Pastor Max W. Schuster

Pastor Max W. Schuster went home to be with the Lord on April 9, 2021 at the age of 88. Max was born in 1933 in Wyandotte, Michigan, and was the son of Max Schuster (Sr.) and Anna Louise Van Auker. He served in the Korean War at age 17. He has a sister, Joan Schuster Cowgar, and a half-brother Robert Schuster. He was preceded in death by his parents, his half-brother Timothy Schuster, and a dear cousin Anthony Schuster, who was like a brother to him. In 1958, he married Lois Evelyn Suter, and they recently celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary. Max and Lois raised four children: Deborah L. Schuster (Reisdorf), Terri Ann Leslie (nee Schuster), Paul D. Schuster, and Philip R. Schuster. They have four grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Max was an avid historian and theologian with a deep love of scripture. He attended Detroit Bible Institute (William Tyndale College) and spent much of the last 60 years in deep personal study. He was ordained in the 1970’s and founded the Free Community Bible Church. Later, he became Pastor of Newport Community Church in Newport, Michigan, where he ministered for 30 years. He authored several books and pamphlets, most recently about a Christian view of history. Max also enjoyed studying history, particularly the Civil War. The walls of his office were always lined with overflowing shelves of books, and photos of Abraham Lincoln dotted the walls. He also enjoyed classical music and playing the harmonica. His children remember the adventure stories he would tell – a blend of history, Christian themes, magic swords, and scary creatures right out of Greek mythology. He usually ad-libbed the stories, which featured a cliffhanger at the end: “Stay tuned next week!”