Please find the announcements of Clear Openings for the NM Conference below. Click on the name of the church to view a drop down including the description of the church, its mission field, and the church's thoughts about a best fit pastor.
Central UMC is a full-time appointment with housing allowance.
Located in the urban center of Albuquerque, Central UMC is an anchor congregation with a long and faithful legacy of ministry. Situated directly across the street from the University of New Mexico, the church is well positioned for engagement with students, faculty, and the surrounding community. Central is also a vital partner in the New Mexico Basic Needs Consortium, reflecting a deep commitment to ministries of justice, compassion, and community presence.
The congregation is entering a season of transition and is seeking pastoral leadership that can help honor its legacy while guiding the church forward with clarity, imagination, and faithfulness. Central UMC values strong preaching and worship leadership, collaborative ministry, and meaningful engagement with its urban context.
Gifts and capacities especially important for this appointment include:
- Adaptive leadership
- Preaching and worship leadership
- Community engagement in an urban setting
- Team-building with clergy, staff, and lay leadership
Clergy who feel drawn to this ministry setting, or who wish to have a conversation about this opening, are invited to submit their name or request further information by contacting Rev. Ross Whiteaker. Submission of a name does not indicate a guarantee of appointment; all appointments are made by the bishop in consultation with the cabinet.
The Carlsbad Fellowship consists of individuals who wanted to remain United Methodist in a community where both churches disaffiliated. Open and affirming, they seek to more fully partner with other churches in Carlsbad in LGBTQ+ ministry. The church is very service-oriented and understands the context of the neighborhood and is striving to serve the unhoused and under-resourced of Carlsbad. The congregants have developed a mission to their neighbors, hosting every Sunday a hot meal or a sack lunch, and supplying needed personal items. In the future they hope to provide mental health counseling. They value in pastoral leadership a pastor who is mission and visionary growth-oriented, a good communicator with strong interpersonal skills, and someone who is able to minister to and serve the needy and unchurched of Carlsbad.
Individuals who wish to submit their name or request further conversation may contact Rev Dr Pam Rowley. Submission of a name does not guarantee appointment. All appointments are made by the bishop in consultation with the cabinet.
This is a part-time appointment with housing allowance.
Rio Rancho UMC is located in the suburban community of Rio Rancho, the fastest-growing city in New Mexico. The congregation is missional in spirit and poised for growth, with strong potential for deeper engagement in its rapidly expanding community. The church is seeking leadership that can help strengthen its connection to the city of Rio Rancho and support its next season of ministry.
Gifts and capacities especially important for this appointment include:
- Preaching and worship leadership
- Community engagement
- Administrative and organizational skills
- Developing and equipping lay leadership in a small-staff setting
Clergy who wish to submit their name or request further conversation may contact Rev. Ross Whiteaker. Submission of a name does not guarantee of appointment. All appointments are made by the bishop in consultation with the cabinet.
This is a part-time appointment with housing allowance.
El Pueblito UMC is a highly missional congregation in the rural context of Taos, a community widely known for its art, culture, and natural beauty. The church is well known throughout Taos County for its large and impactful charitable food ministry, which serves as a primary expression of its witness in the community. El Pueblito also brings creativity to its worship life, including a distinctive outdoor worship space used during the warmer months.
The congregation is seeking leadership that can help guide the church into its next season of growth, building on strong lay leadership and deep community trust.
Gifts and capacities especially important for this appointment include:
- Adaptive leadership in a rural, missional context
- Preaching and worship leadership
- Community engagement and relationship building
- Collaborative ministry with strong laity
Individuals who wish to submit their name or request further conversation may contact Rev. Ross Whiteaker. Submission of a name does not guarantee appointment. All appointments are made by the bishop in consultation with the cabinet.
Bishop Carlo A. Rapanut and his Appointive Cabinet: ABQ DS, Ross Whiteaker and El Paso DS, Pam Rowley announce these clear openings. During the Appointment Season, these churches will be filled and others will be added until all appointments have been completed. Please keep all involved in your prayers.
To familiarize yourself with Clear Openings Appointment Process, CLICK HERE.