President

Bishop Frederick E. Clarida, Sr.

Bishop Frederick Eugene Clarida Sr. was installed as the Presiding Prelate of The Original Cape Fear and Southwestern Free Will Baptist Conference on December 16, 2017. He was consecrated as a Bishop on November 7, 2010 and served faithfully as the Vice President under the leadership of Bishop Reginald S. Hinton, Sr. prior to his confirmation as President   His life reflects the qualifications for a bishop as outlined in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. He embraces the conviction that leadership begins with a heart that is committed to serving God’s people and he works diligently to provide God’s people with the resources needed to be successful in ministry. In addition to serving as the under shepherd at Smith Chapel Original Free Will Baptist Church for the past sixteen years, he has worked as an educator and an administrator in the Harnett County School System for the past twenty-nine years.

Bishop Clarida firmly believes that the Word of God is the foundation for the operation of the church and the roadmap for every Christian. He is motivated by the words of the apostle found in I Peter 5:2-4 which read, “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” He lives his life under the conviction that “whatever will be important at death should be a priority in life.”

Bishop Clarida is very humbled and blessed to serve the members of the Original Cape Fear & Southwestern Free Will Baptist Annual Conference. He will forever be grateful to his friend and brother, Bishop Reginald S. Hinton, Sr. for all the spiritual things he has sown into his life.

He is the son of the late Joe Robert and Mary Clarida and originally from Nakina, NC. Bishop Clarida has been married to his seventh grade sweetheart First Lady Dora Clarida for twenty-nine years and admits that he loves her more now than then. Bishop and First Lady Dora are the proud parents of two children, Frederick Eugene Clarida, Jr. (Serobia) and Kristina Jocelyn Clarida. He loves his extended family which includes his six brothers and a dear friend, Elder Sharon Gainey, who he considers the sister he never had.