God called David to submit to Christ's call to serve Him as a willing and eager disciple three weeks into his freshman year at college. David received a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Michigan State University in 1991. He served as a Russian, and later a Serbian, translator, in the Army from 1992 to 2000. He met his wife Kathy, who was teaching first grade in Phoenix, while he was stationed at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. David left the military to study at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, where he received a Master's of Divinity in 2004. After a year-long internship at Bethel, OPC, in Wheaton, Illinois, David accepted the call to the work of evangelist at Providence, OPC, Bradenton, in June, 2005.

David and Kathy have been blessed with three children. Rachel was born in Rosenheim, Germany, where David was stationed, in 1998, while Caleb was born in Philadelphia during the Smiley's time at Westminster, in 2002. Hannah was born in Bradenton in 2008.

David was ordained in January, 2006. Providence, OPC, Bradenton, was organized as a particular OPC congregation on April 14, 2006. David has served on the Home Missions Committee of the Presbytery of the South since the fall of 2007.

David and Kathy enjoy walks on the beach, and David enjoys being able to play tennis and golf year-round. David, Kathy and their children also enjoy learning the Reformed heritage of the many grandparents and great-grandparents who worship at Providence during their spending the winter months in the Bradenton area.