top of page

Bio & Vitae - Dr. Randy Smith

1. FAMILY 

  • Wife; Lynn  (married 55 years)

  • Children: Three adult sons, Todd, Lance, Rob (Seven grand-children)     

  • Born: Tyler, Texas - April 17, 1947

Dr. Smith Bio

2. EDUCATION

  • Tyler Junior College, Tyler Texas, 1966

  • Bob Jones University, Greenville S.C., 1967

  • Graduate of Theology Degree, Baptist Bible College, Springfield, Mo., 1970

  • Bachelor of Science General Studies, Liberty University, Lynchburg, Va. 1986

  • Master of Arts degree in Religious Studies, Emphasis in Youth & Family Ministries  

  • Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, 1998

  • Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Lexington Baptist College, 1998

  • Doctor of Missiology, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2012.

  • Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary

3. MINISTRY

3.1 Call to Ministry

  • Called to ministry in 1966 while living in Tyler, Texas, and while attending Tyler Junior College, majoring in nuclear engineering.

  • After finishing training, started first full time ministry position in January 1970.

3.2 Church Youth Pastor

  • 30 years (1970 – 2000)

  • Firestone Road Baptist Church     Thomas Road Baptist Church     Calvary Church

  • North Canton, Ohio                       Lynchburg, Virginia                      Grand Rapids, Michigan

  • 13 years (1970-1982)                       9 years (1982-1990)                      10 years (1990-2000)

​

*Two-Time recipient of the Liberty University Center for Youth Ministry Alumni of the Year Award

(1998 & 2013).

3.3 Youth Ministry International: (Youth Mission Agency)

  • Founder and President (1990 – 2023 : Retired January 2023)

  • Randy has personally ministered to teens in over 42 foreign countries and trained National youth workers in 17 countries.The Mission statement of the organization is “to evangelize and disciple the world’s youth through the local church by ‘training the trainers’ of indigenous youth leaders.”

  • The ministry has conducted formal theological training programs in 15 countries. YMI trainers and trainees have also conducted informal youth ministry training in 22 additional countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, Eurasia, and Europe.

  •  The ministry supports  national and international trainers, currently operating in Africa, Eurasia, Latin America, and Southeast and Central  Asia, India, Western and Eastern Europe.

  • The ministry has trained more than 46,000 national youth leaders and volunteers and as of 2023 YMI has more than 4000 students enrolled in its formal training programs (diploma, bachelor’s and master’s degree) in 15 countries in partnership with multiple schools. More than 2500  have graduated from these academic programs.  Currently, more than 1 million young people are being ministered to weekly by YMI-trained youth leaders and more than 700,000 youth have become Christ followers.

3.4 Great Commission Youth Ministry – Founder/President & CEO

Leadership Training and Consulting Org. (Launched April, 2023)

Provide Youth Ministry Leadership Training and consulting for churches and institution of higher learning in the U.S.A. and internationally.​

Mission Statement:“Equip church Youth Leaders to evangelize and disciple the world’s youth through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, guided by the Word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit."

3.5 Global Youth Coalition

Cofounded the Global Youth Coalition made up of 6 national training organizations.

www.trainingyouthleaders.org

3.6 Seminary and College Professor

Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary, and Grace Bible College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Has also taught Youth and Missions courses at Lexington Baptist College, Lexington Kentucky and Boyce College, and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY., where he served 12 years as the Associate Director of the International Center for Youth Ministry, and associate professor of Missions and Youth Ministry, teaching missions, evangelism, and youth ministry. Randy has taught youth ministry at the undergraduate and graduate level for over 40 years. Randy has taught Youth Ministry courses as an adjunct professor in more than 18 seminaries globally.

bottom of page