Deron Smith

Deron came to Lipscomb as Dean of Vocation and Spiritual Formation in July 2020 to join the wider mission of Lipscomb to equip and educate students to reflect the character of Jesus as they prepare to engage the world in any and every vocation. He moved to the College of Bible and Ministry in January 2022 as an Assistant Professor and as Chair of the Pastoral Leadership Program, which trains men and women for leadership in ministry, primarily in congregations but also in non-profit organizations. Deron’s ministry experience includes more than 16 years as Lead Preaching Minister at the East Sunshine Church of Christ in Springfield, Missouri (2004-2020) and 8 years in cross-cultural missions with a team in Jinja, Uganda (1994-2002). Deron continues his connection to Uganda by serving on the board of the Kibo Group, a faith-inspired nonprofit that partners with East Africans to pursue local solutions for poverty and injustice to help communities flourish. Deron received his B.S. (Bible, 1990) and M.Div. (2000) from Harding University and his Ph.D. in theology from Trinity College, University of Bristol, UK (2004). Deron is joyfully married to Becca, and they have three grown daughters, Abby Dingus, Makayla Henderson, and Toria. He enjoys doing anything with Becca, bragging on his daughters, hanging out with students, watching sports, working out to music, and sipping strong coffee.