Dr. James T. Runyon
Senior Pastor
Called to ministry as a teenager, Pastor James worked as an engineer, a pilot/flight instructor, and more before committing to full-time ministry.
Immediately after God changed his heart to become a minister, he entered seminary and earned his Master’s in Music and Master’s in Divinity from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
While working as a full-time Music Minister, he earned a Doctorate from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Pastor James has been Senior Pastor of First Baptist Los Lunas for more than 10 years. While Pastor, he has served on the Los Lunas City Council and is a black belt instructor in Taekwondo at Impact Martial Arts and Fitness in the evenings.
Pastor James has also written five books and enjoys restoring Grand Pianos in his spare time.
He and his wife, Cindi, and their four children love to serve God by serving others.
Brandon Campanella
Youth & Outreach Pastor
New Mexico born and raised, Brandon Campanella and his wife, Thalia, live in Los Lunas, NM. Brandon graduated from Artesia High School in 1999 when the Lord then led him to Wayland Baptist University. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts in 2003, Brandon moved to Albuquerque and felt the Lord calling him to teach. He taught New Mexico public school system for 8 years, and he received his Master’s in Education from the University of New Mexico in 2007.
Even while he enjoyed teaching, he began to feel the Lord calling him to ministry in the spring of 2013. Brandon responded to the call and the Lord acted quickly by providing him the opportunity to serve as the Youth Pastor of his home church – First Baptist Church of Los Lunas!
Saved at age 15, Brandon has felt and seen the Lord acting upon his life, preparing him for this moment. He has been blessed with a tremendous family with deep roots in New Mexico and, above all, a strong desire to serve and love the Lord. Brandon, Thalia, and their two daughters, Tayden and Jaidaa, are thrilled and humbled by this opportunity to do the Lord’s work and serve the youth of Valenica County.