Jeff Huber-Renewal Leave
June 20-October 10
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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 encouraged 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 God’s church and God’s 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 has been married to his wife Tami for 19 years and they have two children, Thomas and Viktoria.
Buff HearnSeptember 5-October 10
Interim Pastor
Dr. Hearn was born in San Angelo, Texas and grew up in a small town in Central Texas. Buff was raised in the United Methodist Church, continuing the family tradition of five generations of faithful followers of Christ in the Methodist Church in Texas. He graduated from Ballinger High School in 1962 and attended Texas A&M University graduating with a degree in Animal Science. While at Texas A&M, Dr. Hearn served on the Wool Judging Team and received a Distinguished Student Award from the university.
After graduating in 1966, Buff was employed by an international textile company and moved to South Carolina. During that time he entered military service in the Texas Army National Guard and received an honorable discharge in 1972. In 1968, Dr. Hearn resigned his position with J.P. Stevens in South Carolina and moved back to Texas to join his father in business in his home town. While working with his father and living on the family ranch, Buff received a call for fulltime pastoral ministry. He was accepted as a student at Asbury Theological Seminary and moved to Wilmore, Kentucky in 1972 to begin training for ministry. He graduated from Asbury in 1975 with a Master of Divinity degree and accepted an associate pastor position in Amarillo, Texas. Buff returned to Asbury in 1984 to begin work on a doctoral degree at Asbury Seminary, graduating with a Doctor of Ministry degree in 1987.
Dr. Hearn served United Methodist congregations in Texas and New Mexico, retiring from pastoral ministry after 38 years of service. Buff continues to serve as adjunct faculty at Asbury Seminary where he has taught on congregational revitalization and leadership for the past six years. He also is involved in missions on the local church level having lead mission teams to India, Russia, Mexico, Costa Rica, and the all over the United States.
Buff has been married to Sandy for 31 years and enjoys his four children and four grandchildren who all reside in Texas. Buff and Sandy now reside in Amarillo, Texas. Dr. Hearn is a professional potter with a state of the art studio behind his house in Amarillo. Buff’s pottery graces homes and churches all over the world. His involvement in ceramics began in 1988 at Western Texas College where he joined the fine arts teaching staff and became part of the adjunct faculty. Dr. Hearn’s works in clay can be seen on his website: www.parsonspottery.com.
Buff’s contact with Durango, Colorado began early in his life as his family visited this area every summer beginning when he was fifteen years old. Dr. Hearn has continued his love of hiking, fishing, and camping, returning almost every year to backpack all over the Rocky Mountain wilderness around Durango.
Roger Haney
Associate Pastor
I have been on staff since January 1st,2008. First as Pastoral Associate and then, through a process of study, interviews, and discernment I become a Licensed Local Pastor. After receiving my license I was appointed to serve Durango as a Licensed Local Pastor. It is a privilege to serve this awesome congregation. My passion is Pastoral Care in all of its diverse forms. I was a Volunteer Hospice Chaplain in Portland and it is a sacred honor to journey with the dying and those who love them.
I came to Durango from Portland Oregon (I miss the rain). I came to be closer to my two daughters living in the area; Laura my oldest and Rebecca my middle child. I also have a son, Daniel, and a granddaughter, Julia.
Outside of work I enjoy concerts, foreign films, travel, dogs, and clowns. I keep chocolate in my office so stop by for a visit!
Robb Bourdon-Business Manager
I have served as the Business Manager since January 2006. I have been a member of FUMC Durango since 1992 and over the years have been fortunate to have seen our church grow and prosper. It is a dynamic church that truly puts Jesus Christ at the forefront and strives hard to walk the walk of being Jesus Christ to the World.
I have been married since 1990 to my wife, Amy, and we are blessed to have three awesome children. Chloe 13, Jacob 11, and Zane 6 are all great kids and I am grateful to watch them grow up as young people of faith. In my spare time I enjoy watching and participating in most sports and also coach some of my kids activities.
Cherie Cobb- Director of Adult & Equipping Ministries
Hello! My name is Cherie Cobb and I head up the Adult Education and Equipping Ministries for FUMC. I am a native to Colorado and absolutely love living here in Durango where I met my husband, Michael and my handsome step-son Garrett and we have two Labradors who keep us on our toes! We are advocate skiers and love being outdoors for camping, hiking and or just sitting by the river! It is all good.
I am the newest team member on staff and come to FUMC with a business corporate background mostly within the Telecommunications Industry and have held a variety of positions ranging from middle management, marketing and sales, and account management positions. So as you can see, this is my first job with a non-profit and my first job with a church.
I believe we all have gifts from God and I have finally landed a position where I fit and where I can help and serve others to find their gifts and encourage people to be connected! For me, it is all about the connections, the relationships we create and value and my goal in this position is to provide opportunities for people to grow and stay connected and deepen their faith in our Lord, Jesus Christ. I don’t have all the answers and I am growing myself every day as a new wife, a new step-mother and within my role at FUMC. Come by and see what we are all about and I look forward to meeting you!
