we do for GOD must be founded in GOD and HIM alone. We are

HIS agents in the earth each committed with the details of the whole mission. JESUS CHRIST

is the foundation on which we bring and build people up in the kingdom and JESUS

CHRIST is the foundation, on which we build structures, programs and ministries that house,

govern, train and care for the people of GOD. In considering the competition and pressure to

accomplish great things we understand that this is a race to finish what GOD has tasked us to do.

We are encouraged because though the work may seem small to some this is not the finished

product. GOD started it and GOD will finish it. “Being confident of this very thing, that he which 

hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ’. Philippians 1:6 (KJV)

Where we are is not where we are going!