RELEASE DATE: Monday, January 18, 2021
Contact Information: Bishop W. Earl Bledsoe – bishopbledsoe@nmconfum.com
The Reverend George Price, superintendent of the Abilene District, announced his retirement effective July 1, 2021, after serving over 40 years as a pastor in the Northwest Texas Conference. He was born and raised in Levelland, Texas where he graduated from Levelland High School and attended South Plains College for one year before transferring to McMurry University, Abilene, Texas. He graduated from McMurry in 1974. He received the Master of Divinity degree from Asbury Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky in 1978. He married Karen Kelley in June of 1971 and they are the proud parents of three sons: Jeremy, Zachary, and Caleb. Rev. Price received his Deacon Orders in May of 1976 and his Elders Orders in May of 1979.
He served many small and mid-size congregations before Bishop Bledsoe invited him to join the cabinet while serving the Childress congregation. He has served faithfully for eight (8) years as superintendent of the Abilene District following the leadership of Rev. Don Boren. He held positions on numerous conference and district boards.
Bishop Bledsoe announced the appointment of Rev. Felicia Hopkins, currently serving the Amarillo District, to serve as the new Superintendent of the Abilene District, effective July 1, 2021. Rev. Hopkins is no stranger to the Abilene district, serving as Senior pastor of St. Paul UMC in Abilene for 6 years.
The Reverend Darren L. Skinner, Senior pastor of St. Paul UMC, Las Cruces, New Mexico has been invited by the bishop to serve as Superintendent of the Amarillo District, effective July 1, 2021. Rev. Skinner was born and reared in the Panhandle, South Plains, and the Permian Basin of Texas. He graduated with a bachelor’s in music education from Angelo State University and a Master of Divinity degree from Oral Roberts University. Darren married Sheila in 1997. They met in Idalou, Texas where she was a member of the choir. Darren states, “Sheila is my joy and my rock. She makes me laugh and keeps me from being so serious.” The Skinners are a blended family, with two boys Joseph and Philip from Sheila, and one son together, Benjamin, a junior studying Mechanical Engineering Technology at New Mexico State University.
Rev. Skinner began his ministry in the Northwest Texas Conference serving churches in Coahoma/Big Spring, Texas; O’Donnell/Draw, Texas; Idalou, Texas, Denver City, Texas, and Hereford, Texas. He served in the New Mexico Conference in Hobbs and St. Paul’s, Las Cruces. Darren is excited about returning home and serving in the Amarillo District of the Northwest Texas Conference. All of his ministry has been served as a pastor of a local church. He believes the local church is the hope of the world. He wants to be an advocate and champion of the local church, encouraging, challenging, and leading congregations to grow into a deeper relationship with Jesus while transforming their communities and the world.
Darren will be invited to sit in on the upcoming appointive cabinet meetings to provide for a smoother transition of leadership.