Jeremy Smith, the lead pastor of The Experience Community Church’s (ECC) Shelbyville campus, has dedicated his life to serving both his faith and his community. Married to his wife, Kelly, for nearly 15 years, together they embrace the joys and challenges of a blended family. They have four children, a son-in-law, and a granddaughter, all of whom keep Jeremy’s schedule full and his heart even fuller. When he’s not at the church, he also enjoys growing his vinyl record collection of over 400 albums, collecting and playing Pokemon, watching football, playing disc golf, and attending concerts with Kelly.
Their journey with the ECC began in 2015 when they attended a Worship Night. Although deeply involved in another church at the time, the Smiths found themselves drawn to ECC’s mission and to the community. After attending a Vision Service in 2017, they knew God was calling their family to make ECC their spiritual home. In 2020, he joined the Ministers in Training program, and in 2021, they launched the Shelbyville campus, where he now serves as lead pastor.
Pastor Corey Trimble established ECC in Murfreesboro in 2009. It is actually one church with four different campuses. The mission of each campus is to reach the unchurched and those who have been hurt by the church, while creating an inclusive and welcoming environment. The Shelbyville campus is located inside the historic Coca-Cola bottling factory at 208 Elm St., and Jeremy is proud of the ways ECC benefits the community through expository teaching and radical generosity.
“Expository teaching is simply going through books of the Bible and teaching those books verse by verse,” he explained. “Lives are changed, and people are transformed by the word of God, not the opinions of man. We have seen that this type of teaching also grows and develops mature believers faster than topical messages.”
Jeremy’s own journey reflects this mission of transformation. Although not a native of Shelbyville, Jeremy has deep ties to the area. Born and raised in Smyrna, he spent much of his childhood in Shelbyville, where his father is from and where he has fond memories of deer hunting. He shares his testimony monthly at ECC’s “Next Class,” where he recounts his troubled youth, marked by substance abuse and a struggle to find purpose.
“I spent too much of my youth partying and under the influence of different substances. God had been radically pursuing me, trying to show me how lost and desperate I was without Him, and in 2008, I finally surrendered my life to Him and His will.”
Another pivotal moment in Jeremy’s life was meeting his wife. Her unwavering love and encouragement have been instrumental in his journey, and together, they have built a life rooted in following God.
“She has been there to encourage and support me through tough decisions. She challenges me to be a better man, husband, father, and Christ-follower.”
Jeremy challenges his church members to always be the “hands and feet of Jesus,” so each month they select a nonprofit, then they gather information about the specific needs they have. These are promoted to the congregation through what he calls their “ministry highlight.”
“Every weekend for a month we will announce and highlight this ministry to bring awareness and meet their needs. There are already many great nonprofits all around, so to us, supporting them is more fruitful than coming in and trying to start something new that already exists.”
Besides helping local nonprofits, members also volunteer within local public schools and create opportunities for the community to hear the gospel. They also host annual events such as the Kids Camp for kindergarten through fifth grade, the Fall Festival, and the Community Spring Cleanup to engage and support the community.
Jeremy is quick to acknowledge the incredible team that helps make everything happen at ECC. Sean Laberer, the development pastor; Joby Williams, the children and student director; and Emma Miller, the worship pastor, are just a few of the dedicated individuals working alongside him and his wife.
“These are their titles, but they are a part of so much more and have a huge heart to make an impact in our community. We also have an even more incredible group of volunteers,” Jeremy said. “There is absolutely no way we could operate the way we do without them. God has given us a desire to pour into this community. So many people have been very encouraging in that, and we are thankful for their support.”
