Bishop Tim Smith will be the featured speaker at Rowan County Chamber of Commerce’s December Power in Partnership breakfast.

The focus of Smith’s address will be on growing up in Salisbury and “Vocation Versus Job.” He will speak during the Power in Partnership breakfast on Thursday, Dec. 17 at 7:30 a.m. at Trinity Oaks — 728 Klumac Road. The breakfast is sponsored by Trinity Oaks and Lutheran Services Carolinas.

Smith, a Salisbury native, was elected bishop of the North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in May 2015. Before that, Smith had been serving as senior pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in downtown Atlanta, the second largest Lutheran Church in the southeast.

In his newest role, Smith works out of the North Carolina Lutheran Synod office in Salisbury, serving 200 congregations and 80,000 people.

Smith grew up attending St. John’s Lutheran Church. He graduated from Salisbury High School. In college, Smith played went on to play junior varsity basketball under Dean Smith at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, where he was a Morehead Scholar. Smith earned a master’s degree in divinity from the highly regarded Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg in 1986 and a doctoral degree in ministry from Drew University in 1992.

Future dates for the 2016 breakfast meetings are: Jan. 21 (Marla Johnson, Artistotle; Digital Marketing); Feb. 18 (Steve Chandler, ChandlerThinks; New RoCo Brand); March 17 (Agri-business); April 21 (Health Care); and, May 19 (Dr. Jim Johnson, UNC Chapel Hill – Leadership Rowan Graduation).

If you’re interested in obtaining a Power Card, contact the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce. The card is for frequent attenders of Power in Partnership breakfast events. The Power Card provides a a discounted price for the series. It also means attendees don’t need to make regular reservations.

If you are not a Power Card holder, individual reservations are welcome. The reservation deadline is Tues., Dec. 15 by 5 p.m. The cost is $15 for members and $25 for non-members. The price includes the cost of breakfast and the program.

Contact the Chamber for information on reservations or sponsorship opportunities at 704.633.4221 or info@rowanchamber.com