Shirlene Smith, 85 of Laurel, Miss., passed away Aug. 3. She was the mother of BMA Global President Dr. John David Smith and widow of the late Arthur Smith, who pastored churches in Arkansas, Mississippi and Missouri, and was active in the BMA. At the time of his death in 2012, he had served as pastor of Hopewell Baptist Church for 24 years.
She poured her heart into the Women’s Missionary Auxiliary (WMA) and the Girls’ Missionary Auxiliary (GMA), where she mentored and invested in the lives of countless young women. Her passion for teaching and guiding girls in their faith left an eternal impact on generations who carry her lessons forward. A gifted educator, Shirlene retired from the Jones County School District after many dedicated years of shaping young minds and touching countless lives as a beloved teacher at Soso Elementary School.
Survivors include her son, Dr. John David (Kim) Smith; a daughter, Rhonda (Steven) Tilly; eight grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and two sons-in-law, BMA Pastors Corbey Jones and Matt Hudson.
A memorial service was held Aug. 9 at Hopewell Baptist Church in Laurel with Dr. John David Smith, Corbey Jones, Matt Hudson and Steve Clark officiating. Interment followed at Hopewell Cemetery under the direction of Colonial Chapel Funeral Home (colonialchapellaurel.com) in Laurel.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to BMA Global to support sharing the gospel to the nations. You can give online at app.securegive.com/BMAMissions/main/donate/category or by mail to BMA Global World Missions Fund, P.O. Box 878, Conway, Ark. 72033.
