The Rev. Dr. Theophilus J. Stanford, a native of Dalton, Georgia, is the youngest child of the late Rev. Andrew R. Stanford and Ruth Paige Stanford. He received his formative education in Newnan, Georgia.

 

Dr. Stanford holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He answered the call to ministry and pursued theological training at Gammon Theological Seminary, a constituent of the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, where he earned his Master of Divinity. He later completed a Doctor of Ministry degree at Columbia Theological Seminary.

 

In 2019, Dr. Stanford retired from a distinguished career at Delta Air Lines, where he served in various roles, including Marketing, Resource Planning, and Safety Analytics.

 

Dr. Stanford, a gifted musician and choir director, has devoted more than 35 years to music ministry. He is the founding director of the Word of Life Chorale, with whom he released his debut CD, Not Your Battle, in May 2015.

 

An ordained elder in the United Methodist Church, Dr. Stanford began his pastoral ministry in 1999 as Associate Pastor at Ousley UMC, Lithonia, Georgia. He has since served as lead pastor at Oak Hill Parish (Covington), Glen Haven (Decatur), Allgood Road (Stone Mountain), and Cliftondale (South Fulton). On July 1, 2025, he began a new appointment as lead pastor of ConneXion Church in Savannah, Georgia.

 

Dr. Stanford is also engaged in denominational leadership. He has served on the District Committee on Ministry, as an instructor in Lay Servant Ministries, and on the certification board. He has also served as a coach with Fresh Expressions’ Adaptive Church Leadership, an intensive 18-month program that equips leaders for innovative ministry in a changing cultural landscape. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for Epworth By the Sea.

 

Outside of his ministerial work, Dr. Stanford enjoys spending quality time with family and friends, playing tennis, working out, and traveling. Above all, he finds his greatest joy in sharing God’s promise from Jeremiah 29:11,

 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”