About Us

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Rodger and Lynne Schmidt have learned that Experiencing God is more than good Bible study material; they know He invites all His children to "experience Him" by joining Him in His work. And since they have joined Him in the work He is doing in Mozambique their lives have taken on new excitement.

Lynne grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. Her loving Christian parents always made sure she attended church. At age 15 she accepted Christ as her Savior. From that moment, she wanted to serve God in an extraordinary way.

Rodger's parents pastored two Missouri churches during most of his growing-up years.  Under his parents tutelage he thoroughly learned the stories and truths of the Bible. The greatest evidence of his conversion at age 11, he believes, is the way the Holy Spirit continues to convict him of sin and direct his life. Like Lynne, he wanted his life to count greatly for God.

Both Rodger and Lynne attended Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri. In 1986 Rodger graduated with a degree in music education, looking ahead to a fruitful career in music ministry. He took a position as worship pastor of a Denver church, never thinking God might lead him in another direction. Overseas ministry was far from his thoughts.

Lynne, however, had been profoundly moved by BBC's Mission Emphasis Week speakers during her freshman year. She had wholeheartedly offered her life to God for overseas service and changed her major to cross-cultural missions, assuming she would serve as a single missionary. A missions trip to the Philippines enlarged her vision. But, in her senior year she came back into contact with an old friend, Rodger Schmidt. Both felt God was bringing them together.

By this time Rodger had moved to Morristown, New Jersey, to serve in a new church plant. Lynne joined him, and they were married in April 1991. Did Rodger know of Lynne's desire to be a missionary? Yes, she had told him years before, when she first knew him. Now she prayed that if her longing to serve God overseas were truly from Him, he would bring it to pass or redirect her. She never brought it up to Rodger again.

Looking back, it amazes Lynne how God answered her prayers. During their first year of marriage, both husband and wife sensed God wanted them to do something different in ministry. They began praying that God would lead them to a seminary that would broaden, refocus, and challenge them. They picked Denver Seminary. And then, Rodger took a three-week mission trip to East Africa to visit his sister serving in Tanzania. God used that time of ministering to nationals to break Rodger's heart for Africa and change his career focus to Africa missions. Rodger graduated in May 2001 with a master of divinity degree in intercultural mission.

Two sons, Andrew and Stephen, were born to the Schmidts in Denver. To pay bills, Rodger took a job with Merrill Lynch, ultimately serving them as a professional trainer. Later he served as pastor of student ministries at their sending church, Galilee Baptist Church in Denver.  Lynne worked in children's and youth ministries.

In January 2001 CBlnternational (now WorldVenture) appointed the Schmidts to Mozambique. In Mozambique they will help establish a Center for Leadership Development and partner with nationals in planting churches. As their future goal, they are contemplating an outreach to the Makua people of northern Mozambique-one of the world's largest unreached people groups.

For comments or revision contact dtarvin@att.net 
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