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Pastor Eric and Darlene
Real People with a Heart for the Real World
Providence
Have you ever searched for something your whole life, only to wake up one day and realize that it had been right in front of you all along? That's where Eric & Darlene Partin found themselves in the fall of 2002. On a boat one October morning, sailing along the Destin coast, they saw their past—and their future.
They no longer saw the Destin area as a place where they once lived, full of things they used to do and people they once knew. They saw their hometowns, rich with memories and a lifetime of relationships just waiting to be renewed. They saw the shoreline of communities of understated financial wealth; a tapestry trimmed in impressive yachts and sparkling pleasure boats, and woven with the threads of expensive cars and fabulous homes. They heard the heartbeats of people inexplicably empty inside, unable to explain how they could own everything they ever wanted, yet still be missing something.
Eric & Darlene knew the answer, because they found it on their 17-year journey back to paradise. And on that October morning, they knew that it was God's hand steering their course, not the boat captain. Thus began a chain of events that brought them from the east coast of Florida, in Merritt Island, back to their roots in the Destin area in August 2004, to launch Shoreline Church.
Preparation
Launching people has been a way of life for Eric. He launched boats at age 11 at East Pass Marina, made sails in his early twenties, and equipped teenagers for the real world for most of the last two decades. But it took him until his mid-twenties to see that God had a direction for his life.
As a new Christian, Eric felt he had to leave the boating lifestyle to break out of his partying lifestyle. Five weeks into his new Christianity, he volunteered to work with the youth group. But old habits die hard, and the day of a big race and lots of alcohol was also the night of a youth event, and he realized he had to make a choice. Living a double life had to stop, and he prayed for God to deliver him from the desire to smoke and drink. Knowing that God had broken the strongholds in his life, he began a relentless, radical pursuit of God. He read the New Testament 24 times in his first two years as a Christian and became entrenched in a prayer life. His uncompromising commitment to the Word of God became the cornerstone for the lifestyle he lived. Eric & Darlene became a team, serving God together and pastoring a dynamic youth church at East Coast Christian Center in Merritt Island, Fl, built on the value of personal relationships. Most of the kids Eric has influenced call him their spiritual dad because of his willingness to get into their lives. His philosophy of seeing the diamonds in the rough has proven to be a sure thing, bringing encouragement that let those diamonds start to shine. His approach to discipleship has yielded fruits in the form of worship leaders and youth pastors who grew up under his leadership and have now stepped into leadership roles of their own. Eric spearheaded numerous community outreaches, like a Sidewalk Sunday School program and the Sprite Slam Fest 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament, which, after 11 years, is still a huge favorite.
Eric is the founder and immediate past director of Revolution Summer Conference, one of the largest youth summer conferences in Florida. Eric has attended Life Christian University. He has worked closely with Charisma Life writing curriculums and speaking at conferences specializing in building leadership teams. He has trained hundreds of adult leaders to work on the front line of youth and kids ministry.
Perhaps the most important lesson Eric has learned in his evolution as a pastor is that in order to impact someone's life, you have to spend time with them. Whether it's fishing with a fellow pastor, playing Halo with a group of teenagers, or meeting an old friend at a favorite hangout, Eric's confidence in who God has called him to be is unmistakable.
Purpose
Many churches have become caught in the trap of always seeking a fresh angle to market spirituality, chasing down a cutting edge relevance to modern times. But Eric & Darlene have learned that real is always relevant, relationships always matter, and in the mad dash for more of whatever is "in", the timeless knowledge of God's truth is the ultimate prize. Shoreline Church isn't a bankrolled offshoot of a mega church, like a branch office of a faceless corporate conglomerate. Shoreline Church is anchored by folks who were raised right here in this community. Eric & Darlene have a vested interest in growing this church and pouring into the lives of the people who live here. These are their neighbors, their friends, their immediate families.
Eric & Darlene are more than a smile and a handshake; Eric is a mischievous "remember when" to the charter boat captains down at the East Pass Marina; Darlene is an impromptu, high school band member's rendition of the official fight song for Choctawhatchee High School. They are the boisterous bartender and vivacious busgirl from Sand Flea Restaurant who got engaged on an island in the Santa Rosa Sound and got married on a boat at Crab Island.
