Oswald Jeffrey Smith (November 8, 1889 – January 25, 1986) was a Canadian pastor, author, and missions advocate.
Smith attended the Toronto Bible Training School, the Manitoba Presbyterian College in Winnipeg, and the McCormick Seminary in Chicago.
Because of his early dedication to spreading the gospel, Smith offered himself several times for missionary service but his frail health prevented his acceptance.
[4] In 1908 he visited the lumber camps, the scattered settlements and Indian villages in the far interior of British Columbia (B.C.)
The hardships he encountered gave him a deep compassion for missionaries and this appreciation showed in his lifelong understanding of their difficulties.
During the summer of 1913 he ministered as a home missionary in Cawood, Kentucky where "God saw fit to give him many souls."
He was gaining confidence as a speaker; he had spoken at numerous youth meetings and during his Chicago years had served effectively as student pastor in two different Presbyterian churches.
Oswald J. Smith and Daisy Billings were married on September 12, 1916, at Dale Presbyterian Church where she was a deaconess and he the assistant pastor.
[4] Smith said "intercessory prayer is not only the highest form of Christian service, but also the hardest kind of work."
Several buildings and locations followed as his vision of an interdenominational church dedicated to missions and worship developed.
In 1930 the then Toronto Gospel Tabernacle was located at 42 Gerrard Street East in the former St. James Square Presbyterian Church.
One of the results of his visit to the Baltic countries was the establishment of a Bible School in Riga for the express purpose of training local missionaries.
While leading his expanding congregation in a program supporting over 500 workers worldwide, Smith was instrumental in challenging others to follow his example.
He himself read and was influenced by many prominent Protestants: Wesley, Luther, Spurgeon, Moody, Finney, and Brainerd, the "man of prayer."
These books, such as "Passion for Souls," "The Man God Uses," and "The Enduement of Power" have changed lives and encouraged thousands of readers.
Billy Graham said, "His books have been used of the Holy Spirit to sear into the very depths of my soul and have had a tremendous influence on my personal life."
"[4] Music always played a major role in Smith's ministry and the continuing program of The Peoples Church.
One of Smith's first moves when starting a new work was to have a capable music director so that a choir and orchestra would balance the program of evangelistic preaching.