El Buen Samaritano UMC (Albuquerque, NM)

Rev. Michael Dobbs

Michael Dobbs grew up in a Methodist Church in Houston, Texas and met the Lord Jesus Christ in a Lay Witness Mission at his local church just short of his 18th birthday in October of 1969. He started his studies at the University of Houston in January of 1970 with the goal of being a secondary Math and Spanish teacher in mind. Half way through his bachelor studies he felt the call by God to ordained ministry. He finished his BA in 1974 and began seminary studies in August of 1975 at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He worshiped in Spanish on a weekly basis at that time at Emmanuel UMC hoping to see whether in fact he was being called to ministry in the Hispanic/Latino setting. He learned a lot that year under the pastor Dr. Josué Gonzalez. He transferred to Perkins School of Theology at SMU in August of 1976 and had just been ordained a deacon at the session of the Texas Annual Conference in May of 1976. He transferred to the Rio Grande Conference in 1977 just prior to beginning his internship at La Trinidad UMC in San Antonio under his beloved supervisor, the Rev. Dr. Alfredo "Ted" Grout Q. He finished his MTh at Perkins in May of 1979 and began pastoral ministry in Lubbock (La Trinidad UMC). He has been active in youth and young adult ministry throughout his career. He married Olga Martinez in 1993 and she has blessed his life and enriched his ministry. She is very gifted in the area of discipling people and helping them discover their gifts and begin to operate in them to bless the church and the community. His current focus is on discipleship and expanding the Kingdom or Reign of God in the community and in helping the church to become Presence-oriented, Presence-filled, and mission/outreach centered. He looks forward to what God will do in and through him and in and through you to expand His Kingdom in Albuquerque! To God be the glory!