Dr. James M. Erle, (Pastor Jim), was raised in New York City. He grew up in a Presbyterian Christian household. In 1969 at the age of 16 God called him to ministry when, Dr. David H. C. Read, Minister of Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church at a Good Friday Service during prayer at the altar, laid hands on him and said: "Jesus, says, follow me and I will make you a fisher of men."
At 18 he joined Resurrection Lutheran Church where he eventually became Youth Pastor, Vice President of the Church Council, Deacon, and Elder. In 1993 he and his wife Jean felt a move of the Holy Spirit saying that there was more for them to learn and to do. They then went to Evangel, an Assemblies of God Church in Long Island City and there received full water baptism and the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
During this time at Evangel Jim and Jean became involved with another couple and formed Silent Cry Ministries. This started as a home group formed by the other couple and became a full blown evangelistic outreach and ministry to hurt and abused women.
In the midst of this, while at his office in lower Manhattan, Pastor Jim witnessed the events of September 11, 2001, first hand. The prompting of the Holy Spirit was so strong that he left his secular job. He received his Chaplaincy with the United Chaplains State of New York and also became ordained with the Assemblies of God International Fellowship. He and the ministry of Silent Cry went on a mission trip to Ghana Africa. There they were able to preach and minister in several crusades and schools, start a women's ministry, plant a church, see miracles signs and wonders and even go to a village who had never seen a white man before and have 1,100 people come to Christ in one day.
In 2006 after the home going of his mother, Pastor Jim clearly heard the voice of God tell him: "Go to South Carolina and feed my children." Not knowing what the Lord had planned, Pastor Jim obeyed. He came to CFWC March of 2007. In November 2008 Pastor Jim transferred his credentials to the Assemblies of God and was voted in as the Sr. Pastor. He has since ministered not only here but also at the Holy Spirit conference in South Africa in 2016 and again in 2017. In April of 2019 he received a Doctorate of Divinity Degree from St. Thomas Christian University. Pastor Jim feels honored and privileged to be the Sr. Pastor of Cornerstone and looks forward to many years of service.
"This little church in the valley has a big ministry potential in this community. The power of the Holy Spirit is here and with God all things are possible. We have experienced moves of the Holy Spirit with words of knowledge, healing's, miracles, signs and wonders in our services. We are on the brink of a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit over this community and we are crying out to God, "If you can use any church, use us!" I am excited and anticipate great things to come from Cornerstone and invite all to come and be part of something special." (Pastor Jim)
