Bio

I was born September 29, 1934 on a small, rented farm with a small three-room house with no electricity, no indoor plumbing, no insulation, heat provided by a fireplace.

When My dad was drafted, April 1944, we moved 18 miles to a small town, Plainview, Arkansas. My dad was seriously wounded, was discharged as 100% disabled. Life was tough. His pension did not move us out of poverty.

Education:
B.A. Hendrix College Conway, Arkansas May 1956
M. A. Colorado State College Greeley, Colorado May 1962
MDiv. The Iliff School of Theology Denver, Colorado May 1965

After graduating from high school in 1952, I enrolled in Hendrix College to begin preparation for the ministry. When I graduated, I decided to not go to seminary.

I coached high school and track for 7 years. Jim Miller, the athletic director of the Greeley School District, offered me the head basketball coaching position at a high school that was under construction, Greeley West. That was a pivotal moment. I said “No” to coaching, something I loved and “Yes” to my call to ministry. To stay close to the game, I referred high school and college basketball for 20+years.

In 1964 I enrolled in The Iliff School of Theology. After graduation, I was ordained an elder in the Methodist Church, June 1965. For 32 years, I was pastor of churches in the three states of the Rocky Mountain Conference, Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. I have been a Methodist/United Methodist pastor for 65 years.

I conducted tours to many parts of the globe. My favorites are a safari in Kenya and river cruises in Russia.

I am a risk taker who has defied the probabilities and tried to walk just inside the borders of the possible. With my mind stretched by new ideas, new experiences and new relationships, I journeyed from that culture and time to who I am today.

I am comfortable with independent thought and have what I call a healthy disregard for convention, the status quo and authority. Before I could be faithful go my call to ministry. I had to be faithful to my call to be authentic. I could not dance the dance of ministry choreographed by someone else.