Michael W Smith's Children Share His Faith & They Gave Him 17 Grandchildren (2024)

Michael W. Smith's children witnessed their father's faith in God and now share it with their spouses. While some dedicated their lives to forms of church ministry, the rest of the siblings inherited their father's flair for artistry and used it to create works of devotion.

While following his calling as a writer and vocalist of the Gospel has been of utmost importance, there is nothing Michael W. Smith values more than his family. The musician learned how to foster and care for his relationships with his wife, Deborah "Debbie" Davis, and his children by watching how his father did it with grace.

Michael and Deborah have been married for over four decades and welcomed five children into their union, including Whitney, Emily, Ryan, Tyler, and Anna. They are a tightly bonded family of four generations that congregates weekly at the Smith family farm to spend "quality and quantity time" for fun and God.

Family Comes First for Michael W. Smith, in Addition to Faith

Michael and Deborah dated only for three weeks before they got engaged. In 1981, after only four months of being engaged, the couple tied the knot and began their decades-long union. Michael was born to former minor-league baseball player Paul Smith and his mother, Barbara.

Paul and Barbara raised Michael alongside his sister, Kimberly. The couple left a lasting impression on their children and grandchildren, as they witnessed how they remained in love and the best of friends well into old age. They also taught them the significance of serving a community.

To their great-grandchildren, Paul and Barbara are known as Granddaddy and Mimi. However, the great-grandfather of over a dozen great-grandchildren now has dementia, which marks a bittersweet emotional experience for Michael.

Although the rest of his family thrived, Paul's health condition still carried considerable weight for Michael. Nonetheless, the singer's appreciation for life remained untainted, and it grew all the more for Paul. Michael reflected on the lessons he learned from watching his father and broke them down into six main principles.

As he listed them, Michael said the first one was about balancing quality time and its quantity, as this was "crucial" for "growing in love and influence." The second was about purely engaging in the interests of loved ones, especially children, to create unique and personalized moments.

Michael believed the second principle would lead to kids inviting their parents into their worlds and would foster "continually deepening bonds." The third principle was about being and staying present in whatever the kids wished to do – like Cece Winans and Wyatt – whether reading or playing outside.

As the "Sovereign" artist explained the fourth, which was about prioritizing one's marriage, he recalled watching how his parents remained affectionate as they held hands when walking together and always kissed goodbye. Once again, he felt it set a good example for his children.

The fifth principle was about how "expressing love through Christ." Michael believed it was the best way to be remembered, and as one of his children attested, they felt that Paul and Barbara had achieved that. Finally, the last principle was about staying strong and active in prayer.

Although Michael led a busy career, prioritizing his children was at the top of his list. As Ryan recalled, Michael would fly home after a concert and arrive at midnight to take Ryan and his siblings to school the following day.

Ryan also saw his dad as a "source of joy" for his grandchildren. They constantly flocked to and played with him. As a result of the relationship he shared with them, Michael is known as "G-daddy" among his grandkids, a nickname he gladly goes by.

He also stays true to his principles by creating personalized moments with them, such as recording music with granddaughter Audrey or playing T-ball with Whitaker. Michael's Instagram brimmed with photos of his adventures with his grandkids and sentimental posts about his adult children, all of whom live close by with their spouses.

Whitney Has Dedicated Her Life to the Church

Whitney is a lead pastor alongside her husband, Jack Mooring, at the Celebration of Life church in the Nashville branch. Although her Instagram is private, Whitney's bio revealed her children's names, including Smith, Kate, Anthony, Gabriel, Owen, and "2 sweet babies in heaven."

Her husband is part of the band Leeland, named after Jack's younger brother. Leeland was writing songs with Michael when Whitney and Jack first met. She is also the eldest of Michael's daughters, and her dad dedicated the song "She Walks With Me" to her from his "This Is Your Time" album.

Emily Smith Married a Church Minister

Emily Allison Smith – now Emily Hanco*ck – recently celebrated her tenth anniversary with her husband, Samuel Jay Hanco*ck, on September 9. Samuel Jay is a Worship Minister at Northside Christian Church, and the couple shares a daughter named Norah.

Norah turned eight on March 29 this year, and her mom dedicated a touching tribute to her daughter alongside a picture of the youngster enjoying a soft drink from a sippy cup. Norah also smiled up at whoever was taking the photo.

Ryan Whitaker Smith Works in the Film Industry

Ryan is a writer and filmmaker whose work centers around his Christian faith. Last year, he released the film "The Jesus Music," and this year, he released another titled "Surprised by Oxford." Next year in January, Ryan is set to publish the book "Endless Grace."

It will be available as an e-book and a hardcover. Regarding his personal life, Ryan has been married to Patti Palermo Smith for 16 years. The couple has four children whose names are currently unknown.

Tyler Smith Has Composed Music for Many Movies and TV Series

Tyler showed his artistic talents from a young age, as he began learning to play the piano at five. He mastered his craft and began composing music in his dad's studio. Tyler has also scored for films such as 2012's "After," numerous commercials and short films.

Tyler Smith, Michael W. Smith and family are photographed as they attend the '90 Minutes In Heaven' Atlanta premiere at Fox Theater on September 1, 2015, in Atlanta | Source: Getty Images

He is married to Sara Salvak Smith and has been for ten years. The couple has three children, who regularly appear on the composer's Instagram page. They have a shared faith in God, and Tyler described his wife as his best friend whose heart is big and wells with love for her family.

Anna Smith Is the Most Private of All of Michael's Children

Not much is known about Anna, except that she's married. Her social page is private, but she does appear on her dad's Instagram page from time to time, who affectionately refers to her as "Annabean."

Like her sister Whitney, Anna also has a song dedicated to her in Michael's album "This Is Your Time." The track was titled after her, and Michael was inspired to write the song after watching Anna dance in her ballerina costume while he played the piano.