About the Pastor

Pastor Erling Shultz was born in a small Catholic hospital in New Hampton, Iowa September 12, 1960. I was the third born in a family of four children. The family moved to Des Moines, Adel, Iowa Falls and back to Adel where I graduated from high school in 1978. I then attended Des Moines Area Community College receiving an AA in Liberal Arts, and then Simpson College graduating with a BA with an Environmental Science major. I joined the Iowa Air National Guard in 1982 and served eight years before receiving my Honorary Discharge in 1990. Barb and I were married September 22, 1984. Barb received her Masters of Library Science shortly after and began her career in Eagle Grove, Iowa. We soon began a family with daughter Sarah, son Thomas, and son Nathan. We then moved to Fairmont, Mn, then Mason City, IA where all three children graduated from high school and then to Fort Dodge, where Barb retired and then to Sharon Center, Iowa before arriving in Iowa Falls. Sarah is now married to Nathan and lives in Norwalk. Tom is married to Audrey and lives in Waterloo, and Nathan has just recently moved to Muscatine. After saying no for many years, I answered my call to pastoral ministry in 2007. I served the Dows and Alexander UMC congregations as lay minister and then Garner UMC before receiving my License for Pastoral Ministry in 2009. I was appointed to Morgan, Bradford, Lee Center UM congregations for three years and then to Epworth UMC in Fort Dodge for two years. Both those appointments were half-time appointments in which I also continued work in retail sales. I was appointed to Sharon Center UMC in 2014 as a full-time pastor and served there until 2019. I am a graduate of Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary Ministerial Course of Study. Barb and I are thrilled to be in Iowa Falls.