Pastor Paul Schwartzkopf spent his lifetime serving others, beginning with his college years at Purdue University, then as a Peace Corps volunteer helping build bridges and culverts in Tanzania in the mid-1960s, then as a Lutheran minister. He began his ministry with the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church, but early in his ministry the church experienced a major upheaval that resulted in the Missouri Synod splitting. He aligned himself with the more liberal faction, which took the name of Seminex in the early 1970s. That group eventually joined with two other Lutheran synods to create the Evangelical Lutheran Church in American (ELCA) in 1988. He finally retired from the ministry in 2017.
Interview Links
Feature Excerpt
Bus Ride in Tanzania
Abstract
Interview Session 01 (Audio)
Early life in Columbus, Indiana and Lutheran upbringing
Interview Session 02 (Audio)
College years at Purdue University and arrival in Tanzania
Interview Session 03 (Audio)
Peace Corps experiences building bridges in Tanzania
Interview Session 04 (Audio)
Years in Concordia (Springfield) Seminary, 1966-1970
Interview Session 05 (Audio)
Early ministry in North Chicago, 1970-1973 in Missouri Synod & Seminex
Interview Session 06 (Audio)
Ministry at Peace Lutheran in Lauderdale, MN, 1973-1976 & church conflict
Interview Session 07 (Audio)
Church conflict, Seminex, and ministry in Florissant, MO in AELC
Interview Session 08 (Audio)
Mt. Tabor Lutheran and merger of ALC, LCA & AELC synods, 1984-89
Interview Session 09 (Audio)
St. Mark’s in Olathe, KS, hiatus from and return to ministry, 1989-1999
Interview Session 10 (Audio)
Ministry at Christ Church, Quincy thru 2009 and interim ministries
Photos
Caption
This 1922 cartoon, Descent of the Modernists by E. J. Pace, appeared in William Jennings Bryan’s 1924 book “Seven Questions in Dispute,” and illustrates the debate going on within the Missouri Synod church at the time Schwartzkopf was in the seminary.
Where:
William Jennings Bryan’s 1924 book “Seven Questions in Dispute"
When:
1922
Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.
Caption
The family of Robert and Minnie Schwartzkopf, circa 1950. The children from left to right are George, Roy, Lynn, Lois and young Paul between his parents.
Where:
Unknown
When:
Circa 1950
Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.
Caption
Paul at baseball practice while attending Columbus, Indiana High School in the spring of 1959. At the time, he still hoped to pitch in the major leagues someday.
Where:
Columbus, Indiana
When:
1959
Ownership:
This image is considered to be in the public domain.
Caption
A seventy foot bridge over a tributary to the Great Ruaha River, west of Iringa in south-central Tanzania. It was built by Peace Corps volunteer Paul and employees of the Department of Communication and Works in 1965.
Where:
Iringa in south-central Tanzania
When:
1965
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Paul and employees of the Tanzania Department of Communications and Works share some downtime at their tent camp on a tributary to the Great Ruaha River in 1966.
Where:
Great Ruaha River , Tanzania
When:
1966
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
The tent camp where Peace Corps volunteer Paul Schwartzkopf and employees of Tanzania Department of Communication and Works lived in 1966 during construction of an eighty-foot bridge on road from Iringa to the Great Ruaha River.
Where:
Tanzania
When:
1966
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Paul and Ann’s wedding celebration at Trinity Lutheran Church in Elkhart, Indiana. They were married shortly after Paul returned from Africa in 1966.
Where:
Elkhart, Indiana
When:
1966
Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.
Caption
Paul was preaching at Chapel of the Cross Lutheran Church in North Chicago during Christmas, 1970. It was his first church following his ordination.
Where:
North Chicago, Illinois
When:
1970
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Ann Schwartzkopf as Ann Marie Liturgical Arts with large macramé and stained-glass banner made for the Campus Ministry Center at University of Minnesota, St. Paul and macramé stoles for Easter and Pentecost.
Where:
Minnesota, St. Paul
When:
1975
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Paul, with Ann, Alison, and Paul II, after he receives his Doctor of Ministry degree from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago in 1986.
Where:
Chicago
When:
1986
Ownership:
Unknown
Caption
Paul received his Doctor of Ministry degree from Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago in 1986, following course work at Christ Seminary – Seminex.
Where:
Chicago
When:
1986
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Pastor Schwartzkopf’s schematic illustrates his story telling technique, which he used to do improvisational sermons and to teach in his workshop, “Create your own Story.”
Where:
Unknown
When:
Unknown
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
The photo commemorates Sacred Storytelling at Christ Lutheran Church in Quincy in 2001. Father Phil Hoebing, Mett Morris, Morningfire Meyers, Zakiah Ali and Paul Schwartzkopf told stories from Roman Catholic, Protestant, Native American, Muslim, and Jewish traditions.
Where:
Quincy
When:
2001
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Paul was at Quincy University Chapel for a wedding, circa 2007. His wife Ann macraméd the white stole that he wore for the occasion.
Where:
Quincy
When:
Circa 2007
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Paul dressed as Asa Turner to play Quincy’s first resident clergyman. He is reenacting an 1830s style wedding with Andrew and Ashley Maas during Frontier Settlement Days in Quincy, circa 2008.
Where:
Quincy
When:
2008
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Paul donned farmer’s garb at Quincy Museum when sharing folklore from Harry Hyatt’s “Folklore from Adams County, Illinois,” circa 2008.
Where:
Quincy
When:
2008
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Christ Church in Quincy, Illinois thanked Paul and Ann on the occasion of Pastor’s retirement on August 23, 2009 after ten years as the congregation’s minister.
Where:
Quincy
When:
August 23, 2009
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Happy Trails cake - Pastor Schwartzkopf’s retirement celebration on August 23, 2009 included this cake, showing Ann and Paul canoeing into retirement.
Where:
Quincy, Illinois
When:
August 23, 2009
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Paul portrayed Peter Muhlenberg on July 4, 2013 at the Carthage Courthouse lawn. In 1776 Muhlenberg preached about the just war against the opposition of King George III, then left his church to join General Washington’s Continental Army.
Where:
Carthage, Illinois
When:
July 4, 2013
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Paul and family gathered for a reunion in 2015 in New Haven, Missouri. Back row: Paul II, Alton, Penny, and Blake Schwartzkopf; 2nd row: Alissa White and Ada S., Ann S., Paul S, John Tucker; 1st row: Ella S., Oren S., Alison S. and Robert Tucker.
Where:
New Haven, Missouri
When:
2015
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Paul portrayed Martin Luther to help celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Columbus, IN in 2017. With him are nephews Joe Lohmeyer and Bob Schwartzkopf in “the family pose” inherited from Paul’s father.
Where:
Columbus, IN
When:
2017
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Paul gives a sermon channeling Martin Luther at Peace Lutheran Church in Washington, Missouri in 2017.
Where:
Washington, Missouri
When:
2017
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Pastor Paul is dressed up as Martin Luther in 2017, while he served as Interim Pastor at Peace Lutheran Church in Springfield, Illinois. During the 500th anniversary of the Reformation he did fifteen presentations in Illinois and two other states.
Where:
Springfield, Illinois
When:
2017
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Grandpa Paul telling the tall tale “Mississippi River Rubber Worm” to grandchildren Oren and Ada while at their Missouri home in 2017.
Where:
Missouri
When:
2017
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Grandpa Paul’s favorite audience, grandchildren Oren and Ada and their mother’s dog Bailey all listen intently to Paul’s version of the tall tale “Walkin’ Catfish” in 2017.
Where:
Unknown
When:
2017
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo