Dr. Ben Smith is the former pastor of Lakeland Baptist Church, Lewisville, Texas. A native of Mississippi, Ben is the youngest of five boys. He attended Mississippi College, Clinton, Mississippi, and graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas in 1973 with a Doctor of Education Degree.
Jean is also from Mississippi. She is a graduate of Southwest Mississippi Community College. She is retiring this year having served as Attendance Secretary in LISD schools.
Ben and Jean came to Lewisville in 1974 from Odessa, Texas. They currently reside in Corinth, Texas.They have three children and seven grandchildren: Rene' is married to Jimmy Bryan, and they have two children, Rachael Nicole and James Philip; Jeffery and Laura Smith have a son, Nathan Jeffery, and twins - Lauren Ashley, & Ryan Cole; Jennifer Smith Templin has two sons, Randall Scott and Colton Smith.
A man with a vision to see lost souls come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior, Ben has led the members of Lakeland to become involved in F.A.I.T.H. and other outreach strategies. Lakeland has always had a strong emphasis on outreach to the community and beyond.
Under his leadership Lakeland grew from less than 200 to over 2,300 members. Seventeen (17) churches were started under his direction and currently there are 5 active missions.
Smith is a strong, moral voice in the community, and is an actively involved citizen in the local and state political arena.
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