Why we exist / Mission / Vision
We exist to minister to our neighbors as an extension of God’s own love and compassion. In times of crisis, we are prepared and readily step forward to comfort others with the comfort we also have received.
Faith Statement of Crisis Response Ministry
- We hold the Bible is God’s Word and reveals that God is One, yet manifested in three Persons: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus
- Christ gave His life vicariously on the cross for the sins of mankind. He was buried and physically resurrected to ensure eternal life for all who, by faith in Him, embrace the Gospel.
- Jesus is the only path to God the Father and only way of salvation from sins.
- In obedience to Christ, the believer should seek to love Him by loving others, pointing them to His grace, and by reflecting His compassion in real time.
- The Church, consisting of baptized believers, is the Body of Christ. It is the primary place for worship, fellowship, and service.
- Crisis Responders will be actively involved in a local church community.
Bylaws
Board of Directors
Glenn Cato, Board Chairman
Glenn graduated in 1975 from Baylor University with a degree in Accounting and earned his CPA certificate in 1980. Glenn and his business partner co-own CFO Advisory services in Richardson, TX. Glenn and his wife Gail have been married for 41 years, They have two adult children and 4 grandchildren. Glenn is a member of First Baptist Church in Grand Prairie where he serves as a deacon and Bible Study teacher. Glenn was licensed as a minister in 2010 and has served as a Chaplain for the Grand Prairie Police Department since 2012.
Jim McKee, Executive Director
Jim McKee lives in Tyler, Texas and has been involved in public health and safety since 1995. He retired in 2013 as a volunteer member of the Mabank Fire Department having served for 18 years as a Firefighter and Licensed Paramedic. He currently serves as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff and Mental Health Officer with the Smith County Sheriff’s Office.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Liberty University in Interdisciplinary Studies with cognates in Criminal Justice, Health Care and Discipleship Counseling. He also holds an Associate of Applied Sciences in Emergency Medical Services from Trinity Valley Community College.
Jim is a licensed instructor for the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE). Jim taught for 14 years as a Health Science Instructor with Mabank High School and as an Adjunct EMS Instructor for Trinity Valley Community College. Jim is a member of the East Texas Critical Incident Stress Management Team. Jim has been married to his wife Annette for 38 years. Their pride and joy are their two grown children (Michael and Shanna Garcia) and nine grand children who live in Oklahoma and East Texas. His strength and hope comes from his relationship and friendship with Jesus Christ.
Assistant Chief Ronnie Morris - Board Member
Assistant Chief Morris has been with the Grand Prairie Police Department for 17 years, after serving with two previous police agencies for four years. Over the last 21 years Assistant Chief Morris has served in all areas of the law enforcement profession to include Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, Detective, and SWAT. In 2008 he was promoted to Sergeant where he served in the Patrol Division and well as in Investigative Services. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2012 and was assigned to the Patrol Division as a Watch Commander and later served as the Division Commander for Community Services. In 2015 Chief Morris was promoted to Deputy Chief of Police and was tasked with commanding the newly formed Special Operations Division as well as serving as the Patrol Chief. In January 2017 Chief Morris was promoted to the rank of Assistant Chief of Police and is currently assigned to the Field Operations Bureau.
Assistant Chief Morris earned a degree in Christian Education from Living Word Theological Seminary and a degree in Criminal Justice/Police Science from Waldorf University. He loves serving the citizens of the City of Grand Prairie and leading the great men and women of the Grand Prairie Police Department. Chief Morris sees law enforcement as his calling and strives daily to walk in a manner worthy of that to which he has been called.
Dr. Jim Ellor - Board Member
Dr. Ellor currently serves as Professor, PhD Program & Co-Director at Baylor University in Waco Texas. Dr. Ellor is also working directly with the Texas Office of Emergency Management to improve the efficiency of call outs related to emotional and spiritual care for victims. He also works with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. He previously served as Professor of Human Services and Gerontology at National - Louis University in Wheaton, Ill., for 21 years. In this capacity he also was the director of the Center for Positive Aging. Concurrent to this position, he served part-time as an on-call chaplain at Edward Hospital in Naperville, Ill. Previously, he was a research associate at the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago. Dr. Ellor works with older adults around issues of mental and spiritual health. He has served on the executive committee of the Midwestern Geriatric Education Center and provides education, counseling, and planning for individuals and groups who work with seniors. His research includes work in entrostomal therapy, hunger, spiritual assessment, and intervention techniques with cognitively impaired older adults. He is married to Janet R. Ellor. They are parents of Lisa and Margaret McCormick Theological Seminary, BA from Kent State University.
Courtney Runnels, LPC, CART - Board Member
Courtney earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology and Criminal Justice from Stephen F. Austin State University and a Master’s of Science in Psychology from Texas A&M Commerce. Courtney is a Licensed Professional Counselor through the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors. She is also a Certified Anger Resolution Therapist.
