Ernie Blanton
Family Pastor
Pastoral Staff
Life Story
I had the privilege of growing up right here in Shelby, NC. I attended Buffalo Baptist Church starting at 10 years of age and attended there until I was thirty when God called me into full time ministry. At age 12, I accepted Christ as my personal Savior. I had an accident a few years before that almost took my life. I realized that God was not done with me yet and He had a plan for my life. From that point, I stayed very involved with our youth group, and was later baptized by my pastor at Buffalo, Mackie Turner. After graduating from Burns High School, I attended Appalachian State University where I planned to teach and coach at the high school level. I took my first job back at my alma mater, Burns High School, where I was the strength coach, head wrestling coach, assistant football coach and leader for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. After serving in that role for 8 years, the Lord called me into full time ministry. For the next thirteen years, I served as the youth and children’s minister at Buffalo Baptist Church in Shelby, NC. The Lord then called me to Eastside Baptist Church in Shelby to serve as their Associate Pastor and Youth Minister for five years. The Lord has now called me to serve as Hope Community Church's Family Pastor. I’m excited to see how God is going to move and how He is going to continue my growth in ministry service. I’ve also been blessed to serve as Cleveland County’s Area Representative for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for the past sixteen years. I love being able to engage, equip, and encourage coaches, athletes, and all they influence. I married Shannon Mullens Blanton on June 14th of 1997 and we have 2 amazing kids, Jeremy Dylan and Morgan Grace. God has truly blessed me!
My Hope for HCC
My hope for HCC is that this community of believers would rally around families to support, love, and lead by example. We desire that all families feel welcome and equipped, despite their beliefs or family circumstances. Family ministry connects parents, youth, and children with the church so they can be supported while developing a lasting relationship with Jesus. We want to help families support and love one another by learning and applying Biblical principles in their lives. We want to help families navigate conflicts and live their lives under a set of guiding Christian principals Family is at the center of God’s plan for the happiness and progress of His children. The Bible teaches that God established families from the very beginning, and it shows us many examples of strong families. It also teaches us how to have a loving, happy family. My hope is to help families grow in Christ and experience all of God’s blessings.