The Rev. Randall Popham is not only the lead pastor at Lanier Hills Church in Gainesville but also a husband, father, writer, artist, former road manager with the popular Christian band NEWSONG and lover of the outdoors. He was originally born in Smyrna and raised in Woodstock where he attended Etowah High School, where he met his wife Dana.
“In 2005, I became the Lead Pastor of Lanier Hills Church in Gainesville. Dana and I have four amazing children. Our oldest just graduated from high school,” he said. “I was called to ministry, married and ordained at the First Baptist Church of Woodstock. I met my wife Dana when she was 16 at a high school football game. After she asked me out a couple of times (She hates it when I mention that. lol) I said yes and we dated for three years. We were high school sweethearts, married young and have been married for 21 years.”
Randall graduated from North Greenville University where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Christian Studies with a minor in Fine Arts.
“I excelled at painting and sold pieces to collectors. Three of my paintings were a part of a collection in the South Carolina Museum of Art. I still use my art background occasionally in my sermons or around the church,” he said.
We recently caught up with Randall to find out more about his life and love for the Hall County area.
Question: Who are some of the most interesting people you’ve met while living in Hall County?
Answer: “As a Pastor I have the chance to meet a wide variety of interesting people. I’ve met movie stars, musicians and world class athletes here in Hall County but some of my favorite people are the everyday hardworking people who make the world go round. I’ve met people at the top of their game and people who’ve lost all hope. I’ve found the beauty and worth in each person and learned to love people wherever they are in life. I love our community and nearly everyday as I’m driving down the road I find myself thanking God for the people I pass in our community. There is such a variety of people here in Hall County and I’ve enjoyed getting to know people from all walks of life.”
Q: If you could give a piece of advice to a crowd of people what would you say?
A: “Watching people come and go in life is hard and as a Pastor I have lots of people come and go in my life. It can be hard and take an emotional toll. I’ve learned life is a lot like watching a parade. There are always people coming toward you, people beside you and people moving on. To enjoy life, you have to welcome the people coming toward you, embrace the people beside you and bless the ones moving on. Life is sweeter when you realize people are in our lives for a short time and we need to see the beauty in each season we have them with us.”
Q: What is your favorite thing about Hall County?
A: “Besides the people, one the favorite things I like about Hall County is that it’s a small town with quick access to so many great activities. We are a quick drive from great Atlanta restaurants and events, the beautiful Appalachian Mountains and of course, Lake Lanier. I love that we have access to all these great activities but still able to live in a small enough town where I’m not spending all my time in traffic and wherever I go run into people I know.”
Q: What is your favorite social or outdoor outing in Hall County and why?
A: “I love the outdoors! The outdoors recharges my soul. It’s been on a bike or running a trail that I’ve had some incredibly worshipful moments. To recharge I enjoy spending my spare time mountain biking or cycling the back roads of Hall County. There’s a large cycling community here in Gainesville that makes riding fun and safe. When I’m not biking I enjoy trail running or hiking. I also appreciate having the opportunity to provide for my family and others by fishing and hunting. Hall County has an abundance of great places for the outdoor enthusiasts.”
Q: Are there some events coming up at Lanier Hills that you would like to share with the community?
A: “One of the great things about Hall County is its great churches. There are lots of great churches and many of us Pastors are friends. We love serving our community. At Lanier Hills we love creating irresistible environments where people can Celebrate a relationship with God, Connect with other believers and make a difference by Contributing. We call ourselves “The Perfect church for people who aren’t.” We know we’ve all got issues and it doesn’t help anyone to hide them. So we receive people as they are and help people become all that God intendeds them to be. This summer we are doing a sermon series called “Fixer Upper: An Eight Week Spiritual Renovation form the Book of James.” This series for anyone who could use a little spruce-up of their soul. I know I need it! The series on Sundays at Lanier Hills Church in June and July at 9am and 10:30am. We also love creating irresistible environments where kids and teens love going to church. One of the best events for kids this summer is our FREE VBS and KIDS CAMP. It is July 25 th – 28 th , 2016. This FREE evening camp has VBS for the little kids and various Sports and Arts Camps for the older kids. You can find more information at www.lanierhills.com or on our Facebook page.”
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
A: “Ever since I was a teen I could only see myself serving in a church. I always thought if I could do anything I would want to work in a church and help people. At that time, I couldn’t think of a greater thing to do with my life and that hasn’t changed after all these years. In 10 years, I hope I’m still serving the church. I’m finishing up my first book called “Failure does not equal finished.” I also have other books I want to write so I see myself continuing to serve the church and expanding my ability to serve others through writing. One of our dreams was to plant ourselves in one community for a very long time and make a life-long difference. Lord willing, we will be here in Gainesville for the rest of our lives because we absolutely love this community and we love our church.”
The Faces of Hall County is a project to showcase the amazing people that live in our community. If you would like to nominate an interesting person to be featured please email babernathy@gonorton.com.
PROJECT PATRONS:
