Draft:Judah Smith

‘’‘Judah Smith’’’ (born c. 1978) is an American evangelical pastor and author. He is the lead communicator and a member of the leadership team of Churchome, a nondenominational Christian church formerly known as The City Church, which he leads with his wife, Chelsea Smith."About Churchome". Churchome. Retrieved August 3, 2026.Kestenbaum, Sam (January 2, 2026). "The Hypepriest Riding the Bieber Wave". New York. Retrieved August 3, 2026.

Smith is the author of several books about Christianity, including ‘‘Jesus Is: Find a New Way to Be Human’’, which appeared on ‘’The New York Times Best Seller list’’ in 2013.Carrigan, Henry (April 21, 2015). "Filling in the Blanks: PW Talks with Judah Smith". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved August 3, 2026. He has received wider public attention through his pastoral relationship with singer Justin Bieber, as well as appearances on recordings by Bieber and Lana Del Rey.Baron, Zach (April 13, 2021). "The Redemption of Justin Bieber". GQ. Retrieved August 3, 2026.

Early life and family

Smith was born in Portland, Oregon, to pastors Wendell and Gini Smith. He grew up in a family with several generations of Christian ministers.Swann, Jennifer (November 6, 2019). "Will Worship for Likes". Marie Claire. Retrieved August 3, 2026. During the 1980s, his family travelled as part of an itinerant ministry, and Smith began appearing at ministry events as a child.

The family moved to the Seattle area when Smith was 13. Wendell and Gini Smith founded The City Church in 1992, initially with a congregation of 21 people. By the time of Wendell Smith’s death in 2010, the church had approximately 6,000 weekly attendees across six Seattle-area campuses.Tu, Janet I. (December 21, 2010). "Pastor Wendell Smith, City Church founder, dies". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 3, 2026.

Smith married Chelsea Smith in 1999.

Ministry

The City Church and Churchome

Judah and Chelsea Smith led The City Church’s youth ministry for approximately ten years before being appointed co-lead pastors in 2009. Wendell Smith, who had been diagnosed with cancer in 2004, died on December 19, 2010, at the age of 60.

In 2014, Smith began holding Bible-study meetings in private homes in the Hollywood Hills. Attendance grew, and the meetings subsequently moved to rented venues in the Los Angeles area. In 2017, the church began holding services at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills and changed its name from The City Church to Churchome. Chelsea Smith said the new name reflected the congregation’s expansion beyond a single city.

Churchome introduced a mobile application in November 2018. The application offered streamed sermons, prayer requests, community discussion and donation functions. The church further emphasized digital services during the COVID-19 pandemic. A 2026 profile in ‘‘New York’’ reported that Churchome said its weekly reach had more than quadrupled by the end of 2020.

In October 2022, the Smiths moved from the titles of lead pastors to positions on Churchome’s leadership team. Churchome identifies Judah Smith as its lead communicator and Chelsea Smith as its lead theologian.

Celebrity ministry

Smith’s relationship with Justin Bieber began through Bieber’s mother, Pattie Mallette. Mallette heard Smith preach at a Christian conference in Toronto in 1999 and later invited Judah and Chelsea Smith to attend one of Bieber’s concerts in Washington in 2010.

Bieber has said that Smith remained in his life during his adolescence and later helped him understand his Christian faith. Bieber told ‘‘GQ’’ that Smith had placed their personal relationship ahead of seeking anything from him and that he was drawn to the stability of the Smith family.

Smith officiated Bieber’s 2019 wedding to Hailey Baldwin. He also appeared on Bieber’s 2021 Christian-themed EP ‘’Freedom’’, including on the tracks “Where You Go I Follow” and “Where Do I Fit In”.Aniftos, Rania (April 4, 2021). "Justin Bieber Surprise Releases 'Freedom' EP". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2026. Smith and Churchome staff member Wes Halliburton later wrote a spoken sermon included on Bieber’s 2025 album ‘’Swag II’’.

In 2023, Lana Del Rey included “Judah Smith Interlude”, a recording of part of one of Smith’s sermons, on her album ‘’Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd’’.Monteil, Abby (March 27, 2023). "Lana Del Rey Included a Megachurch Pastor's Sermon on Her Album and Fans Are Divided". Them. Retrieved August 3, 2026.

