Plymouth Congregational Church welcomes new pastor

The Rev. Floyd E. Schneider, an author, teacher, missionary and Vietnam veteran, is the new pastor at Plymouth Congregational Church, 1502 W. Eighth Ave. He will conduct his first worship service at Aug. 10 at 10 a.m.

Schneider comes to Plymouth from Emmaus Bible College in Dubuque, Iowa, where he served as professor of intercultural studies. He taught courses on missions, Islam and European studies for seven years. During that time, he also founded and pastored Riverside Bible Church.

Schneider entered the Army directly out of high school and served in Vietnam as a combat paratrooper with the 101st Airborne Division. He was wounded four times in five months and received the Purple Heart with three Oak Leaf clusters and an Army commendation medal at age 20.

He graduated from Western Seminary in Portland. He and his wife, Christine, have served missions in Germany, St. Petersburg, Russia, and Austria. During his 15 years in Austria, he wrote and published “Evangelism For The Faint-Hearted.” The book is in its second edition and has been translated into German and Dutch. Schneider is fluent in Austrian and Russian.

His wife has published historical fiction and women’s Bible study guides.

“What helped us determine that Floyd Schneider was the pastor for Plymouth is strong faith and outstanding evangelistic outreach,” said search committee chairman Charles Schneider.

Floyd Schneider replaces the Rev. Don Gilmore, who presided over the lower South Hill church for 37 years before leading in his last worship service on Easter. Gilmore said he left the job to devote more time to writing books.