John Alec Schmitt

Rev. John A. Schmitt lived in the South Central Kansas area his entire life. He was born to Jake E. and Wara J. Schmitt, Wichita, Kansas, December 18, 1948. During his childhood, he was active in scouting and received the Eagle Scout Award. After attending schools in Wichita, he received a General Education Degree at WSU and a Masters of Divinity, with honors, at Saint Paul School of Theology, Leawood, Kansas. He began as a youth minister in 1976 at First United Methodist Church in Mulvane, Kansas, it was at this time that he started his seminary education, graduating in 1981, and became an ordained United Methodist local pastor. During seminary, John served the Welda/Colony UMCs as a student pastor. After seminary, his first appointment was the Gypsum/Kip Parish. During his pastoral years, he served the following churches: Conway Springs/Milton UMC, Peabody UMC, Garden City UMC, Kingman UMC, Clearwater UMC, and Ellinwood/ Salem UMCs. After 35 years in the ministry, John’s health took a turn for the worse. He stopped preaching in 2011, due to health issues, and in 2016, he went to be with God. John and I married in 1988 while he was serving Conway Springs/ Milton UMCs. I brought a 4-year-old daughter, Mindy, to the marriage and in 1991 we had a son, Jake. We now have two grandchildren, Gavin and Haley; John really loved being a grandpa. He loved to write about God and His love for His people. John’s passion was helping the underserved, those who did not know the living Christ. He authored many bible studies for his local churches. His one passion was to write and publish a book that would help the world find salvation through God’s love. During the five years after preaching, John spent enormous amounts of time researching and writing on his book. Actually, he started this book many times throughout his ministry. He struggled with it for many years, and then one day it all fell into place. He knew God was urging him to write and finish this book. Unfortunately, he went to his Heavenly home before his book was published. After his death, I read his book, it took me about a year and a half to read it, it read just as if he was talking to me and this was painful for me. When I finished reading the book I sent the file to some of his close friends and one of his seminary professors. They encouraged me to publish his book. I wanted to honor his life, his love of God Almighty, and I decided it needed to be published. His book has the answers people are searching for at this time in the world. He felt the necessity for today’s generation to understand the many sources of chaos and how faith in God and Jesus Christ brings us to redemption and salvation. Redemption is that focus where our particular lens of hope is able to bring light to darkness.

This book is his gift to the world.