Remembering Rev. Wayne Smith; Dead at 87

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ)-Monte Wilkinson says, “You know I wasn’t surprised because Wayne’s health had not been great.”

For Monte, Lead Minister of Northeast Christian Church, the passing of Reverend Wayne Smith is bittersweet.

“You know you’re always still sad because he was a person that had a tremendous amount of impact in my life. So I’ll miss him. Wish I had gotten to see him again one more time.”

But Monte knows Wayne is in a higher place.

He says, “I am really excited for Wayne because heaven is real to him. And he’s there and he gets the celebration of that.”

Wayne gave Monte his first job as a minister at Southland Christian Church when he was just twenty-years-old.

“I was really privileged because i got to work my first 15 years in ministry with him and he was the most compassionate person I’ve ever known. He really loved people, genuinely cared about everybody. ”

And he cared about people like Monte up to the very end.

“For me personally, my dad passed away two months ago and while I was away twice he called me just to check on me. I mean he wasn’t in great health and he was still thinking about me.”

Wayne’s selflessness and compassion for others still guides Monte today.

“…that has stayed with me and it impacts how I preach and how I teach and how I interact with people.”

Under Smith’s leadership Southland Christian Church saw tremendous growth and is one of the largest congregations in Lexington and one of the biggest in the state.

Monte says Wayne not only touched thousands of lives here locally but across the globe.

“I don’t think he’s going to be forgotten for a long long time. I think his influence will continue to ripple out for generations to come.”

Funeral services for Reverend Smith will be on Wednesday July 6th at 1pm at Southland Christian Church. Before that, visitation is 1-9pm on Tuesday, and 10am-1 pm on Wednesday leading up to the service.