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The Rev. Henry Schulte served as an Ordained Lutheran Pastor and Bishop for 50 years of full time active pastoral ministry before his retirement on July 1, 2015. His final retirement from life came on Wednesday, October 22, 2025 at the age of 89 years.
Henry was the fourth and last child born to Henry C. and Martha Schulte at the family home west of McGregor and Crawford, Texas on September 10, 1936. He was baptized into Christ on November 8, 1936 in The Friedensgemeinde (Peace) Lutheran Church (now St. Paul Lutheran Church) of Crawford, Texas.
Henry graduated from Crawford High School in 1954 and began working in his “to be” in-law’s grocery store, Brown & Chambers Grocery in McGregor, Texas. He married his high school sweetheart, Frances Brown, in 1955 and they were privileged to celebrate nearly 65 years of marriage before Frances’ death in 2019.
In 1958 Henry received and accepted the call to prepare for pastoral ministry. He enrolled in Texas Lutheran College and graduated in 1961 before enrolling in The Evangelical Lutheran Theological Seminary in Columbus, Ohio. The four-year program included a second year Internship at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan.
Following his graduation from seminary, he was ordained on June 20, 1965, in Zion Lutheran Church, McGregor, Texas before beginning his first call to serve as Pastor for the St. Paul Lutheran Congregations of Shelby and Fayetteville, Texas. In 1969 he accepted a call to Highland Park Lutheran Church of San Antonio and served there through 1978. In January of 1979 he accepted the call to serve in Austin, Texas as Assistant to Bishop and as The District Director for Personnel for the Southern District of The American Lutheran Church, overseeing the ALC congregations and pastors in Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana.
In 1983 he returned to congregational ministry as Pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Kerrville, Texas and planned to serve there until he retired. However, in 1990 he was elected to serve as Bishop of The Southwestern Texas Synod of The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In 1994, after serving a four-year call as Bishop, he accepted a call to serve as pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Boerne, Texas and served there for almost 21 years before his retirement.
During his fifty years of active-duty ordained ministry Pastor Schulte served on many Councils, Boards and Committees as well as serving his community. Community service included serving on The St. Luke’s Lutheran Hospital Board of Directors, the Baptist Health System Board of Directors, The St. Luke’s Lutheran Health Services Board of Directors, The Morningside Ministries Board of Directors and various service agencies.
Pastor Schulte knew the “Joy of the Lord” and that joy permeated his life and ministry. He also enjoyed golf, fishing, playing cards and games, watching the Dallas Cowboys and San Antonio Spurs. But his favorite part of life was meaningful relationships - loving and being loved by people.
Henry Schulte is survived by, his son, The Rev. Dr. David Schulte and his wife Debbie of Boerne, Texas and his daughter, Dana Schulte Broddrick and husband Alan of Dripping Springs, along with his two grandchildren, Blake Broddrick of Dripping Springs, Texas and Anna Schulte of San Antonio, his beloved Mavis Anderson of Menger Springs, as well as close family and many friends.
Funeral Services will be held at St. John Lutheran Church, Boerne on Monday, October 27 at 11:00am and at St. Paul Lutheran Church of Crawford, Texas on Wednesday, October 29 at 11:00am. Burial will be in the St. Paul Lutheran Memorial Park.
The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, memorials be given to the Henry and Frances Schulte Endowment Fund, which is managed by Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest.
Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest
Attn: Henry and Frances Schulte Endowment Fund
103 12th St., Suite 201, Pflugerville, TX, 78660
We remember Henry's family and friends in our prayers and trust that the promise of the Resurrection is true and sure.
In Christ,
Bishop Sue Briner
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