Dr. Ron Smith
Executive Director
The Francis Asbury Society
ron.smith@francisasburysociety.com
Dr. Ron Smith
Dr. Ronald E. Smith, Executive Director of the Francis Asbury Society, Wilmore, Kentucky, is a 1977 graduate of Asbury College, 1982 (M.Div.) graduate of Asbury Theological Seminary, and a 1990 (Th.M.) graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary. He completed the Masters of Philosophy degree at the graduate school of Drew University, and the Doctor of Philosophy in Theological and Religious Studies from the Caspersen School of Graduate Studies at Drew University.
Ron is an ordained deacon and elder in the Greater New Jersey Conference of the United Methodist church, and has served under appointment of the Bishop since 1982. Ron pastored for eleven years in New Jersey before serving for three years as a Fellow at the Francis Asbury Society. He then served as Executive Director of the Society for two years. On January 15, 1998 Ron was elected president of Wesley Biblical Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi. In February 2008 Ron planted a church, Wesley Chapel, and is serving as Senior Pastor and President of the Seminary. He rejoined the Francis Asbury Society as Executive Director alongside President Paul Blair in November, 2010.
Ron has been privileged to speak in a wide arena of denominational settings around the world. He has served as a keynote speaker in a variety of regional and national meetings for denominations and consortiums in the broader Wesleyan world. Ron has also delivered several distinguished lecture series at different colleges, universities, and theological seminaries, such as the noted Thomas F. Staley Distinguished Lecture Series.
Ron has served on such boards as World Gospel Mission and the Francis Asbury Society and, for several years, served as Chairman of the Board of OMS International.
He has also written and taught professionally on subjects in the field of the History of Christian Doctrine. His work has focused on Evangelicalism and Modernity; The Intellectual History of the Nineteenth Century; Forging the American Evangelical Tradition, Perfectionism and Pre-Millennialism; and, The Theological Lifework of Dr. Henry Clay Morrison.
He has written articles for many denominational and missional publications, and has a special interest in producing substantive theological literature for the Church today.
Ron is married to Dorena (Ritzler) and together they have two daughters, Katie and Laura.
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