Obituary: God tamed a ‘terrible wild man’, and turned him into a life-long preacher

Mike and Jean Smith.

Obituary

Michael Cornelius Smith, Christian Pastor, 1936 - 2023

When a wild Englishman named Mike Smith was jailed for his latest drunken pub fight in Sydney in the early 1960s, he had no idea he would soon be miraculously changed.

The feisty young man went on to preach the Christian gospel in those same Sydney neighbourhoods, as well as Newcastle, Sri Lanka, the Sunshine Coast, and anywhere else his feet took him – the result of a miraculous conversion that always filled him with awe.

Mike grew up in Liverpool, England, one of 11 children in a dysfunctional family, a heavy weekend drinker, and self-confessed wild man.

“I was a rough individual… why the Lord ever chose me I will never know, but he did,” he said just days before his passing. 

Despite his small stature, Mike became a champion cyclist. It gave him a sense of freedom, mateship, and escape from his troubled family. He also sang with a local band.

A huge life change occurred when he hitchhiked to Australia, including stowing away on a ship in India, before being captured and subsequently jailed.

“They put us in the ship’s brig… when we landed, two policemen came on board, handcuffed us, took us straight to court, straight to the old Freemantle Jail.”

A printer by trade, Mike eventually landed a job at the Sydney Morning Herald. It was here where he was given a Bible.

“I started reading it,” he revealed. “I found it interesting, this man called Jesus… First of all, I stopped drinking and I thought, ‘This is strange’. I had a foul mouth, and suddenly I realised I was no longer swearing.”

He converted to Christianity.

“I’d go to bed every night, and every night my pillow was wet with tears, I saw what I was - a dirty, filthy and proud individual - and he died for me, I couldn’t get over it.”

The very next week, Mike began gospel meetings at The Domain in Sydney. He wrote, printed and distributed more than 100,000 tracts, doorknocked and preached. He pioneered churches.

In 1976, at 40, he was arrested in Newcastle for street preaching without a permit. He pleaded guilty but avoided jail when a parishioner paid his fine.

The case made the front page of The Daily Mirror.

“I am determined not to allow this stupid man-made law hinder the message of Christ,” Mike was quoted as saying.

Two years later, he met his future wife, Jean. They married in November 1978.

On a visit to Sri Lanka, Mike was struck by the poverty and the need for the Gospel. He began preaching there annually, for the next 25 years.

At 80, his formal ministry ended and he semi-retired at the couple’s then home in Bli Bli.

In January 2021, Mike suffered a stroke, but his mind remained sharp. He spent much of his time in prayer and reading his Bible, and always remained prepared to share the Gospel.

Mike suffered a heart attack at his Burnside home and passed away on Friday, April 28. He was 87.

His final message: “Thank you to all the dear friends we have known…. We will meet again, when the trumpet sounds, and those in Christ will rise to meet the Lord in the air. Until that great day, keep the faith, run the race, be strong in His power and win the Victor’s crown. God bless you all.”

For the full-length story: https://tinyurl.com/3u5b5rw5