FUMC Staff
Pastor Scott A. Bradford was appointed to pastor Uvalde First United Methodist Church in June 2006. He is married to Laurel, and they have two sons, Joshua and Daryl. Scott first attended Kent State University as a theater major, and after two years of college entered the military as a Military Policeman. While in the military, he continued to further his education, and quickly advanced to Military Police Investigations. He and his wife then advanced to be Special Agents with the U. S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (C.I.D.). Pastor Scott’s last assignment was at Fort Sam Houston, where he was also called to serve on an eight-month tour in Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Shield/Storm.
Just prior to Desert Storm, Scott felt the call to the ministry, and following the war, as the military was downsizing, he ended his ten years of service to answer the call. Pastor Scott is a third generation minister, following both his grandfathers, Rev. D. Dewey Whitwell Bradford (E.U.B. and Tennessee Conference); Rev. Ernest Bradford (E.U.B. and West Ohio Conference); and his father, Rev. Charles Wesley Bradford (E.U.B. and West Ohio Conference); as well as his uncle, Rev. Orla Bradford (E.U.B. and Indiana Conference).
At the time he announced his candidacy, Scott was a member of Northern Hills United Methodist Church, San Antonio, TX, where he taught junior high Sunday School. He and Laurel were also youth sponsors.
In 1993, Pastor Scott entered the Course of Study School for Local Pastors and he was appointed to the Cotulla First United Methodist Church. In 1997, he and his family moved to Junction, Texas when he was appointed to serve the Junction and London United Methodist Churches. Pastor Scott completed the basic course of study and was ordained a Deacon - Associate Member in 1999. He served the Junction/London communities for the past nine years and was named Kimble County Citizen of the year in 2005 for his community service.
Scott, Laurel and their family enjoy being active in community theater, are avid snow skiers and enjoy kayaking. Their son Joshua is currently living in Austin, and their son, Daryl, is attending Oklahoma City University.
Susan Lovelace-Gerrish has served as Director of Music Ministries at FUMC Uvalde since August 1996. She has been directing UM church choirs and handbell groups since 1980. She is certified as an Associate in Music Ministry in the United Methodist Church, having successfully completed the requirements at Church Music Summer School at SMU Perkins School of Theology. Prior to being in music ministry, Susan was a R.N. holding licenses in Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, with a specialty in home health consulting.
Susan conducts the Uvalde Community Choir and has led the group in several community wide events.
Susan, and her husband Jim, who is an accomplished keyboardist, enjoy camping in Colorado. Susan is an avid gardener (she directs the planting projects and Jim supplies the labor!) and loves to read and cook.
They have a daughter, Melissa, son-in-law, Michael, and three grandsons, Justin, Jordan, and Mitchell who are the light of their lives!
Martha Hagan, Director of Christian Education, grew up in Whitehouse, Texas as a third generation United Methodist. Through encouragement from her mentor, she began serving her hometown church while still in high school. She became the director of music ministries and majored in music.
After receiving a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Music, she completed the course work for Certification in Christian Education at Southern Methodist University. Through those courses, her calling changed to programming and education ministries. Since 2001, she has worked with all age level programming and has served on district and conference committees in the Texas Annual Conference before moving to Uvalde.
She still loves music and has a passion for teaching piano and she also enjoys singing part time.
Brent Phillips, Director of Youth Ministries, is new to FUMC Uvalde as of March 1, 2010 and comes from San Marcos, TX after graduating in December 2009 from Texas State University with a Bachelor of General Studies in Music, Religious Studies, and Business Administration.
Brent accepted the call to ministry at a summer camp after high school. Since accepting the call, Brent has worked with youth at camps, as a summer intern at FUMC Victoria, and has served as a worship leader at Sweet River Church in Selma, TX and at FUMC in New Braunfels and Smithville. Brent was also certified as a Lay Speaker in the SWTX Conference of the UMC in 2007 and has taken a course in Youth Ministry from Perkins School of Youth Ministry at SMU.
Brent has a heart for sharing the gospel with God's children of all ages who have and have not yet heard His voice. God has been working in and through Brent for several years now and continues to amaze him and those around him by giving others a glimpse of God's throne on earth.
Brent's new bride Shadia, a beautiful woman of God, shares a passion for sharing God's love with youth and others around her. Brent loves being in God's creation, climbing up it, running through it, kicking balls across it, skiing down it, riding his motorcycle on it, and getting wet in it.
Barbara Dillahunty has been married to her husband, Bill, for fifty years, having come to Uvalde as a newlywed in the fall of 1960. She joined FUMC shortly after arriving in Uvalde, and has been a lifelong Methodist. Bill and Barbara have two children, Dee Ann, who is a school counselor for the Sabinal ISD, and Jeff, who is a P.E. teacher with the Northside District in San Antonio. Jeff and his wife, Marlo, have two sons, Dalton and Jake, and Barbara loves being a grandma! Barbara worked as a legal secretary for the law firm of Kessler & Kessler for more than forty-five years, retiring in December 2008.
Barbara has enjoyed accompanying various children's musicals over the years and has played the piano for nursery through kinder Sunday School classes for many years. She continues to work with the Journeys Bible Club program and VBS as the need arises and as scheduling and time permit.
Barbara is proud to be a member of FUMC and is thankful for the opportunity to serve as the church's organist/pianist. There is no where else she would rather be on Sunday morning than at FUMC praising God through the great hymns and the beautiful music the choirs sing and enjoying the warmth and friendship of all the wonderful people at FUMC.
Amy was born and raised right here in good 'ol Uvalde, TX with the support of two loving parents, one brother and one sister. She was a member of First Baptist Church in Batesville, TX until the age of sixteen when she joined Uvalde FUMC. She was active in King's Kids and LOGOS, as well as VBS. She also taught Sunday School.
After completing high school in 2002, Amy enrolled in SWSBTC, where she would later acquire a license in cosmetology. With this in hand, she started her career as a full service stylist as well as a full time mommy to her two beautiful children, Bryce Corbin and Maelee Ann.
Though content with her life for seven and a half years, Amy decided she was ready for something else and applied for the church secretary position which she has held since January 2010. She states that she could not be happier with her new job!
When her children and she have any spare time, you can be sure that they will be outside. While fishing and swimming are among their favorite activities, they also enjoy camping and going to the beach. Their family is always first on the list and they love hanging out with them the most! Amy and her children's lives are very richly blessed!
