1 Tim 6:11-12, “But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” 2 Tim 4:2, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”
I am known as Marc, but more properly, I am Truman Marcus Smith, Jr. I was born in the Rio Grande Valley at San Benito, in 1953. Truman Sr., my father, worked in that area during his first years as a gospel preacher. I met and married Melodie Slater at the Crescent Park church of Christ in Odessa, Texas in 1972. I joined the Air Force that same year, serving for a time as a mil-intel analyst headquartered in San Antonio and later as a journalist writing for two service newspapers stationed in San Angelo and Austin, Texas. After being honorably discharged I worked in the Houston area for several years in industrial work and attended college on the G.I. Bill at both San Jacinto College and at the University of Houston.
After serving as a regular song leader and high school Bible class teacher for several years with the Greens Bayou church of Christ I began occasionally to preach short lessons. Even after moving to East Texas and working for T.U. Electric and as a member of the Hwy 79 church of Christ in Henderson I continued learning in preaching the gospel. After a number of years accumulated under the tutelage of several preachers and their influence like, Luther Blackmon as a teen, Robert L. MacDonald, Bill Crews, many others too, and of course, my own father I began to preach full time in the fall of 1982.
I have been in the Waco area since 1991 preaching for the Sun Valley Blvd. church of Christ. The church here continues to grow and stand for the truth through thick and thin and is made up of very dedicated people who view one another as not just a spiritual family but those of “like precious faith.” I have been a potter and sculptor since 1985 and maintain a studio in my home where my wife also enjoys this hobby. As opportunity allows, I like to shoot quail and dove, target shoot with both rifle and pistol, like to fish when they are biting, and dig fossils in the Central Texas area, collecting and categorizing them. One of my great joys are walks in the country observing and appreciating God’s Creation in its great variety and splendor.
Following a long time interest I did research in England on the history of the church of Christ there before 1800AD and preached for the church that meets in Cambridge. In January of 2010 I also took part in an ongoing teaching effort with Joe Price and Dan Torres in Bangalore, South India teaching preachers coming out of institutionalism for the better part of a month.