Brian Smith is the Lead Pastor at Wildwood Church in East Moline, Illinois. He was introduced to Gitche Gumee Bible Camp in 2018 by a fellow local pastor and friend, Ben Lovelady. Brian’s family has been coming to Gitche’s Pastor Retreat each year since. He says it has been a deep breath of fresh air each year for him, his wife, and their four children. 

 

They have served in full-time vocational ministry since 2007 in various churches and roles. Brian was a youth pastor for a short time before stepping into the role as Senior Pastor at a church in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas in 2011. 

 

Brian and Kellye felt God’s call to ministry in 2006 after their firstborn daughter passed away with Infant Leukemia at the age of two. They have endured many trials and hardships in ministry, as do most pastors. One thing that prepares Brian to lead this pastor retreat is having navigated the brutal storms of church upheaval and near split, and coming out on the other side peacefully and with a thriving congregation. He knows the angst of secret meetings, the plotting, the betrayal, and sheer exhaustion of conflict within the church. Through it all, Brian and Kellye have trusted the Lord to be their vindication and together they have seen the light of day on the other side of the storm. Pastor Retreats at Gitche were instrumental in their endurance.

 

Brian is passionate about transferring what he has learned through these experiences to other pastors in hopes that they, too, will last long in ministry! Brian and Kellye believe they are experiencing  what he calls the “sweet fruit of longevity.” Although he has only served Wildwood for eight years, given the circumstances of COVID and other church struggles, they are experiencing ministry today that no one expected they would ever see. 

 

They “should have” left a long time ago. By enduring these storms, they are experiencing a sweetness of ministry that many pastors never do. Brian and Kellye want more than anything to encourage other pastors and their wives to “...lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2

 

“Run With Endurance” - Pastor Retreat 2025 - will focus on these two verses. From these verses in Hebrews, discussion will arise about:

 

The Pastor’s & Wife’s heart - Personal devotion to Jesus 

The Pastor’s & Wife’s grit - The key to lasting long in ministry 

The Pastor’s & Wife’s glory - The reward for finishing well