Rev. Dr. Randall Partin
2022 Episcopal Candidate
Educational Background:
- MDiv – Duke Divinity School, Durham, NC (2006)
- PhD, Political Science – University of Colorado, Boulder, CO (1997)
- BS, Political Science, German — Tulane University, New Orleans, LA (1990)
Personal
53 years old, born in Corbin, Kentucky | “army brat,” growing up on or near military bases, graduated from high school in Clarksville, Tennessee w married to Dr. Susan Brumbaugh for 26 years with two children: Eli (23) and Sophie (20)
Hobbies include ringing handbells with Albuquerque’s community ensemble (Enchantment), reading (professionally as well as for pleasure), and learning more about Anglo-Saxon Britain (~400s-1066)
Physically active, I’ve walked the Way of St. Cuthbert (2014) and the Camino Santiago de Compostela (2018);plans to walk the “Old Way” from Winchester to Canterbury in 2021 were shelved due to COVID | Myers-Briggs: INFJ | DiSC Style: “C” | Enneagram: 5
Appointment History:
-
St. John’s United Methodist Church, Albuquerque, NM (2021-present)
large (for New Mexico), suburban/urban program-size congregation
- facilitated transition from pandemic “lockdown” (bringing back on-site worship and ministries), including a creative re-boot of the 815am Sunday worship service with positive results
- worked with existing leadership and visioning processes to identify core purposes as “Loving God, Loving Others, Changing Lives” with vision-casting process for leadership and congregation for how these core purposes are lived out in mission and ministry
- in response to congregational anxiety about maintaining a “big tent” identity (where diverse viewpoints are included and respected) developed a Lenten sermon series on healing broken relationships and how to navigate polarities and division in our lives and culture
-
Provost: New Mexico Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church (2015-2021)
Director of Connectional Ministries (plus) role for a small Annual Conference
- as Assistant to the Bishop, I functioned as Chief Operating Officer for a conference of 140 congregations with an annual budget of approximately $2million and staff of 10-11 persons
- member of the Extended/Appointive Cabinet, discerning and helping to assign/appoint pastors and certified lay persons to lead local congregations in New Mexico and far-west Texas
- chaired Annual Conference Planning Team (planning annual event with approximately 300 attendees), Conference Ministry Team (leadership team of committee chairs and others by virtue of office or position in the Conference), and served as the bishop’s representative on all other administrative and financial committees
- primary role was as “chief convener” of ministry teams ranging from Campus Ministry units to New Church Starts to Disaster Relief; I worked with a wide range of laity and clergy, volunteers, and paid staff to support the vision and mission of the Annual Conference
- as Director of Congregational Vitality, supported and implemented Healthy Church Initiative process for congregations throughout the annual conference (including a Small Church Initiative), along with lay and clergy leadership development programs such as Creating a Culture of Renewal with Rebekah Simon-Peter, clergy retreat content, and Certified Lay Ministry trainings; also worked directly with individual congregations when requested (visioning, single-board model, discernment processes, etc.)
- inherited a shift to a “tithe” model of Shared Ministries/apportionments, oversaw successful implementation of that shift as well as stabilization of conference finances and steady increase in annual conference payout of General and Jurisdictional apportionments
- as Ecumenical Officer for the area bishop, participated in the ministry of the New Mexico Conference of Churches (on-going, see below)
-
University United Methodist Church, Las Cruces, NM (2010–2015)
suburban/town, pastor-led-to-program-size congregation
- deepened focus on discipleship practices (prayer, study of scripture, service and evangelism)
- oversaw multiple staffing changes as the congregation re-tooled for growth and more vital ministry
- transitioned to unified board model with effective results in leadership and forward momentum
- stabilized and grew financial health and well-being of the congregation
- expanded outward focus of congregation through new, creative, lay-led ministry endeavors (community garden, food pantry, partnership with University Hills Elementary School, “Mission House” intentional/new-monastic community, GLUE ministry with incarcerated youth, etc.)
