Rev. Leslie Byrd
Senior Pastor
Rev. Leslie Byrd joined the staff of New World United Methodist Church as the Senior Pastor on July 1, 2019.  Leslie served in the local church since 9th grade in a variety of roles and felt a call to Ordained Ministry in 1991 and spent the next several years completing her education.
She attended Texas Wesleyan University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Christian Education and then attended Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University with a Master of Divinity and a concentration in Pastoral Care and Counseling.

Pastor Leslie’s first career was in advertising and her first job was as a paste-up artist, darkroom technician and assistant printing press operator at an insurance company. She went on to work in a bank marketing firm and later managed her own Free-lance graphic design business for several years.

Her favorite food is anything Mexican or Italian and an avid movie enthusiast, her favorite movies include Apollo 13, Baggar Vance, The Guardian, Finding Forrester, and The Hunt for Red October. TV favorites include anything HGTV, This is Us, and New Amsterdam. 

That which brings the greatest joy is her family – especially her two young grandsons.  “Grandparenting is the greatest!” she will tell you.  She is grateful to God for every moment of her life and every moment is truly a gift.  Her favorite scripture is Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Pastor Leslie has been married to her husband, John, whom she met in 6th grade and they have three grown children and two grandchildren.