Meet the Rev. Jonah Schultz, a new pastor at Salem Lutheran Church in Jacksonville.
Story and Photos By Kyla Hurt
Schultz responds to an inquiry of the difference between the nonsecular title of reverend and the title of pastor, “In my opinion, I think ‘reverend’ is just one of those words that’s old, and it’s kind of phasing out of the culture a little bit … we just don’t know what it means anymore generally as a culture. … The way I’ve heard it that’s the most compelling is the reverend means that you’ve been ordained and you’ve been made a pastor, but you’re only a pastor if you’ve got a church you’re watching over.”
One must be a reverend in order to be a pastor in the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, he adds.
“We really focus on that word pastor because, at least for our heritage as Lutherans is, we put a guy in every church who preaches the Word each week, who administers the sacraments … and then we do something that I think a lot of church bodies don’t do enough … is we go and visit our people, especially people that can’t make it to church. … We [the Lutheran church] take that pastor idea, that shepherding idea, really seriously. … you chase after, or pursue, God’s people and you give them His gifts.”
In the end, Schultz says he accepts either title; it matter most that he does his job.
The 29-year-old Schultz studied at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis for three of the last four years and then spent a year at Central Wisconsin on his vicarage internship, where he essentially played the role of student pastor while learning under a seasoned pastor. Prior to seminary, Schultz taught English at the Lutheran high school in Kansas City, Missouri.
In St. Louis most recently, it wasn’t until April that he learned he would be coming to Jacksonville: “No one believes me when I tell them how we do it … because it just sounds crazy but it’s true. I didn’t know I was going here [Jacksonville] until one night in April … it was a Tuesday in April of this year where they called my name, “Jonah Schultz, pastor, Salem Lutheran Church & School, Jacksonville, IL.” And they [the Lutheran church] hand me a packet, and I go sit down.”
Essentially, the church’s placement directors meet and decide where they’re sending their graduates.
Salem, similarly, did not know who would be coming until last minute. “They [Salem Lutheran Church] didn’t get a choice either,” joked Schultz. “Salem’s stuck with me.”
Schultz was installed as the 25th pastor of Salem Lutheran Church on June 16.
His family moved into their new house in Jacksonville the next day, their U-Haul having been parked in the church’s parking lot during Schultz’s installation the prior day.
Schultz and his wife, Mary, were married in 2017 when they both graduated from Concordia University-Chicago. In fact, each of their parents met there while in school as well.
Both Jonah and Mary Schultz were teachers until 2020 when Jonah Schultz started seminary. The two also have a son, Stephen, who was born on Easter morning in 2020. They’re also very interested in fostering.
After the whirlwind of the last several months, the Rev. Schultz is settling in to his role at Salem Lutheran Church. The church had been averaging 120 people on Sundays. In the last few weeks, however, the congregation has been closer to 140 or 150. “I think we have a lot of people that used to be members who are coming back to check on who’s this new guy and what’s he up to,” laughs Schultz.
Still, it’s not the numbers that are important. “What’s really important is that we have a really strong, faithful congregation with a lot of men and women that have just dedicated their lives to Jesus, to following Him, to caring about the people here, caring about their community … sacrificing for the school and the school children, for the Jacksonville community at large. … I mean, I’m in awe. This is an amazing people that I’ve been called to serve and I’m so thankful because I never expected to be placed in such an amazing place right out of seminary,” states Schultz.
Having trained and worked as a teacher, that’s really what Schultz wants to do — teach. “I really want to teach the Bible here, and teach it a lot … and teach the scriptures, the history, story of salvation … it’s something I’m very passionate about.”
Schultz also hopes to grow the outreach and generosity to the community. He wants to get the word out about the church’s “Swaddling Clothes” ministry, for example.
He hopes, too, to bring a focus on slowing things down for the kids at Salem Lutheran School. “While they’re here, I want us to be able to slow them down and give them the time, attention, care and education that they need.”
As far as the church is concerned, services lean toward traditional worship that is characteristic of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. There is a variety of liturgies (formats) that are used. Most liturgies are drawn from the Lutheran Service Book (LSB), a hymnal of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Services are normally an hour in length. Holy Communion is offered the first and third Sunday of each month. A bulletin, with the printed order of service and scripture readings, is available to each person.
Schultz says, “Especially today, I think people are looking for order in a disordered world. They’re looking for a structure. And the pattern, the liturgy that we use each week, are the same patterns that Christians have been using for almost 2,000 years. … The way they structure the service is, frankly, it’s just brilliant.”
Worship time is 9 a.m. every Sunday, with Bible Study and Sunday School at 10:15 those mornings. Visit salemjax.net for additional information.
