The meditation was given by Juan Martinez, Ph.D., director of the Center for the Study of Hispanic Church and Community at Fuller Theological Seminary and former student of Schmidt's. Lynn Jost, dean of the seminary, gave words of dedication; Valerie Rempel, associate dean and professor of history and theology at the seminary, gave the invocation; Sheryl Busby, seminary dean's assistant, read Scripture; Mark Isaac, director of seminary advancement, gave the closing prayer; and Elise Hiebert, seminary student spouse, led singing.
Schmidt, Ph.D., (BA '70, semianry '72), was president of MB Biblical Seminary from 1993-2003. He died February 8, 2011, in Reedley. He joined the seminary full-time in 1978, held the J.B. Toews Chair of Mission and Evangelism and directed the Center for Training in Mission and Evangelism.
A graduate of Mennonite Brethren Bible College, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and MBBS, Fresno, Schmidt earned a doctorate from the University of Southern California. He pastored churches in South Dakota and California and served as U.S. Mennonite Brethren Conference evangelist and moderator.