First Baptist explores church/state separation

First Baptist guest speaker to explore church/state separation

On Sunday, June 28, the First Baptist Church welcomes the Rev. Ashley C.
Smith to their pulpit as part of the 9:30 AM worship service. Rev. Smith
will speak on the separation of church and state and the role Baptists
have played in advocating and defending this American legal tradition.

The Reverend Ashley C. Smith, a resident of Stephentown, NY, received her
B.A. from Williams College, Williamstown, Mass. in 1991 and her M.Div.
from Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, Rochester, New York in
1997. From 1997 through 2007 she served as Interim Minister and Associate
Minister at First Baptist Church, Pittsfield, Mass. and has just completed
the first year of the J.D. program at Albany Law School, Albany, New York.
She served a six-year term on the General Board of the American Baptist
Churches, U.S.A and on the Board of National Ministries, on various
Committees and Boards of the American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts,
and is a past-President of the Pittsfield Area Council of Churches.
Baptist identity, First Amendment freedoms and religious liberty are
particular passions of Rev. Smith; they have led her to participation in
the Coalition for Baptist Principles, the Roger Williams Fellowship and
the Albany Law School Civil Liberties Union.

Located at 601 Main Street, the First Baptist Church is “a place for
healing, community involvement, and spiritual grounding”. To learn more,
visit www.fbcbennington.org or call 802/442-2105. The Rev. Jerrod H.
Hugenot serves as coordinating minister.