An Unlikely Evangelist
Student Hunter Smithpeters shares how he went from a nihilist to an evangelist
Hunter Smithpeters realized he had hit rock bottom when his college roommate pointed at him one evening and said emphatically, “You’re a loser!”
It was Hunter’s sophomore year at the University of Arkansas, and he had stopped going to class, choosing to spend his time smoking weed and playing video games instead. Most nights, he would end up passed out on the couch in his apartment. When his roommate provided a blunt assessment of the situation, Hunter didn’t have much to say in response.
“I remember feeling like a loser,” admits Hunter. “I had only one or two friends, and no real joy or hope in life.”
Although he had grown up in church, Hunter had given up on religion by the time he got to college. He believed it was a crutch for people who were afraid of dying. One of his few friends would “evangelize” Hunter in nihilist philosophy as they watched Rick and Morty episodes together and talked about the meaninglessness of life. Those conversations had a sobering impact on Hunter, and he vividly remembers weeping one day as he pondered the implications of atheism.
The trajectory of Hunter’s life changed when he decided to join a nine-week summer project run by a Christian ministry in Florida. Participants would spend their summer working during the day and sharing the gospel in groups of two in the evenings. It was admittedly an odd job choice for a self-described atheist, but Hunter thought it might be a good way to meet girls on the beach.
He chuckles thinking back on those first few weeks. “I would share the gospel with strangers, but I didn’t even believe it myself.”
However, as the summer wore on, his perspective began to shift, thanks in large part to the relationship he developed with his discipleship leader.
“He just kept loving and serving me, sharing the gospel with me over and over,” Hunter recalls. “He asked me the hard questions that no one had ever askedme before.”
Hunter’s leader gave him the book, The Case for a Creator, by Lee Strobel. He was surprised to find out that there were some plausible arguments for the existence of God. For the first time in his life, he realized it might be possible to be an intellectual and a Christian at the same time. Before the summer was over, Hunter was convicted that the gospel message he had been reciting over and over to strangers was, in fact, true.
“I had heard it my whole life, but I finally understood that I was a sinner separated by God and that I should follow Jesus,” he says.
When Hunter returned to school the next year, he continued sharing the gospel with anyone who might listen, even becoming a frequent visitor at the front door of the Mormon church. After graduating, he went on staff with Student Mobilization at the University of Arkansas and began developing relationships with fraternity students and discipling them.
Ultimately, Hunter’s interest in evangelism and apologetics led him to Western Seminary, where he enrolled in the MA (Biblical and Theological Studies) program. He loves studying theology and plans to continue on to a PhD when he is finished. But he hasn’t stopped looking for opportunities to share the gospel.
“One of the reasons I chose Western is because I wanted to evangelize with more progressive people,” he says.
He admits that evangelism isn’t always easy. But he has accepted that rejection is to be expected. Ultimately, we are not the ones saving people. “People in Portland can be more open, although you have to be creative at times. It can be discouraging to have people reject the gospel. But if they hear it, then it’s a win. We are just called to be faithful.”