05/29/2018
This week we highlight John Mikel Smithson and his "I found church" story. Visit www.ifoundchurch.com for more stories.
"My I Found Church moment was I found Identity. Growing up as a great grandson, grandson, son, and nephew of a pastor was hard to figure out my identity because your conflicted with, do I follow in the Smithson legacy or is there another calling I have? My father pastored his first church in Gladstone, Michigan and that’s where I started my work in ministry. We moved there when I six and when I turned nine the church bought a giant tv screen and a laptop to run the lyrics and my dad sat me down and I began to run it.
At the age of 12 after moving to the south side of Chicago where my dad preached at his second church is where I got the calling to ministry. It wasn’t a call to preach, or music, or teaching but just a call to ministry. I knew that I was somehow, someway going to be in ministry.
I was taught the bass at the age of 13 and after a week a two I was playing on stage, it was there that I was taught to run the sound board and after a couple times I was running it. I began using Microsoft office in school and outsmarted my teachers, I learned photoshop and outsmarted my teachers, I learned movie maker, and after effects and I make logos, videos and more for all kinds of services and churches around.
It was at a later point in my life around the age of 18 I heard my dad preach a sermon and he said everybody has a specific calling in their life whether it’s to preach, teach, pray etc. that was when God spoke to me and said I was called to preach. I am proud to say that I’ll be taking my second to last test in my denomination for my minister License and I am currently the assistant pastor and it was through church that I Found My Identity."
