Our Pastors
Rev Mark R. Smith
What an amazing journey of mission and ministry Lynn and I have had and continue to have to this day! We have had the privilege of serving the Lord Jesus Christ in pastoral ministry for the past 34 years. In this amazing journey we have served the good people of Southside Church of the Nazarene as Single Adult Pastor, Children’s Pastor, and Pastor of Ministries. In 2001, God called us to Hope Community Church of the Nazarene (formerly Hanover Church of the Nazarene) in Mechanicsville, Va. We were blessed with 18 wonderful years of mission and ministry while there. The church grew and added many new ministries, the most vibrant and community impacting is Atlee Christian Academy.
In 2019, we thought we had retired from active, leading ministry, but Jesus had other plans. On the Sunday after Easter 2019, we visited Connecting Pointe just to enjoy the fellowship and hear a message from a fellow pastor. What happened next is just a God-story. We did not expect that the pastor would resign that very morning, but that is what happened. We immediately felt the call of God to help this church in any way we could, so we felt led to stay. After our District Superintendent served us as Interim Pastor for four months, I was appointed pastor in September 2019. And wow! What a great time of ministry we are having here at Connecting Pointe. We are touching lives in our community in new mission opportunities, especially through the Letha Pittman Compassion Center and Celebrate Recovery. We truly are living out our mission of “Making Christlike Disciples in Our Community and Beyond”!
Lynn and I are blessed with four wonderful children (our two children and their spouses): our son Dan and his wife Connie have two children: Sophia and Adeline. Connie currently serves as youth pastor and Dan serves in many lay capacities at Hope Community Church of the Nazarene in Mechanicsville. Our daughter Kari and her husband Jacob have three children: Grace, Esther, and Malachi. Jacob serves as the Lead Pastor and Kari serves in several lay capacities at Tidewater Central Church of the Nazarene in Virginia Beach, Va.
To God be the Glory!
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33 ESV
In 2021 after twenty years of ministry in the Church of the Nazarene, I retired. My wife Colleen and I relocated to Virginia. The move brought us closer to our son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. At that time, we were trying to figure out what retiring meant. Our goal was to encourage and volunteer at the church the Lord sent us to.
Colleen and I remember the first day we visited Connecting Pointe, “a retired pastor.” Our reception by the church family that day was perfect. We had so many people come and welcome us. It was a good first day that we still talk about. Pastor Greg and Lynn, Pastor Joe, and Jenn have blessed and encouraged us by including us in church ministry.
Soon after the Pastors were chatting about doing a Bible study together. I suggested the Celebrate Recovery Step Study (12 steps). We completed the Pastor Step Study in November. We had a great time of fellowship and growing closer to the Lord.
After we completed our Pastor Step Study I asked if any of the church family would like to go through the Step Study. I was blessed by two men and 4 women who agreed to meet for Step Study.
On January 12, 2023, we started Celebrate Recovery which consists of large Group followed by small group.
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
2 Peter 3:18
Other Ministries
I am leading a great group of volunteers at our Letha Pittman Compassion Center at Connecting Pointe. We have a Food Bank and Clothing Closet on the 2 nd and 4 th
Wednesday of each month.
With Acts 1:8 as our guide. 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be [a] witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”