Who We Are >> Our Staff >> Rev. Ray Smithee

Director of Music & Organist

Rev. Ray Smithee is the Director of Music and Organist at First Presbyterian Church, a position he has held since January 2005.

Prior to coming to First Presbyterian, Ray served two suburban St. Louis churches: as Associate Pastor for Administration and Organist at Kirkwood Baptist Church in Kirkwood, Missouri and as Minister of Music and Finance at Overland Baptist Church in Overland, Missouri.  While in seminary he served as Associate Minister of Music and Organist at East Meadows Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas. 

Ray earned his Master in Music Ministry from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.  His Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance is from the University of Missouri at St. Louis from where he graduated summa cum laude.  He also earned an MBA and a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

Ray is a certified Church Business Administrator, having completed course work and a project through the National Association of Church Business Administrators.

In 2010, Ray founded the Greenwood Chorale, a community based choir that presents two programs per year. He is active in the American Guild of Organists and has served as Dean and Sub-Dean for the Oxford-University of Mississippi Chapter. In Greenwood, he has previously served as the President of Matinee Musicale, the local federated music club.

Ray is married to Allison and they have one daughter.