Eric and Candace Smith ('08)
Senior Pastor of Sharon Baptist Church, Stay-at-Home Mother
At Union, Eric and Candace Smith were prepared for their life in ministry. Eric and Candance met as sophomores while Eric was studying theology and Candace was studying nursing. They both graduated in the spring of 2008.
Today, Eric is the senior pastor of Sharon Baptist Church in Savannah, Tennessee. The Smiths have served at the church since 2013. Candace is a stay-at-home mother to their three children who are 9, 7 and 5 years old. Eric earned his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Philosophy from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.
鈥淲e wouldn鈥檛 be where we are today if it wasn鈥檛 for Union University,鈥� Candace said.
Eric not only has a heart for serving and leading his church, but a passion for writing, as well. His new book, 鈥淥liver Hart and the Rise of Baptist America,鈥� was published by Oxford University Press in August 2020. He is also the author of 鈥淥rder and Ardor: The Revival Spirituality of Oliver Hart and the Regular Baptists of Eighteenth-Century South Carolina鈥� published by the University of South Carolina Press in 2018.
His newest book tells two stories, Eric said: one about Oliver Hart, who was the longtime pastor of Charleston Baptist Church in South Carolina and 鈥淪outhern Baptists鈥� most important pioneer,鈥� as well as the bigger story about the rise of Baptist America shown through Hart鈥檚 life. Eric discovered Hart in his first year at Southern Seminary during a Baptist history class with now-retired professor Tom Nettles. It was Eric鈥檚 first experience with Baptist historical heroes, and it was transformative for him.
鈥淚 had all these historical heroes already who I loved to read about and tell other people about, but none of them were Baptists,鈥� Eric said. 鈥淧art of this is just because Baptists are such people of the book, people of the Bible, they tend to focus on the Bible and not their own history. That part can be good, but we don鈥檛 know where we came from and who鈥檚 walked faithfully with the Lord before [that] we could learn from.鈥�
Although Eric enjoys writing, he is not planning to change his profession 鈥� he loves being a pastor. Union shaped who he is today as a person and a pastor, Eric said.
鈥淓very single day I鈥檓 benefitting from what I was taught in the classroom at Union, the relationships that were developed at Union, just the love for the Bible and for God鈥檚 people and the local church 鈥� it was cultivated in me at Union,鈥� he said. 鈥淎ll the stuff that defines my life every day, by God鈥檚 grace, came at Union, and so it just could not have been more formative for me.鈥�
While he was growing up, Eric said he had godly influences in his life and loved the Lord. But he had never encountered the careful and reverent handling of the Bible 鈥� and the study, teaching and preaching of the Bible 鈥� that he found in classes at Union with professors like Mark Dubis, Todd Brady, Ray Van Neste and Brad Green.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that there鈥檚 a better place to train for ministry where you鈥檒l learn to love and handle rightly God鈥檚 word,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou鈥檒l learn to love and cherish God鈥檚 people in the local church. You will be loved by your professors.鈥�
Candace said she is thankful for the faculty and staff who poured into their lives and the lifelong friendships they made at Union. From their very first week on campus, she said, they were encouraged to find and get involved in a local church.
鈥淲e got our first experience of doing ministry together here at Union,鈥� Eric said. 鈥淚 would preach at churches, she would come with me. Preaching in the college ministry at Englewood [Baptist Church], she was right there in the front row.鈥�
Candace added: 鈥淥ur life just started here.鈥