Mike is an ordained deacon and elder in the United Methodist Church and a clergy member of the Illinois Great Rivers Annual Conference. He began his work as a pastor in 1972.  As a college student he served in Olney, IL, and Madison, IL. As a seminary student he served in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. His two longest appointments were in Urbana, Illinois for 15 years and Glen Carbon, Illinois for 13 years. He also served in Granite City, Mattoon, Carbondale, and Carmi, all in Illinois.  

In retirement, he has focused his attention and research on congregations that are working their way through acute or chronic anxiety (due to such circumstances as Covid, changing neighborhoods, staff turnover, declining attendance, loss of youth and children, denominational disaffiliations, racial and ethnic tensions, cultural changes, administrative turmoil, conflict, etc.) In that capacity he has served interim/intensive care appointments in Salem, Geneseo, and Sullivan.

His approach with congregations is pastoral. He works on the assumption that each congregation is fluid and unique; that each congregation is seeking to love God and neighbor in an ever changing cultural and economic environment. He follows his curiosity and draws from both faith and scholarship to generate ministry.  

He states, “The basic work of a pastor is to listen:  to gather curious and thoughtful people together in order to explore the current realities of both the congregation and the surrounding community.  Through good listening and a better understanding of the holes in people’s lives, the church’s current call comes into clearer focus.” 

Mike is married to Jie Wu, who currently serves the Mansfield United Methodist Church. They reside in Urbana. They have three grown daughters and four grandchildren. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in Psychology and History.  He earned a Masters of Divinity at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington D.C.  

When not working with churches, he gardens, travels, plays tennis, reads books, writes books (Teaching the Preacher to Curse, published in 2023), serves as a Certified Professional Tour Guide in Chicago, writes a weekly post, stays in contact with family and friends from around the world, organizes retired pastors in the conference (to cause good trouble), and collects old road maps and presidential biographies.  His website is found at www.jmichaelsmith.net   

Please join us during our fellowship time Sunday, August 2 to welcome him!