Ernie Schmidt, Senior Pastor

Pastor Schmidt received the Lord Jesus as his Lord and Savior during his teen years. Upon graduation from high school, he attended Pillsbury Baptist Bible College. After finishing his studies at Pillsbury, he served as pastor of a church while he studied for his Master of Divinity degree at Central Baptist Seminary in Minneapolis, which he completed in 1971. In 1996 he received his Doctor of Ministry degree from Central. He is currently working on another Doctor of Ministry degree in preaching at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

Pastor Schmidt has served as a pastor for over 19 years in Minnesota, Montana, Alaska, and Iowa. He taught for 18 years at Pillsbury Baptist Bible College in Owatonna, Minnesota and Northland Baptist Bible College in Dunbar, Wisconsin. He also served for three years as an adjunct professor at Central Baptist Theological Seminary.

Pastor Schmidt is currently the Dean and Chairman of Pastoral Studies at Faith Baptist Theological Seminary in Ankeny, Iowa. He is a frequent conference speaker and annually leads trips to the Bible lands.

Pastor Schmidt's wife, Gen, is the Administrative Assistant to the President of Faith. The Schmidt's have two children: John, who works for UPS, and his wife Stacy live in Owatonna, Minnesota and Cynthia, who with her husband David Mumford, is a missionary in France. They have five grandchildren and one on the way.

Joe Earle, Associate Pastor

At the age of five Pastor Earle trusted Christ as his personal Savior through the faithful witness of his older sister and was baptized a few years later at Liberty Baptist Church in Dike, IA. Upon graduating High School at Grundy Center, IA he entered college at the University of Northern Iowa and in May of 2003 he received a B.A. in political science. After college the Lord redirected his life and led him to Faith Baptist Seminary where he will graduate with a Master of Divinity in May of 2008.

This is Joe's first ministry as a pastor and his primary roles are leading the outreach and evangelism efforts, discipleship, teaching, and administrative duties.

Pastor Earle recently married his wife Amy in August of 2007 and they currently live in northwest Ankeny. Amy is employed by Wells Fargo Home Mortgage in West Des Moines.