Guided by faith
At 16, Shauntae Smith gave her first sermon, “It’s Time to Be Pure” — a challenge to her generation “to take a claim and be honest that our lives have meaning and purpose.” But to get to that podium, with that message, Smith endured adversity that might’ve otherwise hardened her. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., to a single mother who died when she was 7, Smith was raised by her grandparents. Her grandmother was a pastor, and as Smith grew up, she saw firsthand the behind-the-scenes activities of running a church. “I became involved in all roles of the church,” recalled Smith, “without knowing it was preparation for my vocational aspirations.” But one thing always nagged at Smith, and, at the age of 15, “God answered one of my silent prayers, which was to have a mom and dad,” she said. While switching churches, Smith reacquainted herself with its married co-pastors, one of whom had...