Articles by David E. Smith
SpeakOut Illinois 2023 Conference
By David E. Smith   |   01.10.23
SpeakOut Illinois will be hosting its annual conference and memorial to the victims of legalized abortion on Saturday, February 25, 2023 at Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace.
Tyrannical Sex-Education Mandate for K-12th Grade
By David E. Smith   |   01.09.23
In late May of 2021, the Illinois General Assembly jammed through SB 818, a bill to require so-called "comprehensive sex-education" to be taught in public schools, starting in kindergarten through 12th grade. It was signed by Governor JB Pritzker and became law on August 20, 2021, despite the hue and cry of parents and grandparents throughout the state. Public schools that taught health and safety classes would have to now teach left-wing sexuality classes to our impressionable young students.
Help IFI Shine Brightly in 2023!
By David E. Smith   |   12.27.22
Looking back on 2022, I am deeply humbled by the amazing support that has helped us make progress toward our goals. We also treasure the encouragement you give us regularly. This year has passed quickly, and it is hard to believe that we have a few days left on 2022's calendar.
2022 End-of-Year Matching Challenge
By David E. Smith   |   12.07.22
We are extremely pleased to announce the 2022 end-of-year matching challenge! In an effort to help us raise $260,000 by the end of this month, several generous benefactors have offered to match donations to IFI up to $130,000! So between now and the end of the year, you can double the impact of your giving!
Dr. Carl Trueman: Transgenderism and Expressive Individualism
By David E. Smith   |   11.20.22
Pastor Derek Buikema asks professor, theologian, and author Dr. Carl Trueman to explain a bit about “expressive individualism,” the subject of Dr. Trueman’s important book The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution.
Dr. Carl Trueman: Transgenderism and Children
By David E. Smith   |   11.20.22
In another brief excerpt from IFI’s interview with Dr. Carl Trueman, author of two books that touch on “trans”-cultic beliefs including Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution, Pastor Derek Buikema asks about the responsibility of Christians in regard to the harm being done to children by “trans”-cultic beliefs.
Defending Religious Liberty
By David E. Smith   |   11.19.22
How does Illinois compare to Oklahoma and Florida in protecting religious liberty? Do we have weak or strong protections for health-care workers, the ability of religious organizations to refuse participation in marriage and weddings that violate religious beliefs, and exemptions to childhood immunization requirements. What are the states with the best safeguards of free exercise in the nation?
Dr. Carl Trueman: When Should a Christian Fight and When Should They Leave?
By David E. Smith   |   11.15.22
In this excerpt from IFI’s interview with professor, theologian, and author Dr. Carl Trueman, Pastor Derek Buikema asks what should determine whether Christians stay or leave a church (or denomination) that appears to be moving away from orthodoxy.
Dr. Carl Trueman: Why Has the Church Affirmed Sin Before the World?
By David E. Smith   |   11.10.22
In this excerpt from IFI’s interview with Professor Carl Trueman, author of The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, Pastor Derek Buikema’s asks why, “in some places mainline Christianity” has come to affirm sin. Dr. Trueman identifies two factors as integral to this apostasy: freedom of religion and the church’s “vocabulary of love.”
Prayers for Election Day
By David E. Smith   |   11.05.22
We know you have likely been reminded multiple times over the past several weeks of the importance of this election and your participation in our government "of the people, by the people and for the people." Thank you for your patience with these repetitive messages! Soon, the opportunity to vote in this election will be over. The messaging will stop. The decisions will have been made.
Does Your Vote Matter?
By David E. Smith   |   10.22.22
Please don’t let the troubling news of voter fraud lull you into inactivity in this election. Your vote, our votes, absolutely matter! This is especially true in an election cycle in which we are expecting a pendulum swing and have...
Dr. Carl Trueman: How Is Preaching Theology Wrong?
By David E. Smith   |   10.03.22
In this fifth excerpt from Pastor Derek Buikema’s interview with Dr. Carl Trueman for Illinois Family Institute, Dr. Trueman touches on a serious problem with contemporary preaching that reflects both a “consumerist” mindset and the ideology of “expressive individualism.”
The 2022 General Election Voter Guide is Here!
By David E. Smith   |   09.24.22
While the November 8h General Election is less than 45 days away, early voting will begin next Thursday, September 29th. As in every election cycle, this election is critical for Illinois as well as for the nation, and it is crucial that your voice is heard. We cannot emphasize strongly enough how important it is to exercise our civic duty to vote and be good stewards of God’s amazing gift of self-government.
Dr. Carl Trueman: How Have Evangelicals Given in to Expressive Individualism?
By David E. Smith   |   09.22.22
In his interview with Dr. Carl Trueman for Illinois Family Institute, Pastor Derek Buikema asked how Christians may be inadvertently capitulating to “expressive individualism.”
40 Days for Life: Praying for God’s Intervention
By David E. Smith   |   09.12.22
Sometimes the smallest gesture can make a huge difference in a person’s life. A welcoming smile, a phone call, or an encouraging note received at an opportune moment has the power to turn despair into hope. This fall, just one hour of prayer could make a life-changing, life-saving difference in not one but two lives.
David E. Smith
Executive Director
David  E. Smith

Dave Smith is the executive director of Illinois Family Institute (501c3) and Illinois Family Action (501c4).

David has 30 years of experience in public policy and grass-roots activism that includes countless interviews for numerous radio, television, cable programs and newspaper articles on topics such as the sanctity of life, natural marriage, broadcast decency, sex education, marijuana, gambling, abortion, homosexuality, tax policy, drug decriminalization and pornography.

He and his wife of 29 years are blessed to be the parents of eight children. They strongly believe that their first duty before God is to disciple their children in the Christian faith, and impress a love of God on their hearts. There is a plethora of research that suggest that parents are the primary influencers in a child’s life. In an ideal world, that’s a mom and dad. Discipleship includes not only studying God’s Word but living a life of faith and walking in obedience to God. Discipleship is also necessary for sound doctrine, love of God and others. We do this in hopes of raising healthy and productive members of society who live to honor God and love their neighbors.

Dave has also served as a precinct committeeman and served as an ordained minister/elder in his local church.

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