Our Leadership

Bro. Marc was born on February 6, 1969, in Apple Valley California. His father (Dr. Don Smith) worked for AAFES (Army and Air Force Exchange Service) and moved frequently with his job. 

Shortly after Bro. Smith’s birth, his dad transferred to Colorado Springs, Colorado. His childhood saw him moving to Okinawa, Japan then to Dallas, Texas and then to Munich, Germany. Most of Bro. Smith’s Junior High and High School years were spent at Munich American High School only to move again between his Junior and Senior years.

After moving to Monterey, California he would graduate high school from North Monterey County High. Shortly after graduation he followed his parents to Tucson, Arizona where he attended Pima Community College.

In 1988 he would transfer to Pensacola Christian College in Florida. It was at PCC he laid the Biblical foundation for his future in the ministry. In 1990 he accepted a management position in the restaurant industry. So, Bro. Smith would spend the next 25 years in management positions with companies such as Pizza Hut, Braum’s, Sam’s Club Warehouse and Big Lot’s.

Bro. Smith married his childhood sweetheart whom he first met at Brook Hollow Baptist Church in DeSoto, Texas for the first time in the early 70’s. He was a mere 7 years old, and she was 5. Going their separate ways in life only to meet up again. It was true love at first sight. Bro. Smith and his wife Sharla married on June 3rd, 1995. They are the proud parents of seven children, four girls Dallas, Aubree, Killeen, Addison, and three boys Tucker, Cash and Laredo.

Though working secular job is, he remained active in the local church. Sharla and he served faithfully under the ministry of Dr. Clyde Box at Brook Hollow Baptist Church in DeSoto, Texas holding positions such as junior high boys Sunday school teacher, Junior Church, bus ministry, college and career and adult singles. He would serve as head usher; church building maintenance and would be ordained as a deacon.

In 2001, Pastor Lee Payne approached Bro. Smith to come on staff of Harvest Baptist Church in Waxahachie, Texas as youth pastor. Sharla and he served faithfully for one year building a youth group from ground up to a thriving youth program running twenty plus in attendance.

In 2002 his father founded Landmark Independent Baptist Church in Corsicana, Texas. God laid it upon his and Sharla’s heart to assist his father in the founding of that church. It was under his father’s leadership and Godly wisdom that he credits his training for the ministry. 

Under his father’s leadership he would hold the positions of youth pastor, assistant pastor, and co-pastor. In 2008 he was ordained and became senior pastor of Landmark Independent Baptist Church. Over the next ten years he would work to grow the church and eventually move its location from a downtown storefront to a freestanding building on the west side of Corsicana, Texas.

On Easter Sunday 2019 Landmark Baptist church merged with Bible Baptist Church in Ennis, Texas to form Ambassador Baptist Church where he currently serves as Senior Pastor.

Bro. Taylor was saved in March of 1991 near the end of his law enforcement career. He realized that the simple prayer of 1977 was just an ABC repeat after me prayer and did not save him and was a lost church member for several years.

Bro. Taylor felt the Lord calling him to preach in February of 1994 but did not fully surrender until 1995. He started working alongside his pastor and attended his church Bible School classes until 1997 when he attended Pensacola Bible Institute in Pensacola, FL. In 2000, he moved to Norfolk, VA and worked with a church for about 6 months and then was asked to return to his local church in Pahokee, FL to help with the outreach ministry there.

Bro. Taylor then started a ministry to law enforcement and first responders in September 2000 as well as full time evangelist. He has preached in Nursing Homes, Youth Conferences, Revivals, Bible Conferences, Street Preaching as well as Pulpit Supply.

Bro. Taylor has worked with churches throughout Florida, Georgia, Arkansas, and Texas. He has also been a Youth Pastor, Asst. Pastor, a Senior Pastor, and a Admin. Pastor as well. He also is a certified chaplain and works within Crusaders Outreach Ministry as well as the local fire departments and police departments in his community.

Bro. Taylor has written fifty-five gospel tracts for first responders along with two books dealing with law enforcement. He also has three books that deals with the church, the life of a preacher and a Bible Study. He is working on his sixth book.

Bro. Taylor comes from the State of Florida. He and his wife Doris of 25 years have two grown sons. The oldest son William and his family live in Okeechobee, FL and their youngest son Roy and his family live in Searcy, AR.

