My name is Douglas McArthur Smith. I was born on March 25, 1942, to the parents of Jack and Lucille Lockhart Smith, in a small coal-mining town located at Roseann, Virginia in Buchanan County. My father named me after the great general Douglas McArthur. I am the oldest of eight siblings. I can remember at the age of 7, on Easter Sunday morning, my mother had bought me my first suit of clothes and a tie. While she was getting me dressed, the radio was on and a preacher was preaching his Easter Sunday message. So, as I was listening to him, I got in front of a mirror and pretended to preach like him. I was so proud of my little suit and tie that I felt like I was a preacher too. I grew up never dreaming that one day God would call me into the ministry. I also remember at the age of 7 going outside to play with my little brother and we found a dead cat in the yard. I got a shoebox, put the cat in and dug it a grave, buried it, then preached its funeral. Fast forward to the age of 18, I went into the army and joined the 82nd airborne division. I served three years. Later on, I was honorably discharged and I returned home, at that time to Logan County, West Virginia. I got a job in the coal mining industry where I spent 40 years, 20 as a general miner and the last 20 as a federal coalmine inspector working for the department of labor, from which I am now retired.
There are many things I could write about myself that I will not put in this narrative. The most important thing is, I was born again in a coalmine after Satan had put me through a terrible week, which made me realize that I needed God in my life. I was in a remote area of the mine by myself and I saw a butt end of a timber that had been cut off. The timber was about 14 inches long and I stood it on its end to make myself an altar. I knelt down and called on the name of the Lord. He heard me and saved my soul. I was born again, there in that coal mine on February 13, 1972 and baptized February 20, 1972. On January 27, 1974, God called me to preach the gospel. Since that time, I have served the Lord by grace through faith. During the time of my ministry, I have kept the outlines of the messages that have been inspired to me by the Holy Spirit in small 5 inch by 3 1/2 inch spiral notebooks. I got together with my wife and my sister and decided I wanted to put my outlines in a book form so that I could share them with the public, as well as busy ministers, pastors, evangelist and teachers. This is my hope and prayer that they may use them to inspire others to serve and worship the almighty God.
In closing, I stand ready to meet my saviour the Lord Jesus Christ at the resurrection of his next coming.
A special thank you to everyone who may read this book and may God richly bless you giving him all the glory forever and ever.
Evangelist, Douglas McArthur Smith
