John Schmid (born 1949) is an American country and folk singer and songwriter who is popular among the Amish and Old Order Mennonites. He sings songs both in English and in Pennsylvania German.John Schmid – Holmes County Amish Country Singer and Songwriter at amishlifebooks.com. He is especially popular in the Holmes/Wayne Amish settlement in Ohio where he lives.Do Amish enjoy music and singing? at amishamerica.com. He may be the "only man ever to write songs in Deitsh".Dale Cramer: Though Mountains Fall at dalecramer.com.
He is not a native speaker of Pennsylvania German, but learned it at a young age from classmates. According to Ira Wagler, author of the best selling book "Growing Up Amish", he speaks "flawless PA Dutch".Schmid’s World at irawagler.com. He grew up north of Fredericksburg, Ohio in a not very religious family, but as a young adult he became a Christian.Conversations with John Schmid at amishleben.com.
Soon after their wedding in 1980 John and his wife Lydia moved to Costa Rica working as teachers and hosting a house for visiting missionaries. He also was a youth minister in association with Latin America Mission and later, Young Life. In 1990 music became a full-time calling for him. In the beginning he did mostly prison-ministry journeys with his songs.Conversations with John Schmid at amishleben.com. According to his website, "In a typical year, John ministers in more than 50 prisons, 30 churches, four to five camps, six evangelistic crusades, 40 banquets, a street fair or two, several weekend seminars, as well as numerous concerts and living rooms," particularly in Ohio, Indiana, and Florida.
He has recorded 24 CDs, three of them entirely in Pennsylvania German. He sings popular Pennsylvania German songs like "Mei Vadder un Mudder sinn Deitsch" and "Schnitzelbank".Mei Vadder un Mudder sinn Deitsch at youtube.com.Schnitzelbank at youtube.com. He is an admirer of Johnny Cash and has sung many of his songs.Conversations with John Schmid at amishleben.com.
He lives with his wife Lydia in Berlin, Ohio and has three grown children.Conversations with John Schmid at amishleben.com
Literature
Denice Rovira Hazlett: John Schmid - Finding Common Ground through Uncommon Kindness in Just Plain Values, pages 6–24, September 2014.
References
External links Common Ground Ministries Official website