About Smithville Brethren Church
We Live, We Love,
We Serve
One of the most important decisions you make is what church to make your home. God wants us to have a community of believers we can share our lives with and a place to use the special gifts and talents He has given us. We recognize there are a number of fine churches near you to choose from, so you may be asking yourself, "Is Smithville Brethren Church right for me?"
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This website contains information about our church, but please recognize you cannot adequately get to know a church from one visit either in person or online, so we invite you to regularly return to discover if SBC is right for you.
Our Beliefs
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We believe there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
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We believe that God the Father is the sovereign creator of all things.
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We believe in the full deity and humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His sacrifice on our behalf, in His bodily resurrection, and in His approaching personal return in power and glory.
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We believe the Holy Spirit convicts people of sin, leads them to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, indwells all believers, empowers believers to live godly lives, and gives gifts for the ministry of the church.
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We believe we are saved by God's grace, apart from human works, that this grace makes possible our response of repentance and faith in the death and resurrection of Christ, and that our faith should bear fruit in lives of committed and loving service.
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We believe the Bible to be the inspired, only infallible, authoritative written word of God, and our sufficient rule for both faith and practice.
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We believe that Christians are called to active participation in the local body of believers, and that all believers are united by the Holy Spirit in a spiritual body of which Christ is the Head.
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We believe in the resurrection and judgment of both the saved and the lost. The saved will enter into eternal life in God's presence, while the lost will be condemned to enteral separation from God.
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We are a member of the Brethren denomination
headquartered in Ashland, Ohio.
Our Staff
Senior Pastor
Art Carr
Pastor Art Carr has been on staff at Smithville Brethren since 1998. Art is a graduate of The Ohio State University as well as Ashland Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Jennifer, have 3 children. When Art is not teaching, leading, and pastoring, he enjoys hunting, wood working, metal working, and playing soccer.
Church Administrator
Wendy Kaufman
Wendy officially started her new position on June 1st. She and her husband, John, have been members since 1992 and have two adult daughters, Bethany and Alyssa. Wendy brings with her a wealth of skills and valuable work/volunteer experience which lend themselves perfectly to this newly-created position. She is very excited to work shoulder to shoulder with our pastors, staff, and church family to grow God’s kingdom. In her spare time, Wendy enjoys walking/hiking, thrift shopping, and crafting.
Associate Pastor
Scott A. Fetter
Pastor Scott has been the Associate Pastor of Children and Youth since January 2019. A graduate of Grace College and Grace Theological Seminary, Scott enjoys good coffee, books, and conversations. He and his wife, Wendy, have four boys and one future daughter-in-law.
Minister of Music
Ted Peplowski
Ted has been worship leader of the contemporary service and plays the trumpet or helps out in any capacity as needed at the traditional services since 2013. He loves his church family. Ted enjoys working out, all Cleveland sports teams, and practicing piano, voice, and trumpet. Ted and his wife Nancy have 2 older boys, a daughter in college, and an adorable golden retriever.