Contact Information

• Rev Dr. Dave Smith
• Office Hours: By Appointment
• Email: SmithD@kingswood.edu

About Your Instructor

Allow me to introduce myself and the class we will be taking together. First, my name is Dave Smith. I’ve been a professor of Bible for the last 3+ decades. Five years of those were at Kingswood from 2010-2105. But the truth is I am a pastor masquerading as a professor. Students in my classes (this would include you now) start each class thinking that I am primarily focused on teaching their heads. But in actuality, I am seeking to impact their hearts to fall in love with Jesus and His Word. That will equally be so in this class @ Kingswood!

Since I have not met many of you, I thought it might be helpful for me to share just a few words about myself. I am a sinner saved by grace. No; I mean I was a really good sinner. Drugs, alcohol, and all the other issues which flow from that kind of lifestyle comprised the first 25 years of my life. You can probably hear my brokenness in that simple sentence. Then a woman introduced me to the man named Jesus. She miraculously became my wife, Angie. So, I get to do life together with the one who introduced me to the Lord. All I do and all I say, flows directly out of the gracious work of the Lord in my life. He also created peace with so many that I had wronged over the years. That reconciliation and unity with others has become a value in my life second to none. I pray that that will become clear to each of you as we walk together through the Biblical text this coming July. 

For the last 40+ years, I have been married to Angie. She is a home-maker and a mentor of young women. We have two grown children, Joshua (married to Laura) and Hannah (married to Brian), and five grandchildren. My wife and I love to watch old movies together. I love the movies. She loves cuddling during the movies, which I have never complained about. To relieve daily tension, I love to read and lift weights (though to look at me you might be surprised. I did however, look more like it at age 25 than the present day. 

Angie and I have pastored two churches; our last role was as solo pastor of a Free Methodist Church in Cleveland, Ohio for five years. We loved it. It was a great incubator for me to develop a practical philosophy of ministry. More so, serving in the local church is a prerequisite for teaching current and future pastors at Indiana Wesleyan. 

To give you a bit of my professional and academic training, I am a second career pastor-professor. I spent 10 years as a Computer Systems Analyst with Nationwide Insurance in Columbus, Ohio. So, my languages are not just Hebrew, Greek but I also talk "computer‑eze." My undergraduate training was done at Circleville Bible College (Circleville, Ohio, now called Ohio Christian University) and Asbury University (B.A.; Bible). I then went to Asbury Theological Seminary for an M.A. in Biblical Literature (Old Testament). After several years of pastoring, we returned to Asbury Seminary for me to work on an M. Div. and then move on to Durham University (England not N.C.) for a Ph.D. in New Testament Studies.

I am passionate about the Gospels and Paul's letters. But I have also done extensive study and teaching in the Hebrew Bible. Angie and I have traveled around the world teaching and doing leadership development. Most recently we have been working in local Church-based Community Development in Malawi, Africa through Circle of Hope, International. We have also started a new ministry this last year called True^North through which we train laity in local churches how to read, interpret and apply the Scriptures as the key act of Discipleship.

Education

• 2003 – Ph.D., (New Testament Interpretation), Durham University, Durham, England
• 1996 – M. Div., Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, KY
• 1989 – M.A., Biblical Literature, (Old Testament), Asbury Theological Seminary
• 1987 – B.A., Bible, Asbury College, Wilmore, KY
• 1985 – Bible & Theology Classes, Ohio Christian University, Circleville, OH (1985)
• 1977 – Associates Degree; Business Data Processing, Columbus State Community College, Columbus, Ohio