9 6 0 , ▁he ▁married ▁Frances ▁Pitts , ▁whom ▁he ▁had ▁met ▁at ▁T alla de ga . ▁Smith ▁received ▁his ▁first ▁sem inary ▁degree ▁at ▁Hart ford ▁The ological ▁Sem inary ▁in ▁Connecticut ▁that ▁same ▁year , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 , ▁he ▁earned ▁a ▁Doctor ▁of ▁Ministry ▁in ▁Soci ology ▁and ▁Religion ▁at ▁E den ▁The ological ▁Sem inary ▁in ▁Missouri . ▁His ▁dis sert ation ▁focused ▁on ▁relations ▁between ▁black ▁and ▁Jewish ▁college ▁students . ▁ ▁Past or ates ▁and ▁civil ▁rights ▁activ ism ▁ ▁After ▁gradu ating ▁from ▁college ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 7 , ▁Smith ▁introduced ▁Andrew ▁Young ▁and ▁Martin ▁Luther ▁King , ▁Jr . ▁to ▁each ▁other ▁and ▁hosted ▁the ▁two ▁speak ers ▁at ▁ 1 ½ ▁day ▁T alla de ga ▁event ▁spons ored ▁by ▁Al pha ▁Ph i ▁Al pha , ▁the ▁black ▁men ' s ▁frat ern ity ▁of ▁which ▁all ▁three ▁were ▁members . ▁Smith ▁became ▁a ▁follow er ▁of ▁both ▁men ▁and ▁counts ▁Young ▁as ▁a ▁significant ▁ment or ▁in ▁his ▁life . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁Smith ▁became ▁the ▁second ▁black ▁man ▁ord ained ▁in ▁the ▁Evangel ical ▁and ▁Re formed ▁Church ▁( now ▁the ▁United ▁Church ▁of ▁Christ ). ▁After ▁prov ing ▁himself ▁to ▁a ▁con greg ation ▁of ▁white , ▁mostly ▁German - spe aking ▁imm igr ants , ▁he ▁was ▁called ▁to ▁lead ▁their ▁church , ▁S alem ▁United ▁Church ▁of ▁Christ ▁in ▁Buff alo , ▁New ▁York .