Disciples Church Extension Fund announces that James Michel will join the staff as a Building and Capital Services Advisor on April 1.
As a Building and Capital Services Advisor, Jim will be responsible for proactively initiating and responding to the building and capital needs of congregational leaders of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). He will provide Disciples congregations with a variety of building assessment and planning, capital fundraising, loan and investment services offered by Disciples Church Extension Fund. His responsibilities also will include serving on and leading service/resource development teams to support the development of effective resources for strategic building assessment, building planning and financial planning needs of Disciples congregations. In addition, he will oversee special architectural consultants for Disciples Church Extension Fund.
Most recently, Jim worked as a vice president/survey manager for Anderson Engineering Inc., a national civil engineering and land surveying company, with his office located in Carthage, Mo. He was one of the founders of a multi-million dollar company, Sprenkle & Associates, Inc. and helped lead the daily operations of the firm, which included overseeing the scheduling, research, and drafting for multiple survey crews. He was also instrumental in leading the company through the recent merger with Anderson in January of 2013, making the combined corporation one of the largest in southwest Missouri.
“If you put a challenge before me, I like to meet it,” says Michel. “And, this challenge is one to which I feel a special call,” he adds. “I’m eager to serve in a way that will truly help our churches.”
“I am pleased that Jim will join our experienced team of advisors,” says Erick D. Reisinger, president of Disciples Church Extension Fund. “Having worked with him on various Disciples congregation projects, I know that he has the knowledge and expertise that will make him a great resource to our ministry and the congregations he serves.”
As a former Disciples Church Extension Fund special architectural consultant, Jim worked with churches to help them assess the condition and viability of their facilities and helped them develop long-range plans. He was a key member of the Disciples Church Extension Fund team that developed the Quick Building Inquiry Tool, a new online resource tool that enables Disciples churches to assess facilities.
In 2011, Jim served as a consultant to several churches in Joplin, Mo., that suffered severe or total devastation from a tornado that ripped through the city. He helped area congregations navigate through meetings with insurance adjusters, assessment of buildings and church relocation.
Jim is from Carl Junction, Missouri. He attended Missouri Southern State University and Missouri State University. Jim is married to Jill Cameron Michel, senior minister at South Joplin Christian Church in Joplin, Mo. They have four children and three grandchildren. The Michels will reside in Central Indiana with their two youngest children.