Bro. Taylor also maintains our Face Book pages and all our websites. He oversees our security team and publishing ministry for our church.

Bro. Aurand is a servant of Jesus Christ, whose mission is defined by the Great Commission. He serves to see souls saved, and lives transformed by the power of the Gospel.

Bro. Aurand moved from Pennsylvania (where he grew up) to Texas in 2014. He was called to preach and surrendered his life to the Lord in 2016. 

Bro. Aurand has a degree in B.S. Biology, and is working on his Master's in Divinity, and Religious Education. 

Bro. Aurand is also a Chaplain Candidate in the Texas Army National Guard. He is glad to serve the great state of Texas and prays to make the world a better place and glorify God, by serving Him.

Bro. Aurand is married to his wife Sharon and are enjoying their new baby daughter Selah Joy.

The Smiths have been married for 57 years and have served CHRIST together for nearly 49 of those years. For 25 years they served in virtually every ‘lay-capacity’ within the Churches the LORD led them to, as his career transferred them all over the world. 

Brother Smith was saved as 13-year-old at Eastside Baptist Church, Springhill, LA In 1955. Ms. Smith thought she was saved as a young preteen also, but after not following the LORD during the early years of their marriage, GOD led them to Pikes Peak Baptist Temple, Colorado Springs, CO in 1970, where she was saved, and Brother Smith re-dedicated his life to the LORD. They have since served the LORD faithfully without interruption!

They have two adult Children. Their daughter Kim Baggett is a Missionary’s Wife; her husband Garris Baggett is a Missionary with ‘Compassionate Hope Ministries’ serving Indigenous Churches and Orphanages in Moldova and Honduras; they have one son, Josh, 31; he and his wife Helen have two boys, TJ 5 and David 2, and a daughter Lydia Jordan one year old. Their son Marc Smith is Senior Pastor of Ambassador Baptist Church, Ennis, TX a merger EASTER Sunday 2018 of Landmark Independent Baptist Church, Corsicana, TX and Bible Baptist Church, Ennis, TX; he and his wife Sharla have seven children, Dallas 29, Aubree 26, married to Phil Brown and their daughter Dillon Grace was born January 2019; Killeen 25, Addison 22, Tucker 18, Cash 15 and Laredo 13. 

Brother Smith is a former Christian businessman, working for the Department of Defense’s Army and Air Force Exchange Service, The Exchange, retiring after 35 plus years in 1995, as Vice President of Sales Support, to enter the Ministry full time; during his career he visited each of the 50 States and over 30 foreign countries, living in four States and two foreign countries. 

Combining both his business career as a layman and Ministry, he has been a Bible Teacher as mentioned for nearly 49 years. He served as a Deacon for 20 years in many the Churches GOD led them to and for six years between retiring from his business career and entering the full-time ministry, a Business College Professor. His travel with his Business Career led him to seven Churches where he trained ‘at the side’ of some of America’s faithful Pastors. Dr. Smith has two undergraduate Business degrees from the University of Maryland, MBA from University of Phoenix, and a Doctorate in Business from Louisiana Baptist University. After his Business Career, in 1995 Brother Smith joined the staff of Brook Hollow Baptist Church, Desoto, TX founded by Dr. Clyde H. Box. After serving as Assistant Pastor, starting a Christian School and various Ministries for the Church, in 2001 the LORD led him to start Landmark Independent Baptist Church, Corsicana, TX. 

For nearly a decade Brother Smith at various times was invited to preach at BEAMS Rallies raising money to send Bibles to the Mission Field. At the close of one of those Rallies in 2009 Dr. Rene Freret approached Bro. Smith and asked him to pray about joining BEAMS as a Missionary. After praying for nearly three years, while training a young man to succeed him, GOD opened the door for him to step aside as Pastor and become a BEAMS Missionary in late 2012.

The Smiths are sent out of Ambassador Baptist Church, Ennis, TX where he is Pastor Emeritus, and their son is their Pastor. BEAMS was founded itself over 47 years ago by Missionary Dr. Julian Pope. The Ministry provides whole hard back Bibles to Missionaries around the world at no cost to them. The Smith’s live in Bristol, TX about 30 miles southeast of Dallas and travel for BEAMS throughout the States of Texas, Oklahoma and other States when invited sharing their burden for this needed Ministry.