We Mourn the Passing of our Executive Director Dr. Sid Smith

A native of Texas, Smith graduated from the University of Corpus Christi with a B.A. and earned the master of religious education degree from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Mill Valley, Calif., in 1968 and the doctor of philosophy degree from California Graduate School of Theology in Glendale in 1973.

Smith served more than 40 years in Southern Baptist denominational roles, longer than any other African American leader. He worked in California, Tennessee and Florida but his influence permeates multicultural strategies now in place at the Southern Baptist Convention's North American Mission Board and LifeWay Christian Resources.

Smith began his work among Southern Baptists in 1968 as the South Central Los Angeles director of Christian social ministries for the Southern Baptist Home Mission Board (now known as NAMB). In 1979, he began an 11-year tenure with the Southern Baptist Sunday School Board (now known as LifeWay), first as a consultant and then as manager of the black church development section, as well as serving as part-time pastor of several African American congregations in the Nashville area.

He was president of his own consulting firm, Black Church Consultants of America from 1990-94 and concurrently served as a professor with the American Baptist College in Nashville.

Smith worked behind the scenes in the establishment of the National African American Fellowship in 1992.

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 He was the founder of the Black Southern Baptist Denominational Servants Network in 1997, an organization that provides mentoring and encouragement to African American staff members at Baptist entities.

Dr. Sid Smith
 

Smith was the first director of the Florida Baptist Convention's African American ministries division from May 1994 until his retirement Oct. 31, 2005.  During his tenure, Smith gave leadership to an aggressive program of starting more than 400 predominantly African American congregations as well as instituting a program department of church development to assist pastoral and lay leadership in African American churches.

Sid was the author of numerous books and articles on the African American experience within Southern Baptist life and  lectured at every Southern Baptist seminary and numerous divinity schools.

Sid Smith was married to Arnette E. Smith of Jacksonville, Florida for 42 years. They shared a son Sid Smith III who lives in California.

A Message from Dr. Ken

Ellis, President of The

BSBDSN

The late Dr. Benjamin E. Mays once said  “that the tragedy in life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal.  The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.  For isn’t a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled, but it’s a calamity not to dream”  Dr. Sid Smith was a great soul, and a giant has fallen.  A mighty light has gone out. 

For decades, Dr. Smith has been a powerful and kindly light in a world of tragic darkness and starless nights.  His death represents the end of an era and we will miss him dearly.  The life of Dr. Smith was magnificent, and he lived it fully at the summit, on the dazzling mountaintop of dreaming the impossible.  He was a scholar, writer, and profited thinker.  One who was persistent in his pursuit of the unattainable ideal, and he had a divine romance with the world of higher possibilities. 

Dr. Smith was always perpetually creative and always striving to find a better way.  Many of us who are serving in ministry owe a debt of gratitude to him for his constant mentoring and encouragement to be our best.  He taught us how to stand on the authenticity of who God had created us to be, and to understand that for such a time as this have we been called to served.  Rest on our dear friend.  We will see you again.

Dr. Ken Ellis, President BSBDSN

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