FUMC Staff Biographies

Jeff Huber

Senior Pastor

    Rev. Jeff Huber has been Senior Pastor at First United Methodist Church in Durango since July or 2002.  He holds a Masters in Divinity degree from the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado and a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences from the University of Colorado in Boulder.  Pastor Jeff has also attended the Beeson Institute through Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky.  He was ordained in the Rocky Mountain Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1993 and served Collegiate United Methodist Church and Wesley Foundation in Ames, Iowa; Smoky Hill United Methodist Church in Centennial, Colorado; Calvary United Methodist Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado and Wheat Ridge United Methodist Church in Wheat Ridge, Colorado before coming to FUMC in Durango.
    While most of Pastor Jeff's family is from the Denver area, he spent much of his younger years in parts of California and Oregon.  He graduated from Acalanes High School in Lafayette, California where he was also active in the youth group at Lafayette United Methodist Church.  It was in that church that Jeff had his first preaching experience.  The people of Lafayette UMC encourage him to pursue ordained ministry and while he fought it for a while, God finally got a hold of him when he was active at the Wesley Foundation campus ministry while at CU Boulder.
    Pastor Jeff's passion is leading Gods church and Gods people towards a deeper faith that is relevant in today's world.  His hope and prayer is that we at First United Methodist Church in Durango will pursue God with our whole heart and strive to be Jesus Christ to the world.  Jeff is pictured here with his wife Tami, their two children Viktoria and Thomas, and their two dogs Gwen and Mikah.

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Tami Bradshaw Huber

Director of Adult Education

    Tami Bradshaw Huber (picture above) became the Director of Adult Education in January 2008.  She holds a Masters of Religion degree from the Iliff School of Theology and a Bachelors degree from Colorado State University.  Some of Tami's continuing education includes Clinical Pastoral Education, the God-Bearing workshop in Nashville, and the Academy of Spiritual Formation.

Tami served East United Methodist Church in Colorado Springs as a Student Pastor and Youth Director. While at East Church, Tami was given many opportunities to preach and lead special healing services.  From East Church, Tami went to the 2,000 member Trinity United Methodist Church in Denver.  Again, Tami's youth and young adult responsibilities were supplemented by leadership in worship.  Tami considers her children and her husband, Jeff, her first and most important calling.  Now that Tami has become a mom to Thomas and Viktoria, her interest in women's ministry and adult education have grown. 

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Roger Haney

Pastoral Care Associate/Christ Care Ministries Director

    I came to Durango in August 2006 from Portland, Oregon, the land of rain and green trees. I am the father of three children who live in the Durango area.  I also have a 16 year-old granddaughter.  I joined this church in November 2006.  My roots go deep in the Methodist Church and it is good to be here in this wonderful community of faith.  I came on staff this past January 1st and am currently working on my license to be a local pastor.  I have a B.A. in Religious Studies and have completed 51 credits towards a Masters in Divinity. My passion is pastoral care and carrying forth the healing ministries of Jesus and being God's hands to the world.  I have over 1,300 hours of volunteer work for Hospice as a chaplain and respite provider.  My interests include reading, writing, theatre, walking, clowns, dogs, classical music, blues, and foreign films.  Come by and see me sometime; I keep chocolate on hand.

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Kate Uebersax

Director, Children and Family Ministries

    Durango and FUMC have been home since October 2005.  I really enjoy the variety of things I am able to do as part of my job, from organizing and coordinating different children's areas to leading the children's choir.  Prior to coming to Durango from the Midwest, I attended Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky and have a Master's degree in Christian Education.  I have enjoyed working with children for years, and am very happy to be at FUMC in this position.  I am excited about helping kids get to know Jesus better and strive to offer each child a positive Christian experience.  Though I love working at the church, my cat Barney is always happy to have me home as well.  He shares my love for books, though he enjoys sitting on them instead of reading.

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Robb Bourdon

Business Manager

    I have been the Business Manager here at FUMC Durango since January 2006.  I have been a member here since 1992 and over the years have served on various committees and taken more biblical studies or been in more small groups than I can remember.  Some of my favorite studies have been 40 Days of Purpose and Religions of the World.  I have even been known to lead a group or study when no one else raises their hand.  My favorite book in the bible is Matthew, although my favorite verse comes from James 1:12.   I have been married for almost 17 years to a wonderful woman, Amy, and we have three children, Chloe, Jacob, and Zane.  They are the greatest gift God has ever given me.  When I am not working, I pretty much enjoy all sports.  Football, basketball, baseball, softball, and golf top the list.

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Jake Forsythe

Youth Director

    I became the Youth Director at FUMC in August of 2007. I am a Durango native, and I currently live in Bayfield with my wife Carrie and our children Taylor and Noah. I love to spend time with my family in my free time.
      Two years ago I felt like God was calling me into youth ministry, so I started volunteering with JOLT Youth Ministries on Tuesday nights. It didn't take long for me to get attached to the kids, and see what a need they have for adults to care for them and build relationships with them. I had no idea at the time that I would eventually be the director here. We have a growing ministry and I love to see how the students are growing in their faith.
     I am currently enrolled in a Bible study course through Liberty University, and should be graduating in the spring. I will be attending the Perkins School of Youth Ministry in Dallas Texas this January. My long term goal is to get my local pastor's license within the next two years.

