This week on The Filling Station podcast, Mary Ann LeRay welcomes Sheri Smith from Triune Holiness Church for a warm conversation about faith, service, and community partnership.
Their story begins in 2018, when Hurricane Florence brought neighbors together in a season of urgent need. What started as relief support became an ongoing partnership between Triune Holiness Church and The Filling Station—one rooted in serving, showing up, and staying involved.
Sheri reflects on her six-year tenure as a charter board member and two-term board secretary. She describes board service as one of the most meaningful experiences of her life—“like college without tests and homework”—because of the learning, leadership growth, and relationships formed along the way. She also points to an important step the board took: bringing in Armstrong & McGuire for consulting and strategic training. In Sheri’s view, that investment helped build a stronger foundation and prepare the organization for long-term sustainability and leadership transitions.
The conversation expands to Triune Holiness Church’s own growth and community outreach—building a new sanctuary and hosting large events such as women’s conferences and concerts that draw people from surrounding communities.
Sheri also shares her role with Journey of Hope (CarolinaEast Foundation’s cancer support fund), where she serves as community outreach coordinator and office manager. As a two-time cancer survivor, she explains why this work is especially close to her heart—and how personal experience can become a pathway to supporting others.
The episode closes with encouragement: Sheri challenges other churches and community members to partner with local nonprofits, emphasizing the mutual blessing of having a place to serve and a trusted resource to refer people who need help.
