The Rev. Marc D. Smith, Ph.D.

Nurturing Faithful Leadership with

Church steeple with a cross and stained glass window, tree branch in foreground.

FAITHFUL GOVERNING: THE CHALLENGE OF LEADERSHIP

Governing churches and other faith communities is a distinct challenge for both clergy and lay leaders. Not only do they have legal responsibility for policy oversight and the stewardship of a congregation’s financial, capital and human resources, they also are called to facilitate the spiritual growth of its members. Functionally, church governing bodies, regardless of their titles, are not boards of directors in the traditional corporate sense. They have a more expansive mission, require different skills and engage in decision making in which God’s Spirit is active and acknowledged.

Book cover of "Vestry Reflections: Cultivating Spiritual Growth in Church Leaders" by Marc Smith, featuring an ornate geometric ceiling design.

Coming November 11, 2025.

FAITHFUL GOVERNING: CULTIVATING SPIRITUAL GROWTH AND LEADERSHIP

In his new book, Vestry Reflections; Cultivating Spiritual Growth in Church Leaders, Marc addresses both the broad span of church governance and its applications in congregational life. It reflects his decades of senior leadership experience in not-for-profit healthcare organizations and service on both for-profit and not-for-profit boards, as well as an ordained ministry with congregations in marginalized and economically distressed neighborhoods and those in very prosperous, progressive communities. His integration of the wisdom of spiritual leaders across centuries of Christian discernment, contemporary scholarship, and the witness of Scripture provide both theological depth and practical guidance. Pre-publication reviews have called it “a must read” for church leaders – clergy and lay alike.

Rev. Marc in clerical attire standing in front of a bookshelf filled with books.

THE REV. MARC D. SMITH, PH.D.

Marc is a retired Episcopal priest who served congregations in Missouri and Colorado, as well as developed and led the Diocese of Missouri’s gun violence prevention initiative. Earlier in his career, he was a full-time university professor and researcher specializing in healthcare policy and planning and held senior executive positions in several nationally prominent academic and community healthcare organizations. Marc retired as president and chief executive officer of the Missouri Hospital Association in 2010.

He earned degrees from the University of Missouri (B.S.), Lutheran School of Theology (M.Div.), and Saint Louis University (Ph.D.), as well as Certificates in Anglican Studies from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University and Mediation and Negotiation from the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center. Marc also completed a post-doctoral independent study and continuing education courses at Oxford University and was a Residential Fellow at the University of the South’s School of Theology.

A widely published author in health care and medical journals, he most recently wrote and produced Each Other’s Keeper: The Church’s Response to Violence, a six-module multimedia curriculum published in 2021 by the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri and on the Forward Movement’s ChurchNext platform. Marc has served as a consultant to governments, health care, educational and civic organizations, and not-for-profit and for-profit corporations throughout the United States and abroad.

Marc lives in Longmont, Colorado with his wife, Debbie, and dog, Yadi. He enjoys woodturning and wooden boat building, fly fishing, cooking and University of Missouri football.

SPEAKING AND CONSULTING SERVICES

Marc is available to assist churches, regional governing bodies and individual clergy and lay leaders in refining their leadership and enhancing their spiritual growth through the following.