:: Scotty Smith ::



Scotty Smith

Scotty Smith, a native of Graham, North Carolina, was born February 1, 1950. He dates his spiritual birthday as March 7, 1968 when a friend took him to a Billy Graham movie entitled, "The Restless Ones", and he responded to the gospel. Leading up to his conversion, Scotty was a member of the R & B band, The Originals, which played mostly "beach music"" for fraternity parties and dance clubs in the Carolinas.

In the Fall of 1968, Scotty entered the University of North Carolina as a pre-pharmacy major; early in his first semester, he felt the internal call to vocational ministry, switching his major to religion. During his years at UNC, he was involved in many campus ministries but invested most of his time serving with a musical ministry team, The New Directions, based out of Burlington, North Carolina. The director of The ND's was J. L. Williams, Scotty's first discipler and mentor in the faith.

In 1972, Scotty married Darlene Eakin of Greensboro, North Carolina. For a couple of years, Scotty was on staff with The ND's as well as teaching at a small Bible College. Then, after graduating from UNC, Scotty and Darlene moved to Philadelphia, PA to attend Westminster Theological Seminary. It was there that Scotty and Darlene met Jack and Rose Marie Miller who became the most important spiritual influence in their lives. Jack was Scotty's advisor and professor at Westminster, and Scotty credits Jack with exposing his heart to the Alps of the Gospel of God's Grace.

After finishing at Westminster, Scotty and Darlene moved back to North Carolina where Scotty served at Trinity Church in Greensboro before joining the staff of First Presbyterian Church in Winston-Salem. It was there that he was ordained into the ministry of the Word in 1978. In 1979, the Smiths were called to Nashville, TN where Scotty joined the staff of First Presbyterian Church as youth pastor.

In 1981, Scotty helped plant Christ Presbyterian Church, a PCA church in Nashville, with senior pastor, Cortez Cooper. Scotty and Darlene were sent out by Christ Pres. in 1986, to plant a daughter church which became Christ Community Church of Franklin, TN . Scotty continues to serve Christ Community as senior pastor.

Scotty and Darlene have two children. Their daughter, Kristin, was born in 1976 and is a graduate of Belmont University. Their son, Scott, was born in 1979, is an avid fly fisherman and landscape designer. Scotty's beautiful wife, Darlene, has received the Masters of Arts in Counseling degree from Covenant Theological Seminary in May of 2000.

Scotty lists his hobbies as cross training, fishing, golf, following UNC basketball, listening to music of every variety except "nasal country," and travel. He is the author of several books, Unveiled Hope (currently OUT OF PRINT), co-authored by Michael Card, Speechless, co-authored by Steven Curtis Chapman, Reign of Grace, Objects Of His Affection - The Story of God's Compelling Love, and Restoring Broken Things, also co-authored by Stephen Curtis Chapman.

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