Campbellsville University

Smyzer, Campbellsville University trustee, to speak at chapel Nov. 18

Smyzer, Campbellsville University trustee, to speak at chapel Nov. 18

By Joan C. McKinney | 11/11/2020

Smyzer, Campbellsville University trustee, to speak at chapel Nov. 18

Smyzer receives an award at the February 2019 Board of Trustees meeting. From left are: Henry Lee, chair of the Board of Trustees, Smyzer and Dr. Michael V. Carter, president of Campbellsville University. (Campbellsville University Photo by Joshua Williams)

By Joan C. McKinney, director, Office of University Communications

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. - The Rev. Matt Smyzer, a member of Campbellsville University's Board of Trustees, pastor of Beargrass Missionary Baptist Church in Louisville and a 2014 CU graduate, will be the chapel speaker at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18.

Smyzer is executive director of the Baptist Fellowship Center in Louisville. He is also superintendent of missions for the Central District Baptist Association and fourth vice moderator of the General Association of Baptists in Kentucky. He is chair of the student services committee of the Campbellsville University Board of Trustees.

Smyzer earned a Master of Theology (M.Th) degree from Campbellsville University and is a sought after preacher, teacher and college lecturer. He has preached across the United States and on two continents.

Smyzer has served at Beargrass Missionary Baptist Church since November 2004. Under Smyzer's administration, a record number of people have joined the church with 33% of that number joining by baptism. Ministries have been added, and the church has purchased five acres of land to build a new worship center.

From 2001 to present, Smyzer serves as executive director of the Baptist Fellowship Center, a 106-year-old Missions Center that is noted as a national model for cooperative ministries between all races of people, with a major focus on Angelo and African American relationships. He has also served as superintendent of missions for the Central District Baptist Association, an association made up of 145 Baptist churches.

Smyzer is a member of the State Mission Board of the General Association of Baptists in Kentucky, the board of directors of the West End Boys School, Commonwealth Compassion Bridge Alliance, West Louisville Performing Arts Academy and Dare to Care Food Bank.

Smyzer served as pastor of the Zion Hill Baptist Church of Park City, Ky. from 1991 to 2004. He served from 2014 to 2018 as CEO of Metro Leadership Foundation.

He has received the following awards: National Certification of Special Olympic Sports, Who's Who World of Global Business Leaders, Honorable Kentucky Colonel, Kentuckiana Manager of the Year and Kentucky Baptist Pastor of Distinction.

He served as past president of the student body at Simmons Bible College, past president of student government at Louisville College, past president of the publishing board of the American Baptist Newspaper and objective of the General Association of Baptists in Kentucky and state and local government faith-based community director.

Smyzer is married to Joann E. Carter Smyzer. They are the parents of two children: Felicia A. Smyzer and Machika J. Smyzer-Stewart.

All chapels are televised on WLCU (Comcast Cable channel 10 and digital channel 15), streamed on Campbellsville University's Facebook page and wlcutv.com and can be found at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGOyyKyrGBpSx8-uXa4NRtw.

Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 13,500 students offering over 100 programs of study including Ph.D., master, baccalaureate, associate, pre-professional and certification programs. The website for complete information is www.campbellsville.edu.