User Profile

Rev. Earl and Kimberly Long are entertainers/evangelists and have performed several thousand shows up and down the East Coast, Mid West and in the Bahamas and in many different venues including schools, libraries, churches, senior homes, camps, parks, civic auditoriums and on cruise ships. They have performed in venues with Mercy Me, Jeremy Camp, Audio Adrenaline, Superchic[k], Big Daddy Weave, Shane and Shane, Skillet, Bebo Norman, Natalie Grant, Nicole C. Mullen, Sanctus Real, Grits, Ricky Skaggs, Blessid Union of Souls, Starfield and Aaron Shust and have seen thousands receive Christ. In 1990, Earl graduated from Southern Wesleyan University with a degree in Christian Ministries and a minor in Youth Ministries. In February 1991, Earl married his wonderful fiancée Kimberly. After ten years of marriage they adopted a son Rian who was born on December 28, 2000. Three years later they were honored once again to adopt a son Chase who was born February 8, 2004. Earl has been in ministry for over 30 years and was ordained in July 1997. Earl and Kimberly have a passion for young people. They desire to see kids and teens receive Christ, grow in the Lord and then become great Christian leaders who are reaching out and leading others to Christ. Earl has held positions as Pastor, Assistant Pastor, College Pastor, Youth Pastor and Children’s Pastor. He and Kimberly have been in charge of revamping nurseries and children’s programs to get them more relevant to today’s culture and demands. They have organized and ran many Vacation Bible Schools, Back Yard Kid’s Clubs, Kid’s Camps and mission trips to reach children. Earl has been in charge of the children’s ministry programs for many years during his denomination's Annual District Conference. In October of 2001, Earl and Kimberly founded Vertical Kids Entertainment Ministry. With a combination of cool illusions, puppets, juggling, balloon twisting, humor, story telling and audience participation, Earl and Kimberly’s presentations provides a great deal of entertainment as well as solid spiritual value. Their web site is www.VerticalKidsMinistry.com . For three years, along with ministering in churches and special events as Vertical Kids Ministry, Earl and Kimberly were the Children’s Evangelists for Steve Wingfield Ministries of Harrisonburg Va. They traveled up and down the East Coast ministering at the week long crusades. For 7 years, Earl and Kimberly were missionaries to the American teenager. They ministered through a ministry called Ground Zero, based in Johnson City, TN and Myrtle Beach, SC. Earl came on staff in June 2001 and held the position as the Director of Outreach in which he organized big outreach events to reach the lost as well as train and equip youth workers and students. In June 2003, Earl became the Impact Team Director. He ministered to and built relationships with youth workers linking them with other youth workers for encouragement, spiritual growth and the opportunity to share resources. Earl also connected those who responded to Christ, through their events, with a local church that discipled them. Earl continued this until they went full time in their Vertical Kids Ministry in May of 2008. For 9 years, they were full-time with Vertical Kids. In 2017, Earl came on staff as the part-time Children and Family Life Pastor at a Church in Chesapeake, VA. After two years on staff, Earl has felt the call to go back as full-time evangelist/entertainer with Vertical Kids Entertainment Ministry. Since 2021, each year they do about 400 - 450 events a year. They have added Foam Parties, Big BubbleFest Events, a 9-hole mobile mini golf, GellyBall Battles, character mascots, face painting, balloon twisting, glitter tattoos, puppet shows and more.