If you want to find a walking, talking encyclopedia of the Presbyterian Church in America, you need to look no further than 97-year-old Kennedy Smartt.
A member of the original “committee of 12” that in 1971 was charged with exploring the formation of a new Presbyterian denomination to counter a growing wave of theological liberalism, Smartt captured the PCA’s rich heritage in his 1998 book, “I Am Reminded: An Autobiographical, Anecdotal History of The Presbyterian Church in America.”
During his long PCA career, Smartt served as a pastor and later held roles with Mission to the World and Mission to North America. He also became a catalyst for a unique evangelistic strategy that was replicated by a number of other denominations and ministries.
Smartt was pastor of Ingleside Presbyterian Church in Scottdale, Georgia, from 1954 to 1960, served as chaplain and Bible teacher for a church school in nearby Rabun Gap, and was pastor at Rabun Gap Presbyterian from 1960 to 1962. Both were mill churches in textile communities. He moved on to West End Presbyterian Church in Hopewell, Virginia, in 1962. It was there that Smartt became involved in the PCA’s formation.
“Since the PCA was just in the discussion stages then, our church didn’t have a denomination to go to, so we petitioned to be dismissed from the PCUS and became an independent congregation.”
Despite being troubled by surging liberalism within the PCUS, Smartt said he resolved “not to break fellowship with any of my liberal brothers. We handled the transition with mutual respect.”
Working on the original committee and subsequent committees involved with laying the groundwork for the PCA’s formal birthing in 1973, he said the task was to “establish certain structures — such as Christian education, foreign missions, home missions, administration, etc. — so that once we got started, we could hit the ground running.”
During the PCA’s inaugural year, Smartt served on the Christian education committee, then was elected MTW chairman, serving on that committee from 1977 to 1982. From 1982 to 1992, he served as director of evangelism for MNA, teaching pastoral evangelism.
When asked what he considered his greatest legacy, Smartt didn’t hesitate, “I loved pastoring people and visiting with them. I loved developing relationships and creating bridges — whether during hospital visits, preparing for weddings, or at times of death — for presenting the gospel to them.”
Smartt is an active member of Chestnut Mountain Presbyterian Church in Flowery Branch, Georgia.