Alan Darby

Alan considers himself a native of Ocean City, NJ, having been born there.  When he was 3 years old his family moved to Barrington/Haddon Heights where he grew up and graduated from Haddon Heights High School.  Growing up in a Christian family and a part of Haddon Heights United Methodist Church, Alan learned a lot about Christ and Christian living yet did not fully commit his life to the Lord until his senior year in high school through the ministry of Young Life.  This launched a joy-filled adventure that has continued to this day.

After high school, Alan sensed the Lord’s direction to attend Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA majoring in psychology and religion, with minors in Greek and philosophy.  It was during freshman year that he felt God’s call to ministry to serve the Lord and His people.  Upon graduation from college, Alan went to Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary in S. Hamilton, MA.  Receiving his Master of Divinity degree in 1980 he went on to be a campus staff member in college ministry with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship in Upstate New York.  After a year in ministry with college students, Alan left to do an internship in a local church outside Philadelphia, PA.  During the summer of this year, while working in Ocean City for the Central Union Chapel, (32nd and Central Aves.), he met Beverly at a young adult fellowship off-shore.  The next summer, while working at the chapel again, Bev and Alan were married in her home church in Linwood.  After the wedding they moved into the first floor of Alan’s cousin’s house on 6th and Central Ave, the very same apartment that his parents were living in when he was born 28 years before.  Slightly more than two years later, they brought home their first born son to the same address.  In 1985 the Darbys move to Sharptown to take their first appointment in the United Methodist Church.  It was during their two years there that their son Andrew was born. In July of 1987 the Darbys moved to Collingswood to join the staff of First UMC as assistant pastor.  While there, Bethany was born to round out the family.  Six years later they were called to move to Elmer to assume leadership in an active and lively church there.  

In 2008 Chris married Jill Yago and then they provided Bev and Alan with their first grandchild, Andi Jane.  Currently Chris, Jill and Andi Jane live in Atlantic City, Andy is in his last year of college at Eastern Univ., and Beth is in her third year as biology major at Drexel.  Alan enjoys music, sports, reading, and spending time playing with his granddaughter.  He is always looking for a game of soccer, volleyball, or whatever he can find and will soon be well-known for his persistent challenge of “One more game!”  When he’s not playing guitar and (occasionally) drums, Alan loves to be listening to good music with a broad range of tastes from folk to jazz to classical and especially Contemporary Christian music.  Lately he has taken to exploring the back roads of southeastern Camden County but…occasionally asking directions.  Above all, he is taking joy in serving the Lord and ministering with new friends at SUMC!

Email Alan at: Aland@sumcnj.com