Ron Durham:  

I grew up in Jonesboro, Arkansas. I graduated from Jonesboro High School in 1963 and Arkansas State University with a Choral Music Education degree in 1967. I entered the USAF in July 1967 following graduation and served 7 1/2 years. After almost 2½ years of training, I began my first real tour of duty at Wurtsmith AFB, MI as a B-52 Radar Navigator/Bombardier including time in Vietnam. Discharged February 1, 1975, to attend Asbury Theological Seminary (ATS) in Wilmore, KY. In addition to fulltime seminary, I served eight churches west of Louisville in Indiana. I spent 4 days and 3 nights in Wilmore and 4 nights and 3 days in Indiana. While there I got an MDiv degree, built a parsonage, left the parish full time and graduated from ATS in May of 1978. I was ordained '79 and have spent 38 years as a United Methodist pastor. In September of 1979 I began an 18-year tour as a Navy chaplain, retiring Aug 1, 1997 as a USN CDR. Returned to the North Arkansas Conference of the United Methodist Church to serve in Fort Smith, Rogers, Cherokee Village, and Batesville, Arkansas until 2006. During that time the conference merged and became the Arkansas Conference of the UMC. In 2006 the Un...Expand for more