FAS Evangelist

Ron Smith’s special burden is for mentoring students in higher education. He and his family have hosted a weekly meeting for spiritual growth and study with college and seminary students for many years. Ron has written articles for many denominational and missional publications and has a special interest in producing substantive theological literature for the Church today.

Ron earned a B.A. degree in Biblical Studies at Asbury College (now University) in 1977, an MDiv degree from Asbury Theological Seminary in 1982, the ThM degree from Princeton Theological Seminary in The History of Christian Doctrine in 1990, and the Masters of Philosophy degree and Doctor of Philosophy degree from the Casperson School of Graduate Studies, Drew University in 2005.

Ron is an ordained deacon and elder in the Greater New Jersey Conference of the United Methodist Church since 1982. Ron has served the local church as youth pastor, associate pastor, senior pastor, and church planter. Ron served The Francis Asbury Society from 1993–1998 as a Fellow and for two years as Executive Director. In 1998, he was elected as the fifth president of Wesley Biblical Seminary in Jackson, MS, where he served for thirteen years. Upon retiring from the presidency, Ron rejoined The Francis Asbury Society in January of 2011, serving as Executive Director, as President, then as a speaker, a Board member, and then as President again in 2020–2022. Ron is currently the president at Ohio Christian University.

Ron has been a speaker, lecturer, and/or preacher in a wide array of settings in the U.S. and around the world. He has served as a keynote lecturer/preacher in a variety of regional, national and international meetings for denominations and consortiums in the pan-Wesleyan world. Ron has also delivered several different distinguished lecture series at different colleges, universities, and theological seminaries such as The Chamberlain Lectures, The Cox Lectures, The Cowman Lectures, and the Thomas F. Staley Distinguished Lectures.

Ron has served on the boards of World Gospel Mission, The Francis Asbury Society, and, for several years, was Chairman of the Board for One Mission Society. As OMS Board Chairman, he also served as Chairman of the Theological Committee and member of the Executive Committee.

Ron served as Chairman of the Faculty and as Professor of Christian Thought at Wesley Biblical Seminary. His work focused on the History of Christian Doctrine; Evangelicalism and Modernity; the Intellectual History of the Nineteenth Century; Forging the American Evangelical Tradition; Perfectionism and Pre-millenialism; the Theological Lifework of Henry Clay Morrison; and Evangelistic Preaching.

Ron has been married to his wife Dorena since 1982, and they have two adult, married daughters, Katie and Laura Jane.