Stephen Schmidt is in his seventh year of ministry at Grace UMC. He is married to Karen and they are the parents of three beautiful daughters, Sarah, Samantha, and Stephanie. Stephen is a native of Central Texas. He was born in Temple and graduated from Moody High School in 1978. He and Karen met at Temple Jr. College. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas; and a Masters of Divinity from Brite Divinity School at TCU. He has been a minister in the United Methodist Church for thirty years.

Stephen’s hobbies are gardening, fishing, hunting, and cooking. He cherishes the time he gets to spend with his family. He and Karen love to travel in the United States and abroad, and plan to travel more in the future. He is also a supporter of 4-H and FFA.

Reverend Schmidt is a pastor who tries to lead by example. He has a heart for the military families of our area and strives to make sure our church is sensitive to the needs of our soldiers. He does ministry by building relationships with his members. Pastor Schmidt uses humor and real life events to bring the Gospel to life in his preaching. It is his desire to make new disciples for the Kingdom of God and to help those who are already disciples grow in their relationship with Christ.
 

 Amy Forsythe considers herself truly blessed to serve as Associate pastor at Grace UMC. She is a native Texan who was raised in Friendswood, and a life-long United Methodist who accepted the call to ministry during college. Prior to coming to Grace, Amy served for two years as the Youth and Children’s Pastor at Dido UMC in Fort Worth, and as Summer Youth Intern at Grace UMC in Manvel. Amy has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism News-Writing from the University of North Texas, and a Master of Divinity degree from Brite Divinity School of Fort Worth. She was commissioned as a Provisional Elder in the Central Texas Conference in June of 2009.

A bookworm at heart, Amy enjoys reading, writing, yoga, the beach, and photography. She is close to her family, and enjoys spending time with them. Amy is the daughter of Tracy and Terri Forsythe, and the older sister of Lacie and Zane.
Amy enjoys finding unique ways in her preaching and teaching to make the message of Jesus relevant to the world today. She also has a heart for working with young adults, the elderly, and the military families in the area. Amy is passionate about demonstrating God’s unconditional love and acceptance through all aspects of her ministry. She strives to abide by the words of St. Francis of Assisi: “Preach often, and when necessary, use words.”