Dr. James Ehrhard was born September 25, 1954 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He grew up in a Roman Catholic home and eventually came to a position of atheism by his high school years. Shortly after his graduation from high school, Jim heard the gospel for the first time and was converted. He became part of a Baptist church and decided to attend a Baptist College — Cumberland College in Williamsburg, Kentucky.
While at Cumberland (1972-75), Jim majored in history and was involved in a number of writing and research projects. One research project (“Russo-American Relations during the Crimean War”) earned him the first Presidential Scholar Award given at Cumberland College. But studies were not his only interest. Jim was also deeply involved in ministry through a student-led outreach to the Appalachian people called “Love In Action.” At Cumberland, Jim also met Debbie McCullough whom he married in 1975.
Following college, Jim worked on a M.Div. at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (NC) while pastoring a church in Trenton, NC. He completed that degree through Luther Rice Seminary in 1978. Following a short youth pastorate in Ohio, Jim went to Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Lousiville, KY) to complete another M.Div. and qualify for church planting with the Home Mission Board of the SBC.
From 1981-1991, Jim and Debbie moved to Connecticut where they were involved in starting and growing four churches. In 1991, the Ehrhards moved to North Little Rock to pastor Cornerstone Bible Fellowship. While there, Jim felt the need to return to school to be able to teach on a seminary level. In 1997, Jim graduated from Mid America Baptist Theological Seminary with a Ph.D. in Theology. During that time, Jim also published articles and book reviews in various journals, including Reformation and Revival and Westminster Theological Journal. In 1997, Jim also received a summer research grant from the Pew Charitable Foundation for research on the Puritans at Calvin College.
In 1997, Jim began teaching overseas at various Bible colleges and seminaries. Jim has taught in Ukraine, Russia, Belgium, France, Bulgaria, and Haiti. In addition to these travels, Jim regularly publishes the quarterly Teaching Resources (begun in 1985) featured on this Web Site.
In August of 1998, Jim began serving as the Interim Pastor for the Bible Church of Cabot. A year later (1999), he became the pastor of this congregation in Cabot in addition to his Teaching Resources responsibilities. In 2010, Jim resigned to devote his full attention to the teaching ministry of Teaching Resources.
Jim was married to Debbie for over 28 years before she went to be with the Lord after a 12 year struggle with cancer (in 2003). In 2006, Jim moved to Cabot to be nearer to the church. Jim’s four children are all married. Joel married Alyssa Holiday in June 2008; they live in Florida where Joel works as a computer programmer. Joel and Alyssa have one son, Lucas and one daughter, Marley. Todd is unmarried and currently lives in Sherwood, AR. Meredith married Sean Cooper in December 2009; they both work with GolbalServe International, based in Sarasota, FL. Sean and Meredith have four children. Jim’s oldest daughter, Joy, is married to Shain Drews and they live in Hot Springs, AR. They have four children (three of which are triplets!!!).
In 2010, Jim moved to Ukraine to teach full-time at the seminary in Kiev. That fall, Jim and Katya (Makhnovets) were married. Katya has served as Registrar at the seminary for over 10 years. Jim and Katya have two girls, Kristina (born in 2014) and Nadia (born 2015). They lived and worked in Kyiv Ukraine until the beginning of the War with Russia in 2022. Since then, they have lived in various missionary housing before settling in Fayetteville, AR.
Jim continues to teach online in Ukraine and other ministries and is currently helping to develop theological education for missionaries from Global serve International.
Teaching Resources International 