Reverend BradElrod

Hello, my name is Brad Elrod and Im 32 years old. I was born on February 14, 1978. I have been married for 11 years to Beth Elrod. We have two children, a son John Edward who is 8 years old and a daughter, Reagan Elizabeth who is 6 years old. For the last ten years I have served seven churches across Arkansas. From June of 2000, I served three churches in Southeast Arkansass: Wallers Chapel, Fountain Hill and Zion United Methodist Churches. While serving these churches I attended the University of Arkansas at Monticello. There I completed a dual degree, one in History and one in Political Science. In June of 2004, we moved to Cherry Valley in Northeast Arkansas to serve First United Methodist of CHerry Valley and Vanndale UMC. While serving there, I attended Memphis Theological Seminary. I completed the 87 hours required for graduation after 22 months of enrollment. During my probationary membership with the Annual Conference I served Harmon/Westside UMC in Northwest Arkansas and First United Methodist CHurch Murfreesboro in Southwest Arkansas. I was ordained elder last year at our Annual Conference in Rogers.

I am the fourth generation of Methodist ministers in my family line. Apparently this call of ministry skips a generation in-between those that are called for my linage. My quadruple great grandfather, Brantley York was licensed to preach at the age of twenty-six in 1831 in South Carolina. Brantley York is remembered today for starting Brown's Schoolhouse/Union Institute Academy in 1839, which in 1924 became Duke University. My double great-Grandfather, Harvey H. Watson was ordained in the Little Rock Conference in 1871 at the age of twenty-two while serving in Hampton. He served churches all over Arkansas from Magnolia Station to Jonesboro First. He was also the presiding elder {District Superintendent} of Camden and Little Rock districts. His grandson and my grandfather Robert Watson "Bro Bob" Trieschmann was ordained in 1955 while serving at Geyer Springs Mehtodist Church in Little Rock. While there he and my grandmother Carolyn became close friends with who would become my other set of grandparents, Tullis and Jean Elrod. THis friendship lasted despite my Grandfather's moves across the Little Rock Conference and through it my mother Becky Trieschmann and my father Stan Elrod grew up, dated and married.

I enjoy movies, wood working, being outside and gardening{I completed the Arkansas Master Gardener training in 2007}. I am a lifelong United Methodist and I love our Church and I am grateful for the role it has played in my life. I believe we still have much to offer. Given our theological heritage and history of working in the world, I strongly feel that getting back to our basics we can and will transform the world once again. I personally like to opportunity to try.