Writing

Smith’s book ‘‘Jesus Is: Find a New Way to Be Human’’ was published by Thomas Nelson in 2013. ‘‘Publishers Weekly’’ reported that it entered ‘‘The New York Times’’ Best Seller list two weeks after publication.

He followed it with ‘‘Life Is: God’s Illogical Love Will Change Your Existence’’ in 2015 and ‘‘How’s Your Soul?: Why Everything That Matters Starts with the Inside You’’ in 2016."Life Is _____". Thomas Nelson. March 3, 2015. Retrieved August 3, 2026."How's Your Soul?". Thomas Nelson. November 15, 2016. Retrieved August 3, 2026.

In 2025, Smith and psychologist Les Parrott published ‘‘Bad Thoughts: A Preacher and a Shrink’s Guide to Reclaiming Your Mind and Soul’’."Bad Thoughts: A Preacher and a Shrink's Guide to Reclaiming Your Mind and Soul". Publishers Weekly. May 8, 2025. Retrieved August 3, 2026.

Theology and public positions

Smith’s preaching generally emphasizes divine grace, forgiveness and acceptance. A 2026 ‘‘New York’’ profile described his theology as placing less emphasis on moral performance and more on salvation through grace.

A 2005 ‘’Seattle Post-Intelligencer’’ profile, quoted by ‘‘Marie Claire’’ in 2019, reported that Smith opposed abortion and described homosexuality as sinful. When asked about the earlier comments in 2019, Smith said that he had grown significantly during the intervening years and would not agree with the approach he had taken as a younger pastor.

During the same interview, Judah and Chelsea Smith said Churchome welcomed people regardless of their beliefs or backgrounds. When asked whether Churchome would permit an openly gay person to serve as a pastor, they spoke generally about welcoming and loving all people but did not give a direct answer.

Employee tithing lawsuit

In March 2023, Churchome employee Rachel Kellogg filed a proposed class action lawsuit in King County Superior Court against Churchome, Judah and Chelsea Smith, and other church leaders. The complaint alleged that Churchome required employees to contribute ten percent of their gross wages to the church and that Kellogg had been disciplined after she stopped making the contributions because of financial difficulties."Lawsuit: Celebrity-friendly church required workers to tithe". Associated Press. March 30, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2026.Greenstone, Scott (March 28, 2023). "Seattle-area megachurch and pastor Judah Smith sued for allegedly forcing staff to donate". KNKX. Retrieved August 3, 2026.

According to the complaint, Smith told employees during a 2020 staff meeting that people had previously been dismissed for failing to tithe. Kellogg alleged that she later received a written reprimand after her supervisors determined that she had stopped donating.Williams, Jonny (April 17, 2023). "Lawsuit: Pastor Judah Smith Expects Staff to Leave a 'Money Trail'". Christianity Today. Retrieved August 3, 2026.

Churchome denied that its policy was unlawful. The church said tithing had long been included in its employee handbook and argued that the First Amendment protected a religious organization’s right to employ people who followed its teachings.

The lawsuit was subsequently settled outside court. The amount and other terms of the settlement were not publicly disclosed.

Personal life

Smith and his wife, Chelsea, have three children.

Selected bibliography

• ‘‘Jesus Is: Find a New Way to Be Human’’ (Thomas Nelson, 2013)
• ‘‘Jesus Is: Discovering Who He Is Changes Who You Are’’, student edition (Thomas Nelson, 2014)
• ‘‘Life Is: God’s Illogical Love Will Change Your Existence’’ (Thomas Nelson, 2015)
• ‘‘How’s Your Soul?: Why Everything That Matters Starts with the Inside You’’ (Thomas Nelson, 2016)
• ‘‘Bad Thoughts: A Preacher and a Shrink’s Guide to Reclaiming Your Mind and Soul’’ (with Les Parrott, Zondervan, 2025)

External links

• Churchome leadership page

Category:Living people Category:1970s births Category:21st-century American clergy Category:21st-century American non-fiction writers Category:American Christian writers Category:American evangelicals Category:American male non-fiction writers