About Schmidt

Imagine the scene: the Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) meeting in Curt Russell's hospital room at 9:00 am on a Friday morning, nurses coming in and out, meal orders being taken, the phone ringing frequently. (Why none of us had to be at work is a whole other article!) The purpose of the meeting was to review our visit to see John Schmidt preach at his home church and to determine if our picture of him as a candidate was complete. None of us could have expected that the decision to hire our next Senior Pastor would have been made in a hospital room, but it was! By an unanimous vote, (we made sure Curt put up his uninjured hand so that it was a clear vote and we called Mary Lou, who was also hospitalized, to get her vote) the PNC agreed that it was the will of God to offer the position to John Schmidt. I'm not sure what the nurses thought about the cheering, the jumping up and down, and the happiness exuding from Curt's room, but it is a moment we'll never forget.

So who is John Schmidt and why him?

One of the first things you learn about John is that he has a wonderful wife and family. John has been married to Debbie for 27 years and they have two children. Sarah (23) is studying at Regent Seminary in Vancouver and Jonathan (20) is in his second year at Louisiana State University (LSU). Debbie has written several Bible study guides. The guide she wrote this year, Unnamed but not Unknown, has been recommended by the Network of Presbyterian Women in Leadership, a ministry of Presbyterians for Renewal.

John is currently studying for his Doctor of Ministry degree at Gordon-Conwell, where he also earned his Master of Divinity degree. He is studying in the area "Advancing the Church," which focuses on Leadership Development, Ecclesiology, and managing transition and conflict. These are all areas in which we felt a candidate had to have a firm understanding and practical ministry experience.

John brings 25 years experience in full-time lay and ordained pastoral ministry with him to Central. For the past 5 years he has been the Senior Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian Church, Baton Rouge (FPCBR). First Presbyterian has 1800 members, with about 900 attending worship regularly. Prior to his current position, he served as missionary to Japan for ten years. He also served with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship from 1979-1987. This combination of campus ministry experience, missionary experience, and large church experience made John a unique candidate.

As we spent more time with John, we came to learn more about him and his vision of ministry and the call of God in his life. We began to sense that he might be the one that God had been preparing for us. As we reviewed the job description it became even more apparent that John is uniquely gifted for the position of Senior Pastor at Central.

WE WERE LOOKING FOR A CANDIDATE:

• With a passion for Jesus. John became a Christian during his second year at LSU, through the ministry of Campus Crusade. He writes, "My encounter with Jesus Christ radically changed my values, and almost immediately I found myself being led to pursue some kind of full time ministry. My goal is to walk with God dependently and uprightly, 'thus being an instrument useful to the Master, prepared to do any good work.'" John's life and ministry demonstrate a deep commitment to Christ and a passion for making Christ known.
• With gifts in preaching and teaching. Throughout his ministry, John has used his preaching and teaching gifts to open the Word of God for many different audiences. From speaking at Regional Conferences while working with InterVarsity, preaching in Japanese as a missionary in Japan, to preaching periodically throughout the year at FPCBR, God has used John's passion for preaching and teaching in a variety of settings.
• Who was committed to prayer. When John came to FPCBR there was only one well established prayer meeting, staff did not pray together, nor did Session. God led him to others who shared the burden for a deeper commitment to prayer and through their combined efforts 7 new prayer ministries have begun, including Wall of Prayer, which engages 100 people in prayer weekly, a monthly Renewal Prayer meeting, and weekly Session Prayer. Staff and Session also pray regularly. In his application, John wrote, "At a time when life is fractured, discipleship is a holistic calling that affects our personal lives, our families, the workplace, and our response to the crises and injustices of our world. We are called to live a new life, and that life should be discernibly different than the culture around us, morally sound as defined by God's Word, and flooded with compassion for the needs of people experiencing the pain of poverty, racism, homelessness, and disease. The needs of God's world must always be in focus. None of this is possible apart from the work of God the Holy Spirit. Therefore earnest prayer must be a central part of ministry, as we wait upon God, who alone can equip us to serve His Kingdom."
• With the gift of leadership and could provide spiritual leadership. On college campuses, on the mission field, and within a church context, John has excelled in developing ministries. God has gifted John to see needs that are going unmet, to develop vision around meeting those needs, and with the skills to bring others along side, create effective ministries that address those needs. It is a pattern that has been repeated throughout his ministry experience. He has often had the role of casting new visions of how ministry can be further developed or improved.
• Who could lead and plan our three worship services. FPCBR, like Central, has three services on Sunday, each with a different style and different focus group. Whoever is preaching on a given week preaches at all three services, so John will feel quite at home at Central. John expresses equal enthusiasm for traditional, contemplative, and contemporary worship.
• Who could serve as head of staff. John is the Senior Associate of a staff team of 3 Associate Pastors, 6 additional program staff, and 12 support staff. A number of those staff report to him year round, and when the Senior Pastor is away, he handles the leadership of the whole staff and Session and does most of the preaching. These periods of senior leadership have been for up to 2 months at a time.
• Who would provide for pastoral care and congregational counseling. When John came to FPCBR there was a dormant Stephen Ministry. John received Stephen Leader Training and began to train new classes of Stephen Ministers, as well as to recruit, and supervise new Stephen Leaders. The Stephen Ministry continues to perform well. John is experienced with and fully supports the "care team" model of deaconate ministry.

As you can see, John Schmidt's giftedness and experience match well with what we were looking for. The PNC believes, without reservation, that John has been particularly shaped and gifted by God to equip the staff and laity at Central for release into powerful ministry. We also believe that Central has been prepared in a special way by God for John's ministry amongst us.

You, the congregation, are the last step in the process. You are invited to come hear John preach at any of the three services on July 13th. Following the third service, a Congregational Meeting will be held at which active members will be asked to vote to approve the call of John Schmidt as Senior Pastor.

Please pray for John and Debbie as they work through all the details that would be involved in a move from Louisiana to Maryland. Pray also for July 13th. It promises to be another significant milestone in the life of Central. Come be a part of it!

See also:

• Biography and Ministry Experience of John Schmidt
• Seeking: Senior Pastor, Central Presbyterian Church
• CPC Church Information Form, February 2001 (CIF)
• NV: Voting News Flash