Rev. Joshua Bland

Pastor of Discipleship & Mission

Before coming to Springdale First United Methodist Church, Josh had the privilege of serving for over a decade in various pastoral positions and in Christian education. He was an associate pastor at multiple churches through the years, one of which was a mission church plant where he served as a member of the founding pastoral team. Josh remembers, "As both a pastor and a teacher, I got to be deeply involved in spiritual formation for those in my charge and was able to help them be the church on mission in their own local context." He was commissioned as a deacon in the Arkansas Annual Conference in 2023 and was then appointed to Springdale. He was fully ordained as a deacon at the 2025 Annual Conference session. He also serves on the Arkansas Conference Board of Church & Society as the conference's Peace with Justice Coordinator.

Josh, his wife Rachel, and their son James are thankful to call Northwest Arkansas home and to be growing together with this community.

In his spare time, Josh likes spending time with family and friends, reading, golfing, and playing video games.