The congregation of Lakewood Baptist Church on Sunday night affirmed Tyler H.. Smiley as senior associate pastor at Gainesville’s Lakewood Baptist Church. The congregation voted unanimously to support the creation of the new position and to name Smiley to that role. He will assume Senior Pastor responsibilities in the next few years.
His recommendation was vetted for eight months by a seven-member team, affirmed by the deacon leadership panel of 13 and by the 77-member deacon team, according to information from church officials. Each reached a unanimous consensus to recommend him to the church fellowship.
Smiley, 32, graduated from North Hall High School in 2005, and North Georgia College & State University in 2010, earning summa cum laude honors. On an academic scholarship, he earned a master’s of Divinity degree from Denver Theological Seminary in 2013. He earned a second master’s of theology from Midwestern Seminary and is a PhD candidate at Midwestern for May 2020.
Smiley's professional ministerial experience includes a pastoral internship and interim youth pastor at Journey Church in Centennial, Colorado. He later served as interim pastor of Logos Central Chapel Church in Denver.
For the past six years, he has served as associate missions pastor at Lakewood, helping to direct and coordinate the church’s local, national and global mission work which encompasses thirty percent of the church’s annual budget.
Under his leadership, the church’s “Planting Network Ministry,” COR 3:6, partnered with 32 churches across North and Central America.
“It’s a new and exciting day in our 63-year-old church,” said Mark Brown, deacon ministry team leader. “Our staff, deacons and congregation will be working with Tyler to ensure a seamless transition for all our vast ministries. Tyler is a humble, wise and a thoughtful church man. He’s intelligent, calm, organized, hard-working and well-spoken. He loves people and desires everyone to come to know the saving grace found only in Jesus Christ. We have an overriding peace knowing Tyler is the man God provided,” he said.
Smiley’s affirmation will begin a two-to-three year transition for the senior associate pastor to succeed Lakewood’s senior pastor, Dr. Tom Smiley, who came to the church in 1990.
Tyler Smiley accepted the unanimous affirmation from more than 900 who attended the church conference.
