Announcement from CUMC Memphis Website

Bishop Dick Wills of the Memphis Annual Conference announces the appointment of Rev. Shane Stanford as the next Senior Pastor of Christ United Methodist Church. Rev. Stanford currently serves as Senior Pastor of Gulf Breeze United Methodist Church in Gulf Breeze, FL, one of the largest UMC congregations in the United States with an average weekly worship attendance of more than 2,400.

“The Search Committee is delighted that Rev. Shane Stanford will be the sixth pastor in the 56 year history of Christ Church,” said Kirk Bailey, chairman of the Search Committee. “Shane is a gifted preacher/teacher, with a warm, engaging personality and a unique life story to share that will be an asset in the outreach ministries of Christ Church.”

Dr. Maxie Dunnam shares Bailey’s excitement about this appointment. “Shane Stanford is an amazingly gifted person. He is a powerful preacher and a convincing writer,” said Maxie. “Knowing the significant place of Christ Church in United Methodism and in our city, I am delighted to have a leader of this quality assume the position as Senior Minister. Our congregation and the entire city will be well served by his leadership.”

Rev. Stanford has served as Host of The United Methodist Hour, a television and radio ministry viewed in more than 30,000,000 homes weekly. He continues to host a radio blog titled LifeMatters, available nationwide.

He is also the author of nine books including bestsellers, The CURE for the Chronic Life (co-authored with Deanna Favre and which held as the #1 Pastoral Care book in the country for seven weeks), The Seven NEXT Words of Christ and You Can’t Do Everything…So Do Something. He has published numerous articles in journals and magazines including The Upper Room, CNN Today and Christianity Today.

Rev. Stanford travels extensively sharing his testimony and witness as an HIV+ Christian Minister who contracted the disease through a blood transfusion used to treat his Hemophilia. He has spoken in 36 states including an engagement as the keynote speaker for the 2006 Saddleback Global AIDS Summit, alongside other notables as Franklin Graham, John Ortberg and then-Senator Barack Obama.

Rev. Stanford has appeared as an expert and contributor on spirituality, family health and issues related to HIV on numerous media outlets including Good Morning America, Fox and Friends, LifeToday and The Hour of Power.

“I have been aware of the wonderful work and impact of Christ UMC Memphis for most of my ministry,” said Rev. Stanford. “To have the opportunity of working with such gifted, creative and passionate servants of Christ is a true honor. As the writer of Hebrews states, I look forward to being a part of this ‘great cloud of witnesses’ as we work together to Love Jesus…and Love Like Jesus in our community and beyond.”

Rev. Stanford is married to Dr. Pokey Stanford, an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Southern Mississippi, and they are the parents of three daughters, Sarai Grace (14), Juli Anna (11) and Emma Leigh (7).

To learn more about Rev. Stanford, he invites you to visit his website at www.shanestanford.org or his blog, www.shanestanford.blogspot.com. For those on Facebook, Rev. Stanford invites you to become a friend of Shane Stanford or follow him on twitter, stanfordshane@twitter.com.