The Rev. Ralph Smith is celebrating his 35th year at Liberty Baptist Church in the Pine Swamp community. In all, Smith, a resident of Ashe County, has served for 41 years as a minister at two Baptist churches in Alleghany County.

Smith celebrates 35 years as pastor at Liberty Baptist

At two or three years of age, Ralph Smith remembers standing on a chicken coop, "preaching" by slinging his arms about. Little did he know then that as he grew, he would became a pastor. This year, he celebrates 35 years as pastor of Liberty Baptist Church and 41 years as a pastor in Alleghany.

Smith explained, "The reason I've been here as long as I have is the church has really opened their arms of love and compassion towards me and showed their love to me and been like a family. There've been many wonderful experiences. There've been challenges and there've been struggles, but the joys outweighed it all."

Through the Years as Pastor

Smith then reiterated, "There are good tales, bad tales, sad times and good times and exciting moments in life, but as I said, the joy outweighs all the circumstances of life and the battles and the troubles that we face."

Then, he shared various experiences he had while pastoring in Alleghany County over the last 40-plus years.

When Smith's son Daniel was 12 years old, the two encountered bad weather as they traveled from their home in Ashe and reached the top of Jane Taylor Mountain. At the time, Smith was pastor at Chestnut Grove Baptist Church and was coming into Alleghany to visit with church members. "We got on top of the mountain and all of the sudden, it turned slick, the whole car slid. We got out and we couldn't walk the road."

After the accident, the two slowly made their way to the home of Johnny and Lena Hamm, whose house was a short distance from the damaged car.

"I knocked at the door that night. I didn't really care about myself, but Daniel was 12 years old and his britches were froze to his legs because he was cold so bad. Ms. Hamm came to door. I never will forget, she took us in, fixed me some coffee and got him some pie. We waited there for a couple hours before some of the others at the other church over at Chestnut Grove where I was a pastor came and helped get me back home. It's an experience I never will forget. The Lord has really blessed me."

That same year, Smith had been working 12-hour shifts in a security position and driving to church in a tired state on Sunday mornings. One morning, Smith and son Daniel had crossed the county line and reached Pine Fork Baptist Church when Daniel, who had begged to drive, was given his opportunity.

"When I got to Pine Fork, I knew I was gone," remembers Smith. "For the safety of him, it didn't matter about me, but him and people on the highway, I said, 'Son, here it is.' He got behind the wheel and drove me to church and drove me all the way back home."

Sharing what Smith deemed as one of the funniest moments while at Liberty Baptist, Smith commented, "(One) Sunday when a storm was coming, I could see it coming in lightning.