Appointment History (cont’d):
-
Hamlin Memorial United Methodist Church, Farwell, TX (2007–2010)
rural, county seat, pastor-led congregation
- connected congregation with new regional, international, and local mission opportunities (Operación Hogar home-building ministry in Juárez, two youth and young-adult mission trips/teams to Costa Rica, and regular, monthly partnership with Lighthouse Rescue Mission in Clovis, NM)
- developed outward-focused attention for congregation to rediscover the mission field communities of Texico and Farwell through “Church Outside the Walls,” door-to-door visitation, and service evangelism opportunities
-
Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church, Dunn, NC (2004—2007)
rural, family chapel-size congregation
- led transition of congregation to “station” appointment for first time in its 100+ year history
- helped grow financial stewardship as well as engagement with missions and ministries in the community, including Dunn Rescue Mission and Episcopal Farmworker Ministries
Ministry Highlights Beyond the Local Church:
-
New Mexico Conference of Churches (2015-present)
- as Bishop Bledsoe’s ecumenical representative, served as the United Methodist member of the statewide ecumenical organization, participating in advocacy and training events
- currently serve as a member of the Executive Committee as Secretary
-
New Mexico Annual Conference, Chair of New Church Development (2011-2016)
- oversaw process for equipping potential new church planters, launching new faith communities, and assessing long-term viability of new church starts (four new church starts began or continued during this time: The
Ridge, El Paso, Ekklesia, El Paso, New Heights Community, Las Cruces, and The Bridge, Odessa) Task Force, Western Hills UMC, El Paso, TX (2013-2014) and John Wesley UMC, Fayetteville, NC (2007) - invited to serve as the outside clergy member on a revitalization/turnaround task force for two local United Methodist congregations in crisis
- oversaw process for equipping potential new church planters, launching new faith communities, and assessing long-term viability of new church starts (four new church starts began or continued during this time: The
-
General Conference of The United Methodist Church (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016)
- served in various staffing roles in the office of the Secretary of General Conference, most recently (2016) as Legislative Committee Coordinator
- in 2018, was elected by the New Mexico Annual Conference as the first clergy delegate for the 2020 General and Jurisdictional Conferences (postponed)
Additional Ministry Experience Beyond the Local Church:
- New Mexico Annual Conference Council on Finance and Administration, Chair (July 2021-present)
- Association of Directors of Connectional Ministry, President (January 2020-July 2021)
- Certified Lay Ministry Training Module Instructor, Methodist History and Polity (multiple years)
- Conference Council on Youth Ministries, Preacher (multiple years)
- Sacramento Camps and Conference Center Board (2008-2021)
- Servants Walking in Faith Together (SWIFT) Spring Retreat Preacher (2013)
- New Mexico State Wesley Foundation Board (2010-2015)
- El Paso District Committee on Superintendency (2010-2011, 2014-2015)
- New Mexico Annual Conference, Engaging Ministries Team (2009-2015)
- Walk to Emmaus, Assistant Spiritual Director (2009, 2012)
- Clovis District Committee on Building and Church Location (2008-2010)
- Clovis Area Confirmation Camp (2008)
- Old Testament Faculty Search Committee, student representative, Duke Divinity School (2005)
Other/Prior Work Experience:
- Department of Political Science, University of New Mexico (1997 – 2002)
- tenure-track position in American Politics, teaching courses in American Government, State Politics and Policy, New Mexico Politics, Political Parties, American Politics Introduction (Graduate Level), and Political Science Honors Program
- diverse scholarly research agenda on subjects ranging from gubernatorial elections, to the effects of campaign advertisements, to state-level policies addressing incidents and rates of drunk driving related fatalities
- Department of Political Science, University of Colorado—Boulder (1990 – 1997)
- Graduate Research Assistant: Center for the Study of American Politics, joint Political Science/Sociology Research (Computer) Lab, and the Institute for Behavioral Science (research areas were primarily in the study of political parties, especially third-party movements)
- Graduate Teaching Assistant: taught Introduction to American Politics and Introduction to Research Methods (Graduate Level), as well as serving as Graduate Part-Time Instructor, teaching Introduction to American Politics