Ernie and Anna Smith

Current Missionaries | Ernie & Anna Smith | Bill & Betsy Tarr  | Bill Brower | Frank & Chris Dewey

Ernie and Anna began their missionary service with World Gospel Mission in Burundi, Africa, in 1975. They were instrumental in opening the WGM work in Tanzania in 1984. After pastoring in California for several years, they are again answering the "Macedonian Call" from Christians in Ukraine who are requesting help in discipleship and leadership training, church planting, and religious education.

Areas of ministry include field director, church extension, development, discipleship training, lecturing in universities, teaching English as a foreign language.

Their goals are church planting, discipleship training, and evangelistic thrust into un-reached areas.

For prayer updates and letters, e-mail Anna and Ernie at ernie.smith@wgm.org. 

Ernie was born in New Mexico but raised in Florence, Arizona. After graduating from high school in May 1962, Ernie enlisted in the Air Force and trained as a flight line mechanic.

During his Christmas leave of 1962, Ernie married his high school sweetheart, Anna, and moved to Northern California.

Anna was born and raised on a farm northeast of Coolidge, Arizona. She is the second to the youngest of nine brothers and sisters. In December 1962, she married Ernie Smith and moved to Yuba City, California where he was stationed in the Air Force.

In 1964, when Anna was pregnant with their first child, they decided to start attending church which would be "good" for their family. The week after Easter in 1966, Anna found herself at an altar of prayer, accepting Christ as the Lord of her life. June 25, 1966, Ernie knelt at an altar of prayer and accepted Jesus Christ into his life. Cathy was born in June 1964 and Scott was born in January 1966.

Two years later, through the "Call To Prayer" magazine, Ernie & Anna were called to missionary service. After eight years in the Air Force, Ernie was discharged and enrolled at Vennard College. Upon graduation, the Smiths were put under appointment to Burundi, Africa.

After serving two terms in Africa, the Smith stayed home for family reasons, working in the Southwest Regional office. In 1990, Ernie left WGM to pastor a church in California.

In 1997, WGM asked Ernie and Anna to consider Ukraine as a possible ministry opportunity. After much prayer, God confirmed His will to both of them and they answered this call to return to the mission field and accepted the assignment to serve in Ukraine.