Bill and Pam Smith

The Lord had been dealing with Bill Smith for about six months prior to his conversion, and at midnight, on July 4, 1977, as he was sitting at a traffic light, alone in his car, the Lord greatly convicted Bill of his need for salvation and he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior. Shortly after this, he acknowledged God's call on his life and surrendered to serve Him.

Bill wanted to go to a Bible college to learn as much Bible as he could. A pastor gave him a short list of schools and then mentioned that Fairhaven Baptist Church was starting a college, but that it probably wasn't the school for him because it would be too tough. When Bill heard that, he knew instantly that Fairhaven was the place for him. Six weeks later he arrived on campus, never having seen Fairhaven.

Pastor Smith has many memories of his first experience at Fairhaven. When he first came, the men's sleeping quarters were not yet completed, and for the first month he stayed in the home of a church member. But this was now his home and his college and he decided that he would jump right in and help build his college. Bill concedes he wasn't much of a student, but he enjoyed his classes very much.

The thing that had the greatest effect on him was the pulpit ministry. Bill was an empty vessel waiting to be filled, and every time Pastor Roger Voegtlin stepped into the pulpit, the Holy Spirit reached down and spoke to him. Bill remembers that the theme of the preaching during that era was prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit. This would have a tremendous effect on him, as Bill learned that it wasn't programs and "how to" books that build churches, it is the power of the Holy Spirit.

Another thing that had a powerful effect on him was the bus ministry. He was given a route to build in the Miller area of Gary, Indiana. Although he was involved in many ministries at Fairhaven, the bus route was the greatest training tool. He learned how to pray for the people that God had given him on the route. He learned how to serve people on the streets of Miller. He saw the bus route grow large enough that he needed several workers; this helped him learn how to train and lead others. It was through the bus route that he learned about the nature of people and learned, by faith, to watch God do great things.

After graduating in 1981, Pastor Smith stayed at Fairhaven teaching Bible in the academy and coaching for four more years. Then in the spring of 1986, a call came from a small town in Pennsylvania, where a good man had tried for three or four years to get a church started, but to no avail. The description given to Pastor Smith at that time was, "There are no people and no money, but we need someone to come." The Lord showed him that this was the place to which God was leading him. Upon arriving, Pastor Smith found that they had stopped holding services, but they owned three acres of ground and an old, burned-out trailer. He went to work re-establishing what is now known as Forest Area Baptist Church. After one year, they saw several families come to know Christ as their Savior and saw another family return. It was here in Pennsylvania, that God blessed Pastor Smith with his wife, Pam. God has given them two wonderful children, Abigail, who is now a sophomore enrolled at Fairhaven Baptist College, and Jonathan, who is a senior in high school. On Easter Sunday of 1996, he preached his last message there with a new pastor replacing him that day.

After his resignation from that pastorate, Pastor Smith and his family spent the next year as church members in Butler, Pennsylvania, filling pulpits as needed and seeking a place to serve. During this time the Lord used Romans 15:20 in his life concerning the idea of not building upon another man's foundation. God was challenging him to start a new work. In the summer of 1997, while visiting his family, the Lord burdened Bill about planting a church in his home town. In October of 1997, he moved to Traverse City, Michigan, his family faithfully and unquestioningly following. On February 1, 1998, Zion Baptist Church held its first service.

He and his family are greatly rejoicing in what God is doing but are very much aware that Traverse City is the ecumenical hub of the north. A new church of one form or another is started every year in Traverse City. They didn't go with rose-tinted glasses, thinking that it would be easy. They knew it would take much faith and hard work to plant a church in that area. Pastor Smith has learned that God always shows His purposes in His own time. God has saved and separated several families and has built a small, but solid, Baptist church.

Recently, Pastor Smith dedicated a new 15,000 square foot church facility. They built the building themselves over a two and a half year period and the church family has been faithful throughout the building program.

One of the unique blessings of the ministry at Zion Baptist Church is that those saved and baptized there are now carrying on all of the ministries of the church, including the teaching in the Sunday School classes and working in the bus ministry.

Has it always been easy? No! There are always challenges. The greatest challenge has been presented by so called "fundamental" churches who don't practice what they claim to believe. They become offended with sound, Biblical preaching and teaching and seldom stay. Pastor Smith has determined to preach and teach true Biblical separation, and to build a solid group of workers for the Lord.