Smoky Row is affiliated with The Brethren Church, a denomination headquartered in north-central Ohio. A historic “peace church,” and current member of the National Association of Evangelicals, The Brethren Church is committed to a “Relational, Missional, Sustainable, Reproducing, & Global” way of life.

We are guided by traditions and values that shape our identity as a Brethren church, but we want to apply these traditions and values in ways that fit our context.

We financially support our denomination at the local and national level, and many of our church members serve on denominational ministry teams. Smoky Row has had a particularly long tradition of helping support Camp Bethany, a north-central Ohio Summer Camp & Retreat Center, and we continue to be committed to the ministry of World Relief, an organization that The Brethren Church has long supported.

We desire to be a community marked by healthy, integrative multiculturalism. This is a prophetic commitment, which looks to the future when those “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues” give praise to God (Rev 7:9).

This commitment to a multicultural expression of the Church has led Smoky Row through many different ministries, outreach events, and gatherings, but has especially resulted in a desire to see both English and Spanish-speakers brought together into a Christ-centered community.

Our Pastor-to-Latinos, Rudy Bocanegra, serves our Spanish-speaking population and is also a guiding member of Red Pastoral De Ohio, a Latino-centered ministerial association. (La Red Pastoral de Ohio es un equipo ministerial de lideres del reino de Dios comprometidos a promover la unidad y empoderar a la pastoral de Ohio.) Many of our ministries have a multicultural component to them, and we’re actively trying to deepen this part of our life.

In the life of the Church, there are seasons of outward focus, outward expressions of God’s love, and also seasons and habits of self-care, when the Church needs to nurture and support its members. This is as true for Smoky Row as it is for any other local congregation.

We open our lives to others, seeking opportunities to provide for their care and safety, just as Christ first sought us. In the same ways that Christ still pursues us, we pursue the total well-being of one another.

As a special ministry area of Smoky Row, so many things we do fall into this category: Potlucks, Prayer Chains, Hosting Guests, providing Meals & Visitation to those who are sick or stuck at home for any reason. Little things—like birthday or anniversary cards—can make such a difference in the life of a person. We’re doing what we can to mimic the loving hospitality God has shown us, and share it with one another.

We recognize worship as a pattern of living in which our whole lives bring glory to God (Rom 12:1); yet we also use the term “worship” to refer to the many activities we engage in when we gather together. Such times together propel us forward into greater commitment to Christ.

We’re always gathering together for worship as Smoky Row, whether that’s at our weekly Worship Services, our bi-annual Threefold Communion services (a special time in which we join for a large meal, bread & cup communion, and a foot-washing service), or one of the many other times we gather especially to focus on how good God is.

Our weekly worship services on Sundays are a mixed sort of time, just like we’re a mixed group of people, and include praise band selections, hymns sung together, relevant teaching, sharing & prayer, and group readings. They’re sweet times to remember what Jesus has done for us, and energize us to keep the faith as we go out into the world after the service.

We are committed to being transformed into the likeness of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. We come under the authority of the Bible as we do this, allowing it to change our lives so that we become more like Jesus.

Becoming like Jesus—or “being conformed to the image of Christ,” as the Bible puts it—is one of the greatest calls in a Christian’s life; at Smoky Row we organize ourselves to help this transformation along. Our Adult & Youth Christian Education programs offer us tools to understand the Bible more completely and navigate the tricky things life offers us. “Life Groups”—small groups of Christians that meet in a family’s home during the week—give us an opportunity to share life with one another. We hold and host one-off learning events. All these things we do are in service to what we’re trying to be: people who are more like Jesus today than we were yesterday.

Leadership at Smoky Row is based on calling & the gifting of the Holy Spirit.

We believe that leadership should be both empowered (by God and by one another) and empowering (by equipping and releasing one another to minister). Following Jesus’ example, leaders at Smoky Row consider themselves servants of both God and the people around them.

Our congregation is largely lay-led, team-based, and egalitarian—qualities that shine through when our Governance Team gathers together. Smoky Row also operates through the difficult—but worthwhile—process of consensus when it comes to making congregational decisions. Our leaders recognize that they’re called to serve those they lead, and seek to pass on their skills to the next generation of leaders whenever they’re able.

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Our pastoral team consists of our Senior Pastor, Cory Smith, our Associate Pastor, Rudy Bocanegra, our Worship Pastor, Jeff Whiteside, Pastor Brenda Colijn, and other gifted individuals that Smoky Row has called to pastoral ministry.

We are committed to communicating the Good News of Jesus both nearby (evangelism) and farther away (mission). Such outreach focuses on meeting the real needs and the felt needs that people have.

It’s worth sharing what God has done through Jesus for the world—and, of course, it’s part of what Christians are called to do. At Smoky Row our outreach focuses on meeting the needs of those around us, in Jesus’ name and the Spirit’s power.

From the Smoky Row Food Pantry and the related school-supplies and Christmas gifts drives that we hold for our pantry clients, to regular support of Brookside Elementary students in need, or any of the many things we partner with the Sawmill Interfaith Community Care group to do, we’re committed to Needs-oriented Outreach.

We recognize our responsibility to act as stewards of all that God has given us. The ultimate goal of our stewardship is to extend God’s Kingdom (or reign) throughout creation. This commitment to stewardship extends to all areas of our lives.

We’ve been blessed with a lot at Smoky Row--time, treasure, and talents. And we’re doing what we can to steward well the things God has given us in this life. From maximizing the use we get out of our building & grounds, to making sure we’re not so busy we can’t stop to help a neighbor, we’re trying to live out our core value of Kingdom-Building Stewardship as best as we’re able.