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Jami
Smith Knows The Sweetest and Truest Companion
Worship
artist Jami Smith first became involved in music ministry while attending
Oklahoma Baptist University. During her sophomore year, the campus minister
asked her to be a part of the worship team to help plan the worship services on
campus.
“I
reluctantly accepted the call because our meetings were at 7:30 in the
morning,” laughs Jami. “After a lot of donuts and Coke we began to plan how
we could get students on our campus involved in discovering the joy of adoring
the Lord through song and prayer… I learned a great deal from that
experience.”
In
the years to follow Jami watched her campus embrace corporate contemporary
worship. She also worked for the Baptist Sunday Board the summers of ’92,
’93, and ’94 for its Centrifuge program. According to Jami, Centrifuge
allowed her to “learn worship leading by experience.”
By
graduation in the spring of ’93, Jami was certain that God was calling her
into full-time worship ministry. But, she wasn’t sure of how her parents would
take the news. “After all, they had just paid for my entire college
education,” she explains. “My concern was that they would want me to get
‘a real job’.” But, God had already prepared the way.
With
her parents’ blessing, Jami hit the road. By that point, word about the young
artist was spreading and invitations from retreats, churches and campuses were
flooding in.
“I
remember the excitement in going to new places and in meeting new people,”
said Jami. “However, it was very difficult to be such a loner and I struggled
with always being in a different place with different people constantly. I
longed for some security and a strong community of Christian friends.”
“With
hindsight, I realize that God was teaching me things that were eventually going
to strengthen my relationship with Him,” she continues, “I will never forget
all that I learned in those first 2-3 years. God brought me through to a better
understanding of what He was and is calling me to do. I am still learning. He
taught me that He is my sweetest company and my truest companion. What a good
lesson! He also blessed me with new friends who challenged me both spiritually
and musically. I thank God for those times.”
Jami
continued touring, leading worship for a variety of churches and ministries
including Student Life, Awe-Star, WMU, Hot Hearts, Super Summer, Youth
Ministers’ Conclave, Youth Evangelism Conferences, Fellowship of Christian
Athletes, Passion and Baptist Student Ministries. She also traveled to Germany,
Russia, Turkey, and Africa.
In
between travel and worship concerts, Jami recorded six independent CDs before
singing with modern worship label Vertical Music in 1999. That same year, she
released a self-titled debut that garnered critical acclaim for her powerhouse
vocals and simple, passionate lyrics. In 2001, Jami returned to her alma mater,
Oklahoma Baptist University, where she recorded a live worship album titled “Home”
which broadened her listening audience.
“I
want to show students the love of God,” says Jami of her ministry. “I want
to help them realize He is our creator and He has made us to be worshipers. We
get so confused… we often worship everything and everyone else. I have found
satisfaction for my soul in worshipping God. It is better than life! I pray that
God will raise up a generation of obedient Christ imitators and worshipers.”
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