Jake Forsythe - Director of Student Ministries
Hi, my name is Jake Forsythe and I am the Director of Student Ministries at First United Methodist Church. I have been the director since August of 2007. I am a Durango native and I currently live in Bayfield with my wife Carrie and our kids Taylor and Noah. We are also foster parents and have foster children in our home often.
I have a passion for young people and I love working with them and helping them grow in their faith. My desire is for every student in our ministry to have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ and for them to continue down the road of discipleship long after they leave our ministry. I believe each of us has a purpose and I encourage all my students to find their purpose and pursue it with all their heart.
I am also a die hard Denver Bronco fan and I love sports, camping, fishing and spending quality time with my family. I am truly blessed to be a part of the staff at FUMC and I love coming to work every day! I also have a wonderful volunteer staff and I can’t thank them enough for their love and support. What a blessing!
Kate Uebersax - Director of Children and Family Ministries
Welcome to FUMC! My name is Kate Uebersax and I am the Director of Children & Family Ministries. I have been in Durango since 2005 and am originally from the Midwest where I earned a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Huntington University and a Master’s degree in Christian Education through Asbury Theological Seminary. I enjoy many things about my job here, from helping families connect with each other and with Jesus, to doing random things around the building, to leading our preschoolers in chapel each week. I am excited to be part of the team here at FUMC and look forward to meeting new families and individuals as you arrive. Blessings to you and your family!
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Andrew Homburg-Choir Director
Andrew Homburg is a music educator, researcher, singer, and director of choirs. He has been the Choir Director for First United Methodist Church since June of 2009. He has been working in music ministry for the last 15 years. Before moving to Durango he lived in the Kansas City area where he taught music in the public schools and completed his Ph.D. He is currently also Director of Choral Activities at Fort Lewis College. When not working, he can be found at home with his wife, Tara, and their sons Brogan and Rowen.
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Lawrence Nass - Praise Team Director
Lawrence Nass is a music composer, arranger, singer, teacher & performer. He is currently music director for several youth and adult worship bands at First United Methodist Church of Durango.
He has three cd recordings of his original piano compositions. Two are solo improvisational works and the third is composed, using many of L.A.’s top studio musicians. He has also composed soundtracks for film, theater and dance and has taught private piano lessons for over thirty years.
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. Locally, he has performed with the San Juan Symphony as well as many other musical groups, focusing on jazz, country, blues & rock ‘n roll.
Susie Fisher-Worship Coordinator
Susie Fisher is our Worship Coordinator, a part time position which she has held since Feb 2009. I have lived in Durango since 1986 (some say that just about makes me a local). I have a solid background in business from owner down to entry level employee and look forward to meeting all the celebrants in worship here at First United Methodist Church. As worship coordinator, I am the person responsible for making sure that your Worship Experience here at FUMC is a celebration to God our maker and his son Jesus Christ. I am responsible for finding and training all of the support volunteers which are necessary to fulfill each of our 4 services with “knowledgeable and skilled” persons.
When I am not here at FUMC, I also work for a local computer service, do bookkeeping services and income tax services. In my spare time I enjoy all winter sports and for summer love to garden, bicycle, rafting and kayaking and make some really fine jewelry. 2010 brings with it a glorious time in my life as a single mom of an 18 year old boy, Billy Miller who not only completed his Eagle Award in Boy Scouting but also will graduate from Durango High School this May.
Jeanette Johansen-Director of Methodist Christian School
My name is Jeanette Johansen and I am the director of the Christian School and Child Care Center here at FUMC. I have lived in Durango for 27 years and have been director of the school since it opened in 1998. I have 2 wonderful sons – one lives in Fort Collins and one lives in Durango. I am blessed to work with a great team of people in a job that I love. The early childhood years are so important and I am passionate about supporting young families and children in their unique development. Besides working with children and families, I enjoy hiking, gardening, watching movies and reading.
Linda Heaton - Secretary
For 20 years I taught school. I knew at a very young age that I wanted to teach and spent most of my highschool years volunteering through my church at an inner city afterschool program or babysitting. Years later, leaving professional teaching, I became a nanny. A move from Vermont to Colorado found me at loose ends. The church email announced they were looking for office help and my prayers were answered. I am still surrounded by people, I can use my spiritual gifts of administration and helping people. The blessings I feel each time I walk through the door to my office, knowing what a great job it is, is your gift to me and I thank you.
Angie Raulston-Secretary
Hi there! Welcome to FUMC. My name is Angie Raulston and I am one of the secretaries here at FUMC. In 2004 our family made the move to Durango where I began working here at the church. My husband and I have been married for 22 years and we have two wonderful children. The opportunities here at FUMC have been wonderful. It is a high energy-Christ motivated place to be and work. I am truly blessed to be a part of this wonderful church staff and amazing church family.
