Luke Schmeltzer

Hometown:  Joliet, IL
Education: Bachelors in Pastoral Ministry w/ Greek Language minor at Olivet Nazarene University '21
Degree sought: Master of Divinity 
Family: Jessica, wife since June 2021 
Church affiliation: 1689 Reformed Baptist

Luke was born in Joliet, IL, into a household of Christian parents, raised in a conservative Southern Baptist context. He and his older brother and sister were heavily involved in the church, as were his parents, but he had no faith of his own for many years. After Luke's parents' divorce, he felt great anger toward God even though he was still involved in church and a private Christian school. In early junior high, the gracious Spirit of God gave Luke a new heart and a genuine faith in Christ. Luke then became a leader in his youth group and took on the mantle of the student body chaplain. While in high school, he and his mother lost their house when his stepfather left, but this difficulty drove Luke to study the Scriptures and seek to know and trust God more than ever before.

“I have come to love creedal and confessional Christianity, and being at a place where the faculty, staff, and students celebrate the doctrines of the Reformation is invigorating to me."

~Luke

It became evident that the Lord was calling Luke to some form of ministry. As confirmed by his elders, he began looking for colleges where he could study not too far from home. At Olivet Nazarene University (a school in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition), Luke became convinced of the doctrines of the Protestant Reformation, especially the Particular Baptist tradition of the London Baptist Confession of 1689. At Olivet, Luke joined One:Seven Church, a Baptist congregation he still serves, and met Jess, who would become his wife. Jess and Luke were married on June 12, 2021. They immediately went to work at a Christian summer camp before starting at MidAmerica Reformed Seminary.

Luke chose to study at Mid-America Reformed Seminary because “I couldn't do anything else in life than serve the church of Christ, and I believe that Mid-America is the best place for me to learn how to do that. I have come to love creedal and confessional Christianity, and being at a place where the faculty, staff, and students celebrate the doctrines of the Reformation is invigorating to me. The work is heavy and daunting at times, but the reward of a well-rounded knowledge of the Scriptures and ministry is well worth the effort. I am studying at Mid-America that I might be a well-trained soldier for a lifetime on the field, that I might be a sharp instrument in the hand of the Lord.” Luke’s current plans are to plant a 1689-confessional Baptist church in Joliet, but he is willing to go wherever the Lord may send him.