What do Prisons, Pennsylvania Dutch, Amish Folk songs and Holmes County, Ohio have in common?  Not much, unless you think of a local, low key, Johnny Cash- type country music singer/ prison minister from near Berlin, Ohio named John Schmid.

John Schmid is the founder and director of Common Ground Ministries, a singing ministry with a focus on prisons in the Ohio Corrections System.  When he is not in prison, John spends his time appearing at banquets, churches, concerts... wherever his unique style of country and gospel music will fit.

During an average year, John sings at more than 75 prison services, 30 churches, four to five camps, six evangelistic crusades, 40 banquets, a street fair or two, several weekend seminars, numerous concerts, and a fair amount of living rooms and back porches. The ministry provides Bibles and Gospel Echoes Bible study correspondence courses to prisoners in the Ohio system at no cost to the prisoner or the system.

John's unique style of singing, a blend of country/ folk/gospel, with a touch of the contemporary, has gained him audiences in a wide variety of settings, from prisons to embassies, high schools, rest homes, churches, army bases, concert halls, and living rooms. His honest, genuine voice is easy to listen to and his message is made acceptable through humor, true life stories, a love for people, and a wide selection of songs.  Because he has done two recordings in the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect, he was billed in the Amish community of Shipshewana, Indiana as the singer with "a touch of Dutch and a dash of Cash."

He has opened for such well known stars as  Randy Travis, Ricky Skaggs, Tom T. Hall, Connie Smith, Johnny Paycheck, Ralph Stanley, as well as contemporary Christian artists such as Jeff & Sherry Easter, Petra, The Inspirations, The Crabb Family and many others.

He has sung in over thirty different countries and takes an annual work/mission trip to Central America to help Christians overseas as well as helping American Christians get a vision for missions, both foreign and at home.

John and Lydia reside in Benton, Ohio. Their son, Adam (22) quit his job as a wrangler in Wyoming to study nursing at Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia; Amy (20) is at Indiana Wesleyan University, after a year at Bodenseehof Bible School in Germany, and Katie (18) is studying at Portantorchas Bible School near San Jose, Costa Rica.

DON’T ASK

One of the cardinal rules of prison ministry is never ask an inmate what he did to get in prison. I have never broken that rule in 19 years of prison ministry. Except once.

Sometimes a prisoner will voluntarily let you know what his crime was. That’s fine. We’re just not supposed to ask. I suppose it’s a breach of etiquette, or an embarrassment to the inmate. But I found out that it’s not just to protect the privacy of the inmate. I learned that it’s also to protect the minister.

Several years ago there was a series of articles in the local paper about a woman who had been physically and cruelly attacked by her husband. The series of surgeries and therapy that she endured was unbelievable. And she is still scarred and disfigured for life. Her last name was common in our area, even though she was not from here.

I was welcoming the inmates into the chapel at a Northern Ohio prison when I happened to see an inmate’s name stenciled on his shirt. It was the same name as the woman in the newspaper articles. Before I thought, I asked the next inmate to come through the door, “What’s that guy in here for?” “Oh, he [attacked his wife].” The way he answered, I knew it was this woman’s husband (ex). I looked at him in disbelief. “That’s the guy!”

During the service, I noticed that this man looked like any other inmate. He sat near the front. He sang the hymns, joined in prayer, laughed when I said something funny, nodded when I made a good point… he didn’t look evil. But I knew what he had done. And I had read the newspaper articles of the horror and suffering that he had put his wife through. As I looked at him and proclaimed the power of the blood and the forgiving gospel of Jesus Christ, deep down I was thinking, “You dirty rat… you destroyed your wife… how can God forgive a sinner like you… look what you did!” and even worse thoughts. When the invitation was given, no one responded.

I have probably been in well over 1000 prison chapel services since 1990 when Common Ground Ministries was started. Some are memorable because of the movement of the Spirit of God, and some are just “normal” prison services, but always there is some response- a raised hand, someone wanting prayer, a recommitment… In over 1000 services I had never been part of a prison service where there was no response. Until now.

Now I know why you never ask. God can handle the hideous sins that these men have committed. I can’t. I wanted to take that man out and beat the daylights out of him (in love, of course). I wanted to make him listen to the screams of his wife and know the torment that she is going through, even now, because of his actions. I wanted him to suffer.

Folks, sin is horrible. It kills. It causes suffering. It put Jesus on the cross. It takes you farther than you want to go; it keeps you longer than you want to stay; it costs you more than you want to pay; it separates us from God. I think I got a glimpse of the horribleness of sin. I couldn’t handle it. God can. I think I got a glimpse of the awesomeness of the power of the gospel I proclaim. What a mighty God we serve! I am more inspired to proclaim the mighty gospel to the captives. It is powerful. But I won’t ask again why a man is in prison. It doesn’t help at all.

COSTA RICA

If all goes well, we are in Costa Rica as you read this. We plan to leave March 4^th and return on the 14^th. For the first time since we returned from there, I will be going without a work team. Lydia and I will be visiting friends and churches where our work teams have been, as well as doing several concerts. And while we’re there we think we might even visit our daughter Katie, who is studying at the University of Costa Rica (just kidding- that’s one of the main reasons we’re going). I will also look into the possibility of future prison ministry there.

MONGOLIA!?

I have an invitation to visit several prisons in Mongolia! When I was young I thought just living in Mongolia would be like being prison! But Drew Robinson insures me that it is a beautiful country with wonderful people who have the same affliction that we have here in America- sin. Therefore, there are prisons. I don’t see how I can go this year, but who knows? Next year I may be singing and speaking the gospel of Jesus Christ through an interpreter to prisoners in the real outer banks- Mongolia.