Pastor Charlene Smalls

Pastor Charlene Smalls serves as part of the pastoral team at Ripple Church, a Christ-centered, community-focused church in Allentown. She serves on the board of Ripple Community Inc., and volunteers her time at the Community Building Center, weekly serving the city’s most vulnerable. She also serves on the Allentown City Homeless Commission and served on the board of the Conference of Churches.

Pastor Smalls has a professional background in customer service and has been a small business owner. She served as a member and leader at Union Baptist Church in Allentown for over 25 years. While there, she was servant leader of the Helping Hands Ministry, Fulfillment Hour teacher to the church’s youth and also served as assistant servant leader to the S.T.A.R Biblical Counseling Ministry. 

In December 2010, Pastor Smalls received her certification in biblical counseling from Stronghold Christian Research and Development Training Institute. After that, she received a missionary license from Grave Hill Missionary Baptist Church, Newark, New Jersey, and a degree in arts and religion from Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia. She was ordained in 2019 and now serves full time as a pastor of outreach and community engagement in Allentown.

Pastor Smalls has a profound love and respect for seniors and a deep love and concern for the future of our youth. She has taken in children from all walks of life from multiple situations, mentored them and given them a place to stay as well as offered childcare to many parents. Sometimes, she has taken in both parents and children and given them a stable home and a new foundation. She can be found serving daily as she embraces her God-given purpose.