Matt Smith
He went on to college at the University of California Santa Barbara and joined the crew team. He excelled and upon graduation moved promptly to the east coast to pursue a newfound dream of representing the United States at the 2004 Olympic games. At twenty-two years old Matt, still not a Christian, was the head coach of Brandeis University Crew Team and a full time Olympic hopeful. This caused him to regularly be in New York City whereupon he met his wife Rebecca.
About six years later he is married with two beautiful little girls (looks like he got his way…God’s way) and now works as an elite personal trainer in La Jolla. About five years earlier, which is one year later than the last story, Matt had an experience walking to get Chinese food for his fiancée in the snow of Boston. Praying to God as he walked, he was moved to ask God how he could serve God with his whole life. The words actually were something like: “God I want so desperately to wake everybody up and I want to fight for You at all costs, what do I do?”
While at seminary Matt decided to take a youth pastor position at the First Baptist Church of Clairemont where he grew the youth group into a not so young youth group and eventually began an evening contemporary service called Barabbas Road. The intention was to be as blunt and biblical as possible and see what God does. What God did was to begin a new church in La Jolla California geared towards reaching the intellectual skeptics of the community.
Today Pastor Matt is proud to pastor a church that is boldly challenging the false faith of the unbelieving world with the only Way, Truth, and Life. Located in one of the best spots in La jolla CA Matt and Barabbas Road Church are busy making disciple-making disciples through the personal investment of their lives.
