Long service

"When I went into ministry, I never really thought I would use my secular degree from WSU, but it was just a perfect marriage." — Steve Schofstoll

LIND — They say time goes by quickly when you’re doing what you love, and maybe it goes twice as fast when you love doing two things. Steve Schofstall retired last week from both the ministry and the Lind Dryland Research Station, after three decades of devoted service to both. 

“Our oldest daughter was a kindergartner (when I started), and now she’s 36,” Schofstoll said. “The years have gone by very quickly.”

Steve and Kim Schofstall were called to Lind Calvary Assembly of God Church in 1996, and Steve came on board at the WSU Lind Dryland Research Station at the same time, he said. 

Steve grew up in Wenatchee, he said, and graduated from WSU with a degree in agronomy. While he was at WSU he also met a farmer’s daughter named Kim Schultheis, and the two were married the year after he graduated. They taught English in China through a Christian teaching organization for several years, Steve said.

“When we returned to the U.S., we resettled in Wenatchee,” he said. “My folks were still there, and I found work there, and started attending an Assembly of God church.”

Their time in China had reawakened an interest in ministry that Steve had had even in college, he said, and with some guidance from the pastor, he obtained a ministerial credential, he said.

“(I contacted) our district office, which is in the Seattle area, and I inquired with them about what churches were looking for a pastor, and the Lind-Ritzville area was,” he said. “I approached the board at the church (in Lind), and I ended up coming here.”

Kim is also fully credentialed for ministry, she said, and they served the church together until their retirement last week.

Like many small churches, Lind Calvary Assembly of God couldn’t pay enough to support two ministers with a growing family, so Steve looked for an outside job while Kim stayed home with their three children.

“I came across Bill Schillinger, who was the previous director of the (Lind Research) station, and he had a full-time tech who helped him out, but he needed some additional help, and so it ended up being a great relationship between his research project and me,” Steve said. “When I went into ministry, I never really thought I would use my secular degree from WSU, but it was just a perfect marriage that provided me that additional income and helped Bill out.”

“He’s been part of an amazing journey of the station’s research, data collection and operation throughout the years,” the station’s current director, Surendra Singh, said. “He is immaculate in his work. He’s just been amazing throughout 30 years.”

Kim also kept her hand in teaching, she said, substitute teaching at local schools.

“It’s a great job,” she said. “I have a lot of energy and I have a bachelor’s degree but not an education degree, (so) everyone says, ‘Why don’t you just go back and get your education degree?’ Between the church and three children, I didn’t need a full-time job, so I’ve just subbed all these years … I can say yes or I can say no.”

Kim will continue to sub from time to time after retirement, she said.

Meanwhile, the Schofstolls became grandparents a little over a year ago, Steve said, to a little girl who lives with their daughter and son-in-law in Spokane.

“We’re living a good life with our granddaughter nearby, all three of our kids in the Northwest, and retiring,” he said.