Co-Pastor Dave Lillie

Let's see, a biography generally lists some specific information about a person, so let's start with some background material. My name is Dave Lillie. (You're welcome to call me Reverend Dave, Pastor Dave, or Dave - whatever you are comfortable with.) I was born in 1956. Carol and I are co-pastors, and partners in life. We were married in 1977 at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, in Albuquerque, NM. We have three adult children, Megan (Lillie) Smith, Bryson, and Colin. Megan lives in College Station, TX with her husband Aaron; Bryson lives in Independence, MO with his wife Sarah; Colin lives in Ft. Collins, CO with his wife Heather. I have served Christ as pastor (and now co-pastor!) for 19 years. During 12 of those years the churches I've been privileged to lead have received Conference awards for growth and vitality.

You might think that the fact that Carol and I were married in the United Methodist church indicates a life-long connection with the church. That couldn't be further from the truth. I grew up without attending church (OK, maybe two or three times that I remember before I turned 21 …) and had a very typical attitude for most of my generation, specifically that churches only existed to tell people what to think and what to do … and to make us give them money!

I began to discover how wrong that attitude was when, at age 30, Carol and I decided to attend a new church being established on the western edge of the Albuquerque suburbs. I discovered that God had been available to me throughout my life and that, at times, I had even been very aware of God's presence. I also discovered that not all churches focus on telling people what to think and do, instead encouraging everyone to explore their understanding of God and faith in a loving and supportive environment. I met Jesus Christ in a very real and personal way and my life began to change for the better.

I won't claim that life was tough or difficult and that spiritual community allowed me to find blissful relief. In fact we lived “the good life.” I was very well paid as a corporate controller. We lived in a custom built home and I drove a restored classic car to work every day. A country club membership was nice, and we could buy whatever physical things we wanted. Along with all that I possessed an incredible sense of emptiness and a longing for a sense of meaning and purpose in my life.

At age 35 we sold our home, moved to the Denver area, and I began to attend seminary. The following year I began serving Christ as an appointed United Methodist pastor. I have tried, through my pastoral leadership to duplicate the kind of loving, supportive atmosphere that allowed me to discover Christ's presence in my life.

My hope is that all who come to First UMC will feel comfortable and free to explore the claims of Jesus Christ and experience His presence through worship and being part of an energetic and enthusiastic spiritual community. Carol and I pledge to offer you relevant, hope-filled messages each week surrounded by upbeat music that includes both traditional hymns and contemporary praise music. We would love to share more about our spiritual journeys with anyone who is interested - by phone, e-mail, or best of all over a cup of coffee.

If you've ever felt empty and wondered what the purpose of living is … or know someone who feels that way, suggest a visit to First UMC on any Sunday. A welcoming community of faith is waiting - where faith and reason are compatible, and Christ is ready to make life better than ever before!