For forty years, from 1924 to 1964, the Reverend Hiram E. Smith led the Mt. Lebanon Baptist Chruch by the preaching and teaching of God's word. The Apostle Paul writes in Romans: "...if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be save." Furthermore, Paul informs us that in order to be able to make this declaration and have this belief; one must hear the word of God. Specifically, Paul writes: "But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard?

And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent?" Therefore, Mt. Lebanon thanks God for sending Rev. Hiram E. Smith to start this branch of Zion.

On May 20, 1924, Rev. Smith organized the Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church. Services were held in a 10 square foot room at 1410 Ward Street. Kerosene lamps lit the room and the building was located in the South Baltimore community known as "Pig Town", because of the pigs that were driven through the area's streets to the slaughterhouse. The church was incorporated in 1934 and moved to four (4) other worship locations culminating at 2320 Reisterstown Road on September 8, 1954.

The Mt. Lebanon church of today is a direct descendent of both the word of God preached by Rev. Smith and of the leadership and love that he showed. Given this, we can find no other way to honor his legacy than by applying his name to the place in which newly called men and women of God are trained to continue the spreading of both God's word and love. Therefore, we, the church family of Mt. Lebanon, are honored to have named our lower level Church chapel the "Hiram E. Smith Memorial Chapel."