Opening Night / Artist Talk
Opening Night was pretty awesome! Wow, wow, oh wow. I am grateful for all the guests in attendance. Special thanks to my models here in this photograph. Stay beautiful inside and out ladies.
First Lady, Dr. Vanessa A. Smith
First Lady, Dr. Vanessa Smith grew up in Compton, California, graduating from Compton High School in 1972 and UCLA, earning a BA degree in Psychology in 1977. First Lady Vanessa and Bishop Ed Smith met at UCLA and were married in 1975 at Crenshaw Christian Center, Pastored by Apostle Fredrick K.C.Price.
Dr. Vanessa has four children and three grandsons. She and Bishop started Zoe Christian Fellowship in Cerritos, California in 1989, where she played a key role in building the ministry foundation. Vanessa served as a faithful member of the praise and worship team for 30 years. She also leads a Women’s weekly life group where she shares biblical wisdom to build up women. Dr. Vanessa continues her personal weekly Women’s Ministry to this day.
Dr.Vanessa ‘s ministry travels has taken her to many countries, including South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Columbia, England, Japan and Hong Kong. Her international ministry and group missions travels helped Zoe win over 25,000 people to Christ, giving birth to 13 churches and scores of Kingdom Ministries and businesses that continue to be fruitful and multiply. Only God knows the ongoing impact Dr. Vanessa and Bishop Ed’s ministry is having far beyond them. Their ministry impact clearly is multgenerational.
Dr. Vanessa has spoken to many Women’s gatherings over the years and she is a trusted advisor, counselor, and friend to many singles and married couples alike.
Dr. Vaness’s next season of ministry is serving along side her husband, Bishop Ed Smith with Nehemiah Project L. A. helping homeless former foster youth secure safe housing, acquire needed life skills to live independently, restore their faith in God and achieve the dreams.
Minister, Janalyn Glymph , Ph.D.
After 40 years of service with the Los Angeles Unified School District, Dr. Janalyn Glymph retired as its Personnel Director. In is capacity, she oversaw the human resources operations for over 38,000 non-teaching employees in the nations’s second largest school district. Other positions held while at the District included Executive Officer of the Board of Education and General Manager of the District’s PBS Television Station. While at KLCS-TV, Janalyn guided the Station to 8 Emmys and 16 Emmy nominations for the production of original educational programming. She was also successful in positioning KLCS as a national model for innovative uses of digital content for students of color in particular.
Dr. Glymph has been widely recognized for her service in the fields of education, leadership, and the arts; and has enjoyed numerous invitations to share her expertise in Human Resources Development, Television Station Management, Artistic Collaborations, and Communications Management since her retirement in 2015. Now serving in her fourth term as an elected official with The California Credit Union, Dr. Glymph has used the insights that she has gained over the course of a lifetime to help steer and grow this financial institution to its current multi-billion dollar level.
In addition to navigating a robust career, Dr. Glymph has also been a professional dancer since the age of twelve. She danced with the Helga Lind Dance Company, Cumulus Dance Company of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Dance Theatre, the Dance Theater of Harlem (summer program) and the 1996 Olympic Dance Corps where she performed in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies held in Los Angeles. She is now the MInister of Arts at Glory Christian Fellowship, International where she has directed , choreographed, and ministered in dance for the last 30 years. And she is the Founder and CEO of Saved2Serve Ministries, which has been celebrated for uniting Christian artists worldwide for the past 24 years. Lastly, Dr. Glymph is the acclaimed author of The Llama and the Lamb and 33 Letters For Such A Time As This: When Relationships Matter.
Dr. Janalyn earned her Ph.D from United States International University in Leadership and Human Behavior; her MA Degree from USC’s Annenberg School of Communications in Communications Management; and her BA Degree from USC in English, with a minor in Business Administration. She and her husband of 36 years have one daughter, and reside in Los Angeles, California and in Asheville, North Carolina.