SCOTT GILLILAND

Scott Gilliland

Senior Pastor

Scott was born in Ft. Worth and raised in Bedford, TX. He grew up in an incredibly diverse community, graduating from Euless Trinity High School, where 40+ languages were spoken on campus. He learned early on to try to see the world through the eyes of different ethnicities, cultures, and faiths, and to always be willing to ask hard questions and hold difficult dialogues.

He attended The University of North Texas where he majored in English. He worked at his home church of W.C. Martin UMC in Bedford throughout college, and for 18 months after graduation he served as the Youth Ministry Director.

In 2010, Scott joined Lovers Lane UMC in Dallas as the Kids Ministry Associate Director. Over the course of ten years, he and his wife Raegan (whom he met on staff) discerned a call to ordained ministry, enrolled and graduated from Perkins School of Theology at SMU, and were ordained as elders in the North Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church.

Scott was appointed to serve AUMC as Senior Pastor in July 2020.

He is the co-author of Together, written with his mentor Rev. Dr. Stan Copeland in response to the UMC's ongoing debate regarding inclusion of LGBTQ+ people through marriage and ordination. In Together, they make the biblical case for God’s vision of a Church where truly ALL are welcomed and celebrated in the body of Christ. 

Scott is passionate about teaching the Bible in a way that invites critical thought and convicted spirit, creating community where we can bring our real selves to the table, and leading God's people to find meaning and purpose in our daily living.

Scott and Raegan are the proud parents of Andie Jane and Jude Parker.