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Michael O'Bannon was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama, and attended the public schools. He graduated salutatorian from Deshler High School in 1966. He attended Birmingham-Southern College from the summer of 1966 until his graduation in May of 1969, cum laude, with a double major in ancient Greek and Latin. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa. From there he attended the seminary at Vanderbilt before transferring into the graduate program in Hebrew Bible and Biblical languages. A life-long Methodist born to life-long Methodists, he was ordained a Deacon in the North Alabama Conference (1970) and transferred into the Tennessee Conference before being ordained Elder in 1975. Michael has been pastor, Wesley Foundation Director, and Vice-President at Martin Methodist College. He taught Hebrew at Vanderbilt while a graduate student; and he taught religion, philosophy and ethics at Martin both as interim and adjunct. He has served the Annual Conference as Secretary of the Annual Conference, Editor of the Conference Journal, Chair of the Worship Work Area, Chair of the Board of Ministry, and as Secretary of the Conference Council on Finance and Administration. Formerly, he was on the Board of Trustees at Martin Methodist College, and on the Board of Directors of the Nashville Area United Methodist Foundation. Michael is married to Dee (Debra), who works in Nashville; and they have one daughter, Amy who lives and works in New York City. Together, Michael and Dee are interested in cooking and traveling, especially in Dee's little convertible. For years, Michael has been working on a novel, but admits that it is difficult to find the time to write at leisure since he devotes so much time to research and study for Bible study, teaching and preaching. Prior to his appointment to Murfreesboro 1st UMC, Michael was the senior pastor of Belle Meade United Methodist Church in Nashville for nine years. |
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