Liberty County Sheriff Bobby Rader’s “Employee of the Month” Selection Committee has given the nod to one of the most active volunteers in the agencies “Family Assistance Unit” to receive this well-deserved honor for the month of September. Chaplain Kenneth Smith, Pastor of the Faith Tabernacle church was selected from several other Sheriff’s personnel who were also nominated. His volunteer time and interaction with not only the personnel of the agency but the community is a calling that is recognized by so many as being “above and beyond the call of duty”.
Chaplain Smith has been a Pastor since his days at the Texas Bible College in 1989 and has recently completed courses in the International Conference of Police Chaplains ( ICPC) as well as the Concern Citizens of Police (COP) courses with a combined 1,500 hours of training in his chosen field. He now serves as one of six Sheriff’s Chaplains and is on call 24/7 when needed at a crime scene or disaster in order to assist families who may be in need of spiritual guidance and support. He speaks with pride about his wife and son and the fact that his son is the Co-Pastor at his Church. Chaplain Smith was also quick to proudly say that he has three Grand Children and that fishing is one of their favorite family hobbies when it can be worked into his very busy schedule.
The words of Chaplain Smith’s office co-workers can probably describe him best when those that nominated him said,“…he is the type person who always has a positive attitude and always puts others first. He is of the personality that he give a lot of “pats-on-the-back” to those he works with, and for, in the community. Chaplain Smith donates so much of his volunteer time to help others. He has a calming effect when he arrives on the scene of a tragedy while he consoles, counsels and most importantly prays for those that are hurting as well as his prayers for the safety and well-being of our deputies to get home safely. This man not only preaches the word of God, he will preach the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office to anyone that will listen….”.
An example of these actions were shown just this week when Chaplain Smith was doing a “ride along” with one of the Sheriff’s Deputies and he was the first Pastor to meet with the grieving family members of the young man killed in a plane crash in the Trinity River. Chaplain Smith consoled the family on the dark banks of the river that night while he contacted the family Priest to come to the scene and assist the family.
When ask about his own outlook on being selected Employee of the Month , Chaplain Smith true to his personality, said he is humbled by the honor but he feels it should have gone to one of the deputies who put their lives on the line each day and night and who he has personally seen handling situations that many members of our society would have run from in fear. He is a strong advocate for a new facility for the Sheriff’s Office, better equipment and higher pay as he sees now, what he didn’t see prior to joining the Sheriff’s Office. The Chaplain also said these issues as well as an increase in manpower needs to be addressed and are needed badly to handle the steady increase in calls for service as the county population grows daily.
This needed additional manpower is one reason Chaplain Smith gave for his plans to attend the upcoming Police Academy and becoming a Reserve Deputy so he can help supplement the ranks of the full time deputies.
In order to accomplish this task with all of his other responsibilities he has with his church, he was quick to add that he wants to thank his Faith Tabernacle church members for the support and love they have shown him in this effort and credits them for making him what he now is for not only the community that he serves but the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office as well.
It is clear that Chaplain Kenneth Smith stands tall in the eyes of his church members and the Sheriff’s Office and it is for these reasons that we ask the public to join us in saluting Chaplain Smith as the Sheriff’s Office “Employee of the Month” for September.
