John David Smith is passionate about the missionary mandate. Influenced by church planting parents and with a love for church multiplication, he has been in ministry since 1987.

He and his family served as missionaries to Cape Verde Islands (West Africa) from 1992 to 2004. Three years after his time there, John David was named Assistant to the Director of BMA Global and began leading the missions degree program at Central Baptist College, today serving as associate professor. In 2010, he became the Executive Director of BMA Global with its more than 500 missionaries in over 70 countries.

John David and his wife Kim have two sons, Josiah (Baylee) and Seth. He enjoys sports, aviation, biking, and scuba diving. He is a cancer survivor, speaks three languages, and has helped fly a small airplane across the Atlantic.