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Angie Raulston

Secretary

    I joined the staff here at FUMC in June of 2003 after enjoying several years as a stay at home mom. I am married, with two wonderful children.   I feel that the ministry of the office is an essential part of  First United Methodist.  I get to meet, greet and assist people and am First Contact, so to speak, for FUMC.  I am truly blessed to be here and thank God every day for the opportunities that he gives me to serve him.

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Linda Heaton

Secretary

    I joined the office staff in March of 2007.  My working career has been varied, but always with people.  I taught kindergarten and 1st grade for 17 years, worked in Home Health, was a nanny and then an artist/owner of a co-operative gallery. Most recently I felt the need to have a job that reached out to peoples hearts.  While contemplating my choices, an office job opened at FUMC.  What a blessing! I have always been a person who cares and the office allows plenty of blessed opportunities to serve God and the church members.
     My husband Russ and I moved from Vermont in 2002.  We are renovating our home in Bayfield and have a seeming endless project ahead of us.  Fortunately though, both of us love renovating projects and the wonderful results.

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Tim Bjorklund

Worship Coordinator

   Tim has served as the Worship Coordinator since January 1, 2008.  He is married to our Choir Director, Susie, and they make a great team in sharing their musical and other talents with our church.  Besides coordinating all aspects of the worship services, Tim is also a member of the Sunday morning Praise Team.  When he has spare time he will even perform maintenance work around the church.  Truly a multi-talented individual.  .

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Lawrence Nass

Praise Team Director

    Lawrence Nass is a music composer, arranger, singer, teacher & performer.  Lawrence has three CD recordings of his original compositions. Two are solo improvisational works ("Another Day" and "Opening Presence") and the third ("Mr. Moon") is composed, using many of L.A.'s top studio musicians.  Lawrence has opened for jazz greats Mose Allison and Maynard Ferguson and has played a concert of duets with the Native American flautist, R. Carlos Nakai. He regularly performs his original works on piano and is well known for his annual holiday concert, Unexpected Christmas Presence, which ran for ten years.  Lawrence was a co-recipient (with a choreographer and a storyteller) of a Colorado Arts Council grant for the 98-99 season. This was for composing a full length score to the Alaskan Indian tale, Two Old Women. He has also added his talents to Arts Force, a Colorado state-funded project that brings artists into the 9-R schools.  Lawrence has taught private piano lessons for over twenty five years. He has also, for many years, been an instructor for the nationally acclaimed programs Getaway and Elderhostel, teaching music to the "chronologically superior" at Fort Lewis College summer sessions.  Lawrence was on the board of the Durango Arts Center and was President of the board.  Lawrence composed a full soundtrack for an original play by Katherine Moller and Maureen May, Through the Fire, performed at Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO, in the year 2000.  In 2001 he composed and produced soundtracks for two productions of works by Shakespeare. He has composed and performed original soundtracks for many plays since then.  In 2003 he composed a full length soundtrack for the award winning feature-length documentary film about Harry Carey, Jr. entitled, "Dobe: In the Company of Heroes".  In 2006 he composed an original soundtrack for the documentary entitled, "Stanton Engelhart: A Life on Canvas".  In 2006, Lawrence traveled to Cuba to study and play Cuban Salsa music.  Lawrence is co-director of the Stillwater Steel Pan Ensemble, an after-school music program for middle and high school students.  Lawrence has been in the New Hope Church band, at the High Five movie theater for over three and a half years.  Lawrence joined the First United Methodist Church band in the Summer of 2007, and is musical director.

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Susie Bjorklund

Chancel Choir Director

    Susie Bjorklund conducts the chancel choir.  Susie has been singing professionally since 1980 (but she's been singing in churches since 1968).  She attended Northern Arizona University where she sang in two choirs, performed in opera's and musicals and studied voice for four years.  Since then, she's performed in summer vaudeville shows in Northern Arizona and has done some solo work with the Durango Choral Society. In the summer of 1986 she performed at the Abbey theater in the musical "Quilters" by Molly Newman and Barbara Damashek.  She was a soloist for the Kona Festival Chorale in Hawaii for 10 yrs.  She has performed at close to 1,000 weddings in Hawaii and Japan.  Susie has been a guest soloist for Women United in Christ, here in Durango and has had the honor of declaring God's faithfulness in her own concerts which she has performed in Wisconsin, Minnesota and throughout Arizona.  Three years running Susie has performed with Harpist, Debi Marti in their own Christmas Celebration concerts.  She's been a guest artist on GLC (God's Learning Channel) a satellite Television station in Midland, TX.  She has taught private voice lessons since 1983.

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