Carrollton Methodist welcomes new pastor

Carrollton United Methodist Church recently welcomed its new pastor, the Rev. Drew Oakley.

Pastor Drew Oakley recently accepted his post at Carrollton United Methodist Church. He is pictured here with his wife, Shanna, and his children, Kaiden and Kaelyn.

Oakley, 26, is a native of Milton, graduating from Trimble County High School in 2003. He received a degree in architecture from the University of Kentucky shortly after accepting his call to the ministry.

“Yyou may have immediately imagined a robe-wearing, soft-speaking, elderly man who is just trying to make it to retirement while droning on about non-relevant issues,” Oakley said. That’s a description he didn’t develop, but noted it is what an unidentified person thought about the Methodist church, he said.

“First off, I am 26 years old which is far from retirement. I don’t wear robes (though there probably isn’t anything wrong with that),” he said. “My wife swears that even my speaking voice rattles the windows, so no worries about not hearing me.  And (though this may sound arrogant) I mean everything I say, and I say everything I mean.”

Prior to Carrollton, Oakley  served at Campbellsburg Methodist and Sulphur Methodist churches.

“As for my philosophy, God means everything to me because I wouldn’t be anything without him,” he said.

Oakley said he is excited to be in Carrollton. “Since I accepted my call in the ministry, I have thought about what it would be like to be the pastor here, and now those thoughts have become a reality,” he said. “Even better, both the church and I are viewing this changing of the guard as a fresh start; a clean slate that allows for some pretty wonderful things to take place”

Oakley said everyone is welcome to join in fellowship at the church. The church now offers One Call Now, a phone system with a weekly devotion on Thursday afternoons. “We have a lot of great things going on and are really thrilled to see God working in our church,” he said.