About Shane Stanford

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          Rev. Shane Stanford is the Senior Pastor of Christ United Methodist Church- a 5,000 member church in the heart of the Memphis metro area. A former church planter, Rev. Stanford is the author of 11 books- including the acclaimed A Positive Life, What the Prayers of Jesus Tell Us About the Heart of God, The CURE for the Chronic Life (co-authored with Deanna Favre) and The Five Stones (co-authored with Fortune 500 CEO, Brad Martin). Dr. Stanford has also authored numerous articles and curriculum studies on various topics ranging from church health to healthy families. An advocate for people living with HIV/AIDS, Rev. Stanford often travels sharing his personal story as an HIV+ and HepC + hemophiliac and about his deep, powerful faith in the saving life, work, and healing of Jesus Christ. Rev. Stanford is an advocate for growing healthy families and for transforming lives- no matter the circumstances. Over the last five years, Rev. Stanford has helped found several community initiatives addressing mental and behavioral health including the NO Whispers program challenging local churches to face this conversation in their local parishes, and Mosaic, a ministry for providing counseling to the under-resourced who suffer with addictive behaviors and/or are in need of recovery services. Mosaic is a partnership ministry with the Church Health Center in Memphis, TN.  

          Rev. Stanford recently served as co-host of The Covenant Bible Study: A New Walk-thru-the-Bible Study Series (a study series shared in over 3,000 churches nationwide as a partnership between the United Methodist Church and the PCUSA). With his wife, noted educational advocate and teacher, Dr. Pokey Stanford, Rev. Stanford co-hosts a weekly radio/podcast program entitled ‘The EveryDAY Christian’- stressing faith and God’s love through any crossroads of life. Rev. Stanford is also the co-host of We Believe, an interview based TV program airing throughout the MidSouth, the teacher/host of You Matter, a teaching ministry taped from Christ Church each week and broadcast on 14 stations from southern Missouri to North Carolina. And, he is the Executive Producer of several exciting, faith based podcasts (reaching into issues being discussed by non-church goers) through his production company You Matter Media- staffed by some of the best young minds and talent in Christian teaching in the country. Through his local church ministry, radio/tv ministry and podcast/digital media, it is estimated nearly 150,000 people tune in on one or more platforms to hear Rev. Stanford ‘angle our hearts into the Heart of God’. 

          Rev. Stanford learned a long time ago that his most important spiritual gifts were to listen and encourage. He doesn’t need to be the host, star or even the boss for the Good News to be shared just fine. But, he is so grateful God allows him- with all the reasons the world has said he should not have made it- to still be Proclaiming the Good News, Making Disciples, and creating healing agents in the world.

          Rev. Stanford has appeared on numerous media outlets over the years and especially enjoys conversations about faith in the least likely surroundings for such conversations. He has appeared on such national media outlets as Good Morning America, CNN, Huntley Street, Fox & Friends, The James Dobson Show, Focus on the Family, Family Life Today, LifeToday with James and Betty Robison, and ESPN’s Sports Center. Dr. Stanford has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the Honors College of Southern Mississippi, a Master of Divinity degree in theology from Duke University, a certificate in MFT, and a honorary Doctor of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary.

          Dr. Stanford is represented by MacGregor Literary Group. To contact him, please call 601-620-9860.