New Pastor Takes the Helm at St. Paul Lutheran Church

Pastor David Schmidt seems quite happy in his new role as leader of St. Paul Church Lutheran Church in downtown Royal Oak.

"I think we are off to a great start as pastor and congregation," said Schmidt, whose installation service was on May 19.

St. Paul is a staple spiritual community in Royal Oak with a Christian school and many charitable programs. Schmidt comes from St. John's Lutheran, a congregation in Waltz, where he was the assistant pastor for 8 years.

"While I miss the people in Waltz, I love being in Royal Oak," said Schmidt about the position. "Pastor (Jeremy) Schultz left me a healthy church and I can just ride his wave for a while."

During his first year at St. Paul, Schmidt doesn't have plans to make major changes.

"I just want to learn and listen to people's ideas," he said. "I am not a dictator. We're a team. I am here to encourage the things they are already doing. I'm just a fresh set of eyes."

That doesn't mean Schmidt doesn't have ideas and thoughts. He does. But for now he just wants to spend some time getting to know his 900 members and the approximately 100 students at the school.

"I am here to equip the members to be able to be disciples and show them how the word of God matters to their lives," he said.

Schmidt and wife Jennifer are also taking time to explore the community. With the parsonage smack dab in the middle of downtown, the couple is slowly adjusting to the sound of trains, motorcycles and fire trucks but they enjoy being able to walk to restaurants, movies, concerts and shops, he said.

He tells the story of how the couple had family members staying at the parsonage and they wanted to rent a movie so Jennifer looked for a Redbox location.

"She looked online and there is one at Kroger, which is three miles away, and she said that was too far. Everyone had to laugh because when we lived in Waltz we would have to drive to Ann Arbor if we wanted to see a movie. That's how quickly we've gotten used to walking everywhere!"

Kidding aside, St. Paul is committed to downtown, Schmidt said. The congregation has had opportunities to leave but chose to stay.

"We have had many offers for our parking lot, but we want to keep that Main Street frontage," he said. "And we try to be a good neighbor."

Schmidt is looking forward to Arts, Beats & Eats this summer. You may see him at the Labor Day weekend festival with a pair of gloves helping guests sort through the recyclable pieces. The festival gives a portion of the returnable proceeds to the church.

For more information on St. Paul Lutheran Church and service times go to www.worshipdowntown.org.

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