About

The following article was adopted from the final issue of Behind the Ranges, a Christian and Missionary Alliance periodical that was published for 30 years. Article first published 1995.

Honoring Faithful Servants

John and Janine Schultz

John and Janine Schultz have spent 37 fruitful years in Irian Jaya. The students who have attended their classes through the years, who are now pastors and church leaders throughout Irian, deeply respect them as spiritual mentors. John’s unique sense of humor and amazing facility in many languages have made him a popular preacher. Janine’s quiet, loving support has been a beautiful complement to their ministry.

John was born in Haarlem, The Netherlands, where he found Christ while he was a high school student, later feeling God’s call to full-time ministry. At the Brussels Bible Institute in Belgium God directed John to Dutch New Guinea under the Alliance. The Alliance Missionary Committee in The Netherlands was reluctant to send John because he was single. This “minor problem” was solved when John proposed to Janine, a young girl from the French speaking part of Belgium. They were married shortly after graduation and spent their honeymoon on a Dutch freighter with first class accommodations, at expenses paid by the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA). Says Janine about this romantic interlude, “What a way to go!”

Janine was born to Christian parents and accepted Christ as a young girl. While attending Brussels Bible Institute, she stayed with an American missionary family on their way to Africa with the C&MA. This was her first contact with the Alliance. At a missionary meeting, following much hesitation and struggle, she told the Lord she would go anywhere He wanted her to go. So when John asked, “Would you like to go with me to New Guinea?” her heart was prepared with a positive response.

When the Schultzes arrived at Obano in the Wissel Lakes in the heart of Irian Jaya, Indonesia, Janine was initially shocked by the primitive, odiferous Papua tribespeople and wondered if she could ever love them. She and John are both outstanding in their loving attitude toward the people of Irian, so God gave her the love she needed in abundance.

The Kapauku (Ekari) language was the first challenge John and Janine had to conquer. For Janine it was doubly difficult because she was learning English at the same time! Soon John was also given the responsibility of overseeing the Alliance Elementary School program, which was subsidized by the Dutch government. He also filled in as a teacher at the Continuation School in Tigi, grades four through six. At the same time he did district work in the Lake Tigi area. lt was a sink or swim situation and, by the grace of God and the support of his wonderful wife, John did not sink! For the last year of their first term, John and Janine moved back to Enarotali to teach in the Kapauku language Bible School. After furlough they taught in the same Bible School, now located at Kebo, where they worked for several years with Walter and Viola Post, the first missionaries to the interior of Irian Jaya.

Since no medical work was being done in Kebo at that time, they began to give out medicine, learning to give injections and treat injuries. Though they had no formal training, they learned by doing, often consulting a mission doctor via the short wave radio. Most of the people who came were helped, and nobody died! The years in Kebo became the best of their lives, even though they had to evacuate twice because of political unrest in the area.

After an extended furlough because of a severe medical problem of one of their children, they returned to Irian Jaya and at the request of the church they started the Theological School in Nabire. The Lord evidently gave His approval to this new project, since He provided the money to develop the campus and the personnel to teach. The Walter Post Theological School is now completely under Indonesian leadership. John and Janine can look back over years of blessing in that second phase of their ministry.

Their three oldest children, Ruthy, John Paul and Mitch, were born during their first term, with Viviane joining the family after their first furlough. All their children are following the Lord and serving Him in different ways. Ruthy and husband Tim Hall, a so-called missionary kid (MK) from Cambodia, are pastoring a C&MA church in south Georgia. John Paul (J.P.) and wife Judy (Harvey), an MK from Africa, are house parenting in the Dalat School in Malaysia. Mitch and his wife Elaine are serving under the C&MA in England. The Schultzes are the proud grandparents of twelve very special grandchildren.

In addition to their dedicated ministries to their students and to the national church, John and Janine’s home is always open to fellow missionaries traveling through Nabire. Their servant hearts have been a blessing and challenge to all, and their warm hospitality will be greatly missed. They will leave a large part of themselves which has been invested in many lives in their adopted land of Irian Jaya.

It is with gratitude in my heart that I may write these lines. Our Lord Jesus Christ brought my wife and I to “the ends of the world” to draw us to Himself. From urban high-pace life in the West to the jungle of Irian Jaya. From man made surroundings to immersion in the beauty of Gods creation. From a network of people living on islands and primarily striving after their own personal gain to meeting a new breed, a new creation of people who live their lives for the advancement of others. And… from reading everything but Gods Word to receiving warm and intelligent councel to read the Scriptures.

John, I’ll never forget our conversations. The Lord used you to draw me to Himself. Janine, your tender loving care and adoption of us into your extended family witnessed then and continues to witness now of the love of Christ. I may now return the blessing and publish your insights to the advancement of others.

Dear reader, it is therefore that I undersign with “The publisher.” May the Lord bless you and your loved ones, John and Janine!

Till we meet again.

Hans Dekkers
PRAOTES DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION