Ministerial Staff

Senior Pastor

Pastor William L. Sciscoe joined the Church as Associate Pastor in August of 1991 and assumed the role of Senior Pastor in November of 1992. He was born November 4, 1938, in Bloomington, Indiana. He and his wife, Nancy, have three adult children and seven grandchildren.

 

Pastor Sciscoe began his ministry in 1962 in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1963, he became a full-time evangelist, traveling across the nation. This continued until 1971, when he began to pastor Bethel Tabernacle in Racine, Wisconsin. In 1986, he became an aide to the General Superintendent of the United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI), located in Hazelwood, Missouri. In this capacity, he organized and ministered at conferences nationwide. He has served as a Presbyter of the Ohio District Board of the UPCI since January of 2003, and has also served as the Prayer Commissioner for the UPCI.

 

While an evangelist, and later as coordinator for ministers’ conferences, Pastor Sciscoe focused on faith, seeing many miracles and conversions. The miracles have included sight restored to blind eyes, deaf ears hearing, and even people being raised from the dead. He has preached all across the United States and Canada, often being called upon to speak to pastors and to give spiritual insight in difficult situations. He has also spoken in Central America, Scandinavia, Africa, and Asia. His ministry has included teachings on faith, leadership training, and seminars on encouraging people to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Emeritus Pastor

Our founder, Richard S. Davis, is Emeritus Pastor and the only emeritus member of the Church’s Board of Trustees. He was born June 12, 1920, in Portsmouth, Ohio. He began his ministry in 1938. He served as pastor in Auroraville, Appleton, New Boston and Eau Claire, Wisconsin; he has also ministered in Des Plaines, Illinois and Groveport, Ohio. He founded the Pentecostal Assembly, Inc.* in Columbus, Ohio in 1975, and served as Senior Pastor until 1992 when he transferred that office to Pastor Sciscoe.

 

As a young minister, Pastor Davis was the General International Youth President for the United Pentecostal Church International in 1944. He served as District Presbyter of the Wisconsin and Ohio Districts of the UPCI. Later, he served as Superintendent for the Wisconsin district. He was also a member of the General Board of the UPCI for twelve years. Even while in retirement, he continues to be actively involved in the affairs of The Church Triumphant of Columbus. His life continues to demonstrate his strong desire to lead people to a life with Jesus Christ.

 

*name changed to The Church Triumphant in 2005

Executive Pastor

J.D. Smucker, M.D. was born on December 4, 1958, in Goshen, Indiana. He attended Goshen College, and then graduated from The Ohio State University College of Medicine in 1983. Jerry completed a residency in Internal Medicine at The Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania in 1987. In addition to serving on many hospital committees, he was a teacher in the Family Practice Residency at Grant Medical Center in Columbus. He has been Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Grant Medical Center, and later Chair of Medicine at the New Albany Surgical Hospital. Jerry’s medical practice involves the care of patients’ medical conditions before and after surgery. He and his wife, Julie, have two children.

 

Pastor Smucker joined the ministry of the Church in 1992. He has served as a Board member since that year and as Secretary and/or Treasurer since 1998. He helped to develop the ACTS Program (now Life In Focus) in 1994. Jerry also served as liaison with the general contractor for our current building and was appointed Executive Pastor in 2005. His ministry interests include Bible teaching and personal evangelism, and his desire is to support the spiritual ministry of our church by relieving the administrative burden of our Senior Pastor. He has ministered internationally in Canada, Norway, Ethiopia, Ukraine, and the Philippines.

Youth Ministry Coordinators

Curt A. Johnson was born on January 18, 1968, in Nelsonville, Ohio. There, he attended Hocking College, receiving an Associate Degree in Applied Science and Computer Technology in 1988. Carol A. Johnson was born August 23, 1968, in Columbus, Ohio. She received her degree as a Registered Nurse in 1989 from Mt. Carmel Hospital, in Columbus. They have two children.

 

The Johnsons have served our church as Sunday School teachers, ministering to different age groups and, later, to young adults. They became Youth Ministry Coordinators in November, 2005. Curt and Carol have a desire to provide a Godly environment for our young people. They want to guide members of our youth group in spiritual growth and to assist them in finding God’s purpose for their lives. Our Youth Ministry has flourished under their leadership, with many young people and parents expressing the love that they feel from the Johnsons. Curt has also served as a member of the Board of Trustees for two separate terms.

Prayer Coordinator

Tina Watkins was born August 17, 1963, in Columbus, Ohio. She graduated from Paul C. Hayes technical school in 1981. She and her husband, Mario, have three children.

 

Tina has long been a woman of prayer. She developed a personal prayer life, and a desire grew to help others in this ministry. She became Prayer Coordinator of The Church Triumphant in 2006. Her vision is to see people have a greater relationship with the Lord, encouraging the development of our prayer life into ever-increasing effectiveness.

Children’s Pastors

Ted Urbanik was born May 28, 1946, in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from the University of Illinois in Chicago with a degree in business, and is also a graduate of Purpose Institute, earning a degree in ministerial studies. Kathy Urbanik was born May 18, 1954, in Ashland, Kentucky, and attended Kentucky Christian University in Grayson. The Urbaniks have three adult children.

The Urbaniks have been involved in ministry with children for over thirty years, traveling nationally. Their ministry included street outreach, clowning, and children’s evangelism at many churches. Ted served as Sunday School Superintendent, and the Urbaniks officially became Children’s Pastors of The Church Triumphant in 2005.

 

It is their desire to see children filled with the Spirit of God and to help them grow in relationship with Jesus Christ. They hope that this ministry will strengthen entire families. Kathy also leads Shekinah Kids, a prayer school for children.

Lifeline Fellowship (Small Group Ministry) Coordinator

Jack Sword was born on December 15, 1943, in Ravenna, Ohio. He graduated from the Apostolic Bible Institute in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1964. He has served as Pastor in La Crosse, Wisconsin, as Associate Pastor at Calvary Apostolic Church in Columbus, and as pastor in Bridgeport, Ohio. He was Sunday School Secretary for the Ohio District of the United Pentecostal Church from 1986 to 1988. He and his wife, Nancy, have three children and eight grandchildren.

 

Jack was an Associate Minister at our church from 1988 to 1991, and began the Lifeline Fellowship Ministry at our church in 2005. His desire is to establish a true Biblical community with Christian lifestyle. His ministry is to promote the growth in spirituality of group members and to reach people not currently associated with a church in our city.

Ladies’ Ministry Leader

Julie R. Smucker was born on December 12, 1963, in Kansas City, Kansas. She attended Gateway Technical College and received a diploma as a surgical technologist. Julie also attended Kent Christian College in Dover, Delaware in 1984 and 1985, where she studied music ministry. She came to our church in 1991 and has served as a Sunday School teacher and Youth Leader; she has also intermittently served as a secretary to the Pastor. She and her husband, Jerry, have two children.

 

Julie became the leader of our Ladies’ Ministry in 1994. She has lead women in prayer, support ministries (such as weddings and funerals), and other social and outreach functions. Her desire is to see women’s’ lives impacted with a lifestyle of prayer and faith, and her vision is for our women to have victorious lives in all stages of development. She has been invited to speak at several ladies’ conferences, nationally.