David Smith has worked for the Seventh-day Adventist Church for over forty years as an academy teacher, college professor, college president and pastor. For five years David served as senior pastor of the Collegedale Seventh-day Adventist Church in Collegedale, Tennessee. The rest of his career has been devoted to Adventist education. He has taught at Wisconsin Academy, Laurelwood Academy, Union College and Southern Adventist University. From 1998 to 2011 David was President of Union College. Currently he serves as President of Southern Adventist University.
David’s passion is public speaking, particularly presenting about Jesus. He is a frequent speaker for a variety of occasions, and his speaking has taken him to most parts of the United States and to several countries abroad. David also enjoys reading, bird watching, wildlife viewing, nature photography, camping, and hiking.
David’s wife, Cherie, has been an associate pastor since 1996 and currently serves as the Pastor of Spiritual Care, Visitation and Prayer at the Collegedale Seventh-day Adventist Church. David and Cherie have two daughters, Jacinda, a stay-at-home mom in Chesterfield, Missouri, and Kim, a vice principal and elementary school teacher living in Keene, Texas. They are blessed with six grandchildren.