Schmidt concludes role with AMBS Church Leadership Center
Published: August 11, 2026
By Annette Brill Bergstresser
ELKHART, Indiana (Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary) — Julia Schmidt, MDiv, of Goshen, Indiana, concluded her role with the Church Leadership Center of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) in Elkhart, Indiana, on July 9, 2026, after seven years of service. She is increasing her time as Co-Pastor of Faith Mennonite Church in Goshen, Indiana — a congregation of Central District Conference of Mennonite Church USA — where she has served since January 2023.
Schmidt joined AMBS in June 2019 as half-time Program Administrator for the Thriving in Ministry grant program of the Church Leadership Center, which houses the seminary’s continuing education programs. In this role, she helped create and then administered two programs to support pastors going through transitions in their lives and ministries. Titled Transition to Leadership and Ministry Reflection Circles, the programs offer guided opportunities for reflection within peer cohorts for both new and experienced pastors, respectively. In 2022, she also took on the responsibility of organizing the seminary’s annual Pastors & Leaders conference.
As a former “pastor’s kid,” Schmidt enjoyed interacting with pastors in her work and being able to create safe spaces for church leaders to engage in meaningful reflection, sharing and leadership development. Jewel Gingerich Longenecker, PhD, Doctor of Ministry Program Director and former Dean of Lifelong Learning, affirmed how Schmidt “created wholeness for others” through her collaborative leadership style, organizational skills, and careful listening to the church to understand the challenges that pastors and leaders were facing.
“Julia has always worked hard to make the most of her half-time position,” Gingerich Longenecker reflected. “She is conscientious, reliable, trustworthy and persistent. And in addition to her administrative expertise, she has brought thoughtful spiritual leadership and a lot of joy to her programs — from leading meaningful prayers and worship times, to designing eye-catching visuals, to polling the participants in her programs so that she could provide each of them with their favorite snacks!”
Joe Sawatzky, PhD, Director of the Church Leadership Center, added that he has appreciated Schmidt’s commitment to pastors, her professionalism, her sensitivity to the Spirit at work, and her warmth, kindness, humor and friendship.
“Anyone who learns to know Julia recognizes her observant love for nature and the animal world, and she has carried this same considerate attentiveness into her programs in the Church Leadership Center, thoughtfully fostering hospitable environments in which participants can share their needs and their talents with one another,” he said.
Schmidt earned a Master of Divinity with a major in Theological Studies: Peace Studies from AMBS in 2018 and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, in 2013. In high school, she also participated in the former !Explore Theological Program for High School Youth through AMBS.
Prior to beginning her MDiv studies, Schmidt worked as an Outreach Specialist for Oaklawn Psychiatric Center in Goshen. While at seminary, she advocated for immigrant justice by helping start the Elkhart–Goshen Sanctuary Coalition. She also worked half time as Immigrant Resource Coordinator for the Center for Healing and Hope in Goshen alongside her work for the Church Leadership Center (2019–22).
Located in Elkhart, Indiana, on ancestral land of the Potawatomi and Miami peoples, Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary is a learning community with an Anabaptist vision, offering theological education for learners both on campus and at a distance as well as a wide array of lifelong learning programs — all with the goal of educating followers of Jesus Christ to be leaders for God’s reconciling mission in the world. ambs.edu
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