Pastor Candice’s story is a poignant reflection of God’s grace, mercy, and miraculous emotional and physical healing. Candice has been healed of Chrone’s disease, and emotional swings of anxiety, and depression, as well as low self-esteem. She lost her father at the age of nine from a sudden heart attack, and was heartbroken for many years. After her dad’s death, she could not forgive God for the loss of her father. For years Candice carried bitterness and resentment in her heart towards God. This in effect prevented her from receiving God’s love and the love of others. This unforgiveness and pain led her down many paths of destruction before finding the love and freedom she so desired in Christ.

When Pastor Adam was on deployment in the US Navy, God met Candice during a severe bout with depression and anxiety. Regardless of the fact that no medical doctors could find anything wrong with Candice physically, she was without hope and in despair. One night before crying herself to sleep she cried out to the Lord for a healing saying, “If you can hear me, Lord, and you are there. I can’t get myself out of this one, please help me.” And God in his mercy and love reached down and touched Candice in her sleep. The next morning she awoke with NO PAIN at all in her heart or spirit. She was free. This set her on a journey of finding out who Jesus really was and why he cared for her individually. No longer was He a BIG God that only cared for big things, He was now personal and attentive. She was diagnosed with Chrone’s disease and upon this healing she was tested, and it was discovered that she had no traces of Chrone’s disease any longer.

At the age of 28, God began to work in Candice’s heart to call her into a Christian counseling ministry. She accepted the call at about the time her first child was born. After a few years of having children, she then committed to ministry and entered a formal education curriculum in Christian counseling. Candice successfully completed her Masters of Arts in Human Relations/Christian Counseling at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. She is presently working on her doctorate in Counseling from LIberty University. She also has her Masters in Theology from the International College of Excellence in Tinley Park, Illinois.

Candice is an ordained minister of Christ! The Great Shepherd Ministerial Fellowship in Tyler, Texas. She co-pastors Freedom Destiny Center in Grayslake, Illinois, with her husband, Pastor Adam Smithyman. She is Vice President of Candice Smithyman Ministries, Inc. a radio and television ministry. She is also Founder of Dream Mentors, Int'l, a mentoring organization which counsels, trains, and teaches the body of Christ in how to follow after the will of God and go for your dreams, purpose and destiny.  She loves to train and disciple leaders in their walk with Christ.

She has appeared on the Paula White Today show, TBN local affiliates in Texas, and the Total Living Network's Significant LIving program. She was the host of the Get Real Connection radio show which aired in 7 states. She was also the host of Coffee Break with Candice heard daily on WYLL AM 1160 in Chicago. She is the author of the newly released (May 2006) book, His Sufficiency for my Authenticity:8 Keys to Authentic Relationship with God and Others. In addition, she is an adjunct professor at a variety of universities in Jacksonville Florida, where Pastor Adam and Candice call home.

She and Pastor Adam are the proud parents of three children, Alexandria, Samantha, & Nicholas.

Candice wants the world to know that God is alive, and He heals the brokenhearted mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. She wants to encourage you to seek His heart too, as He is no respector of persons (Acts 10:34) and will be faithful to you!

If you would like Candice to speak at your church please contact her at 847-687-9449. For more information on CS Ministries, log on to www.cs-ministries.org