Courtney started her career with the Hurst Police Department working as a records clerk and a Telecommunications Specialist and Trainer. Following her time with Hurst Police Department, she worked with a local mental health agency serving as a liaison between law enforcement and the chronically mentally ill. Prior to coming to the Grand Prairie Police Department, she worked as the Crime Victim Coordinator for the Hurst, Euless and Bedford Police Departments.
Courtney currently works as the Crisis Support Supervisor for the Grand Prairie Police Department. She is a crisis interventionist and a liaison between law enforcement and the community. She is the Peer Support Coordinator for the department working to assist in promoting officer wellness. She is a trained hostage negotiator and serves as the mental health professional on the Grand Prairie Crisis Negotiation team.
Courtney provides Crisis Intervention Training, Mental Health Peace Officer Training, and other specialized trainings to the Grand Prairie Police Department and surrounding agencies. She has experience working with chronically mentally ill adults, persons in crisis and persons affected by trauma. She is married and has her own private practice where she specializes in working with first responders.
Brent Wadle, DO - Board Member
I am a 58-year-old family practice physician with 27 years of experience, currently serving as the Vice President over physician operations for North East Texas at Christus Health. While my role has transitioned to administration over the past six years, I remain committed to patient care, continuing to see patients once a week.
I was born in DeSoto, Texas, where I met my wife, Gigi, in high school. We have two wonderful sons, Jacob and Caleb. Jacob is married to Carly, and they’ve blessed us with a grandson, Bishop.
My journey of faith began during my college years at Texas Tech, where I became a Christian. I went on to attend medical school at the University of North Texas Health Sciences Center in Fort Worth. Following that, I completed my family practice residency in Oklahoma City, where I was part of a faith-based residency program. During my time there, I was deeply involved in caring for parents affected by the Murrah Federal Building bombing.
After residency, I practiced in Winnsboro, Texas, for 12 years before moving to Tyler, Texas, where I have practiced for the past 15 years. While in Tyler, I have been an active member of Grace Community Church, serving as an elder.
My commitment to service extends beyond my local community; I've participated in church mission trips and medical missions and continue to volunteer at Bethesda Health Clinic.
Outside of work and church, I enjoy traveling with Gigi and spending time outdoors hunting and golfing with my boys.
Mike Gudgel, Denison Police Chief - Board Member
Chief Gudgel is a graduate of the Tarleton State University with a Bachelor of Arts and Applied Sciences in Criminal Justice Administration. Chief Gudgel is a graduate of the Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP), the FBI-Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (LEEDA) Executive Institute, the Texas Police Chiefs Association's Developing Leaders for Texas Law Enforcement, and GMI Management Skills (Bill Blackwood LEMIT). Chief Gudgel holds Master Peace Officer and Instructor Certifications from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE).
Chief Gudgel began his law enforcement career with the Grand Prairie Police Department in 1992. During his career, Chief Gudgel has worked as a Patrol Officer, Detective, Narcotics Investigator, Patrol Sergeant, Detective Sergeant, Patrol Lieutenant, Community Services Lieutenant, Patrol Deputy Chief, and Criminal Investigations Deputy Chief. Chief Gudgel became the City of Denison’s Police Chief in July of 2019. Chief Gudgel and his wife are proud parents of
twin daughters, and he enjoy spending time with family and the outdoors.
Emil Balliet - Board Member
Emil Balliet is a born-again Christian, saved when he was a teenager and baptized a few years later. Because his faith is secured by the sovereign grace of the LORD on his life and eternity, Emil often refers to 1 Timothy 1:17 “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
Emil Balliet, MA (BD, Bible Baptist Seminary; BA, Arlington Baptist College; MA, Ministry: Moody Bible Institute), is currently an adjunct instructor for Arlington Baptist University. He teaches two online studies: Conflict Resolution, A Biblical Approach; and the study of The Minor Prophets. Emil served the Calvary Baptist Church in Grand Prairie, Texas as Associate Pastor (1968-2003). He began teaching at Arlington Baptist College (now ABU) in 1994 and served as the Dean of Students (2004-2013). He was the Senior Chaplain and Coordinator of Volunteer Programs for the Grand Prairie Police Department (2013-2019). Emil’s love for serving others in their time of need motivated him to training and certifications including: (2002-2003) Chaplaincy Basic and Advanced Levels 1, 2, 3, 4 Victim Chaplain Association of America; (2003) Critical Incident Stress Management Debriefing Certification Louisiana CISM; (2015) Traumas of Law Enforcement Concerns of Police Survivors.
Emil and his wife, Charlotte, have been married fifty-six years and live in Wylie, Texas since his retirement in 2019. He volunteers with the Hope for the Cities food charity and is on the Personnel Committee at the Cross Church where they are members.
Helping Victims
Helping Victims
Mailing Address
PO Box 131597
Tyler, TX 75713
Office Address
401 E. Front Street
Suite 138
Tyler, TX 75702
Useful Links
Crisis Response Ministry is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. All contributions are tax deductible within guidelines of U.S. law.