Not ready to quit serving

Former Senior Vice President Buddy Smith formally retired in April 2024 after 32 years of faithful service to the ministry of American Family Association (AFA). However, he was not ready to quit serving.

Currently, Smith is vice president emeritus and a member of the boards of AFA and AFA Action. Plus, he is taking on a newly appointed role – presiding elder in the Amory District of the Mississippi-West Tennessee Conference of the Global Methodist Church (GMC, ms-wtngmc.org).

“God is doing a work in the GMC. There’s just a new and a fresh wind of the Holy Spirit blowing through this denomination. I can’t begin to tell you the excitement,” said Smith.

Appointed by Bishop Scott Jones, Smith now oversees the ministry of 14 pastors and 16 churches in the district communities. He is responsible for the overall spiritual well-being of these congregations by providing guidance, instruction, and care for the pastors and churches. His role involves offering the necessary support, encouragement, and accountability to help them follow Jesus Christ, equipping the saints to become disciple-makers (Ephesians 4:11-16).

The goal is unity in the body of Christ – vital, fully alive congregations operating in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Below, Smith shared some information with The Stand about his new role.

The Stand: How do you feel about being selected to serve as a presiding elder?

Buddy Smith: I never imagined myself in such a role. In my former denomination of the United Methodist Church, I would never have been deemed qualified because of my conservative beliefs about the veracity of the Bible and my history as an evangelical Christian.

So, I am pleasantly surprised to be selected to serve my church and the kingdom of God in my later stage of life at 74 years old.

My role and experience as a leader with AFA helped open this door of opportunity with the GMC.

TS: What do you hope to accomplish in this role?

BS: My prayer and hope for the churches I oversee is that we might return to Pentecost and experience what happened to those first disciples at the birth of the church.

Today, cultural transformation can occur through an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the church and an awakening of our nation’s churches. It begins at the cross with repentance of sin and a wholehearted commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord (Galatians 2:20). No other teaching, no other truth, no other plan. This is the only hope for our nation and world today.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the most explosive change-agent in the world. The local church remains God’s front line of ministry in the world.

My heartbeat for the churches is found in Ephesians 4:11-16, which details God’s plan for His church. Tragically, this reality is missing in much of the modern church.

The only way forward is to return to Pentecost. I love how our bishop, Scott Jones, puts it: “We are part of a movement of the Global Methodist Church that is a Bible-believing, Spirit-led, grace-filled, mission-focused, Wesleyan movement of the Holy Spirit.”

TS: What does this say about the future of the GMC?

BS: Since its inception in May 2022, the GMC has sought to preserve the doctrinal integrity of the historic Christian faith – especially the authority of Scripture – and to offer a vibrant witness to the transforming power of Jesus Christ. Grounded in this tradition, GMC’s mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ and spread scriptural holiness across the globe.