The Peter H. and Mattie E. Schertz Global Church Leadership Scholarship Fund

During their life together, Peter and Mattie Schertz farmed in Central Illinois, between Washburn and Metamora.  They were active members of Metamora Mennonite Church and believed strongly in education, even though neither of them was able to finish high school while they were growing up in the early part of the twentieth century.  Mattie did attend winter Bible school at Goshen College in the 1920s and taught the Kindergarten Sunday School class at Metamora Mennonite for many years.

Peter and Mattie were deeply committed to both Mennonite higher education and Mennonite mission work around the world.  Given the first commitment, they made it possible for their daughters, Marjorie and Ardith, to attend Goshen College in the 1950s and both graduated from GC with degrees in education.  Later, in the 1970s and 80s, all four of Marjorie’s children attended and graduated from Goshen College and her husband, Russel Liechty, served the College faithfully in a variety of administrative roles, including that of Dean of Students for many years.

After Peter died, Mattie moved to Metamora and chose to give their homestead to Goshen College via a charitable trust.  She said in 1974, “it was something I could do – to give the family homestead to Goshen College in appreciation for what the college has meant to our family”.  Mattie received income from the trust for over 30 years and when she died in 2004, at age 103, the remainder provided most of the funding for this endowed scholarship.

Mattie and Peter were also generous contributors to mission work, both local and international.  They were delighted that in the course of their lifetimes, this mission work would transform Christianity generally, and the Mennonite Church in particular, from almost exclusively European and North American churches to genuinely global communions.

The Peter H. and Mattie E. Schertz Global Church Leadership Scholarship Fund honors and combines both of their commitments to Mennonite higher education and to the mission of the Christian church.  If this scholarship at Goshen College can contribute in some small way to developing the world-wide church, it will be a practical way of honoring their memory.