1850
"On motion an opportunity was now given to any who might wish to become Candidates for the holy Ministry whereupon Bros. G. W. Davidson, M. H. Jackson, J. R. Smotherman & B. F. Foster came forward an gave a relation of their experimental acquaintance with religion & of their internal call to the work of the Ministry & the Presbytery having testimonials of their being in the communion of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church & in good favour of their good moral character the Presbytery did receive said brethren under her care as candidates for the holy ministry & assigned them the following texts ... Bro. J. R. Smotherman Romans 5c & 1st v.
[Source: Minutes of the Elk Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 4 October 1850]

1854
J. R. Smotherman, Fostersville, Tenn.
Minister - Elk Presbytery - Columbia Synod
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1854, page 87]

1857
J. R. Smotherman - Middleton, Tenn.
Minister - Elk Presbytery - Columbia Synod
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1857, page 67]

1858
J. R. Smotherman - Middleton, Tenn.
Minister - Elk Presbytery - Columbia Synod
Commissioner to General Assembly in Huntsville, Alabama, May 20-28, 1858.
He served on the Committee on the Minutes of East Tennessee Synod.
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1858, pages 4, 8 & 81]

SMOTHERMAN, J. R.--The son of William and E. (Dean) Smotherman, was born in Rutherford co., Tenn., in 1826.

He made a profession of religion in 1850, and joined Elk Presbytery the same fall; he immediately commenced exercising in public by way of prayer and exhortation. Such were his gifts that twelve months afterwards he was licensed and appointed to a circuit and travelled about twelve months in supplying destitute churches with the means of grace. He as then called to supply Liberty and Union Congregations monthly with preaching, at which time he was ordained by Elk Presbytery in 1853. He continued to preach to those churches until his death, which took place at his residence, near Middleton, Tenn., Dec. 19, 1860, of Typhoid Fever. He married Miss N. Holden, who with four children survives him.

Rev. G. P. Hastings, of Middleton, Tenn., writes as follows:--"He was a good preacher; those who knew him best loved him most; he was faithful in attending the judicatories of the church; his speeches and counsels in Presbytery were generally short and pointed; indeed, but few surpassed him, taking in consideration his chances, as he was without means or education, and encumbered with a family even before he professed religion. No brother possessed a greater missionary spirit than he did. Knowing him and his circumstances so well I have sometimes almost thought he gave too liberally, but 'the Lord loveth the cheerful giver.'"
[Source: The Presbyterian Historical Almanac and Annual Remembrancer of the Church, by Joseph M. Wilson , vol. 3-4, 1861-1862, page 285]