Dr. Shelton Graduated from Bob Jones University, and went on to preach God's Word in Taiwan to those in the Chinese army camps under Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Chek. He also evangelized the people of the Pescadores, a chain of islands between Taiwan and Mainland China. After marrying Nancy, he went to Okinawa where they served as first term missionaries. Later they went to Vietnam where they intended to spend the rest of their earthly ministry. They learned the language and entered into a work of evangelism and Bible conferences that took them from one end of the country to the other.
At this time, the Vietcong were in control of the mountains around the Mekong Delta where he lived. Every night they would come down and carry out horrible deeds of terror. People would be dragged screaming into the night, and their bodies would be found the next morning. They had suffered painful deaths. Because many of Shelton's Christian friends were among those murdered, he confessed to developing a hatred for the Vietcong. Then one day an officer in the Vietnamese army came to him and said, "In a prison camp not far away we have 500 Vietcong prisoners. Would you like to go preach to them?" Shelton hesitated, knowing that some of the men who had killed his friends might be there. But he also knew that God had given him this opportunity and would help him love these men, so he consented. When he finished preaching, about 25 communist guerrillas indicated they had received Christ.
Eventually, they returned to the States for furlough with their three children. (Their daughters, Becki and Shari, were born on Okinawa and their son, Dan, in Saigon.) It was during furlough that the war broke out in Vietnam and they were not able to return to that field to do the work that was so close to their hearts. Following Dr. Savage's 38 year ministry at First Baptist Church in Pontiac, Michigan the congregation extended the call to Bob to become their next pastor. Many received Christ as Savior. The radio ministry under Pastor Shelton covered the globe and responses came from 36 countries. Perhaps one of the greatest outreaches was the television program, "There Is An Answer," which weekly saturated the greater Detroit area resulting in the conversion of many people and the edification of countless Christians Since 1974, the Sheltons have been in a full-time ministry of evangelism and Bible conferences which take them throughout our country and many foreign lands.
