In Rev. Scott Sharp’s Sunday sermon, he reminded the congregation of F. Chris Garcia’s dedication to the church, his family and his community.
Sharp, senior pastor of Central United Methodist Church, where Garcia regularly attended services with his wife, said Garcia was eager to help others and engage in ministry.
“He is very supportive; an active part of a quartet we have and an active part of choir,” Sharp said. “He is very friendly, always has a smile on his face, and he is a great person to be around.”
Sharp said he has spoken with Garcia since the arrest and is supporting him spiritually.
“We’re in a position where we are doing what we can as a church, and we hope that justice is done and the truth comes out,” he said. “In the meantime we are not making any judgments concerning what that is about. We are supportive of Chris and Sandy (Garcia’s wife), and hopeful that the truth will reveal he is innocent.”
Garcia was arrested June 23 and charged with promoting prostitution, conspiracy, and evidence tampering in connection with a 1,400-member online prostitution ring named Southwest Companions, according to Albuquerque Police Department. APD officers said Garcia’s role was to help recruit new prostitutes and clients for the organization.
Ed Vigil, a fellow churchgoer, said Sharp’s June 26 sermon addressing Garcia’s arrest was powerful. Vigil said the news shocked him.
“God calls us to unknown places,” he said. “We are all broken people. Let the one without sin cast the first stone.”
Garcia’s résumé includes hundreds of publications and thousands of hours of community service. He was inducted into the Senior Hall of Fame of Silver Horizons New Mexico in 2009. The senior community honors four senior citizens each year for outstanding contributions to the community.
Lori Feibelman, Silver Horizons executive director, said she prefers not to comment on the charges against Garcia. Mark Peceny, the UNM political science department chair was unavailable for comment, and members of Phi Kappa Phi, an academic honor society in which Garcia was involved, also refused to comment.
Garcia’s crowning achievement at the University of New Mexico came 2002 when he was named UNM’s 17 President. His nomination came after a long career at UNM, where he served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, vice president of Academic Affairs and provost. He currently serves as a professor emeritus in the political science department.
UNM political science major Sarah Morgese said she sees Garcia’s conduct as separate from his contributions to the University and to its overall reputation.
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“I don’t think Garcia’s arrest reflects on the political science department in a negative way at all,” she said. “As a political science major, I have taken many excellent courses by many wise, dedicated professors and can attest to the strength of the department as a whole. If the allegations are true, Garcia’s arrest is nothing but a reflection of his own character.”
Garcia’s commitment to the community is reflected by the dozens of awards he has received over the years, including the Zia Award for Outstanding UNM Alumni in 1997, the American Political Science Association Goodnow Award for Distinguished Service in 2001 and the Chief Manuelito Navajo Nation Award for Meritorious Contributions to Navajo Education.
Garcia has provided more than 100 international, national and local media interviews concerning politics across the state, nation and globe. He is an expert in Hispanic politics, has written 12 books and more than 100 articles, and taught classes in 17 subject areas.
