Jim & Shirley Ertel, Board Members
Jim and Shirley have been married 53 years. These high-school sweethearts have a son and a daughter who are each happily married and between the two have blessed them with six grandchildren, five grandsons and one granddaughter.
Jim served in the US Navy from 1967-1971, the last 12 months as a helicopter crewman in Vietnam. Hooked on aviation, he became a commercial pilot traveling the country selling private aircraft. He transitioned into business as an investment advisor but always looked for a way to serve in ministry. That desire would lead him to a twenty-year career as a development officer for Christian non-profit organizations. During that time, he also taught college classes, as an adjunct, on family and children.
Jim has authored three books: “Contending for the Heart” on parenting, “Wrinkly Brinkly” a children’s story for 6–12 year old’s and “Joyful Reunion,” an emotional story on the heartbreak of abortion.
Shirley, in addition to her life work as a wife, homemaker, and the mother of two children, is an extraordinary administrator. She has served multiple churches and ministries in that capacity which included the coordinating and management of large seminars throughout the United States. Shirley has a heart to serve and would most likely never tell what blesses her the most (besides being a grandmother) is simply doing unexpected things for others.
