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Meet Our Church’s 5th Pastor, 
Rev. Dr. Graham

Rev. Dr. Milton R. Graham Sr. is a bi-vocational pastor. He is in his 22nd year as pastor of Bethesda Missionary Baptist Church.

On November 16, 2009, he was appointed by the DHS/DCFS Director to be the Pulaski County (Area 6) Director for the Division of Children and Family Services of the Department of Human Services.

As the director, he is responsible for supervising and directing the daily operations of all DCFS staff in each of the 5 county offices, which includes more than 100 counties and unit supervisors, family services workers, program assistants, and administrative clerical and support staff.

The staff conducts child abuse and neglect maltreatment investigations with approximately 300 to 400 cases per month. Foster care services are also provided for about 600 to 700 foster children and around 240 foster family homes.

In addition, the staff oversees protective and supportive services cases, which provide safety, permanency, and well-being for the children and their families. This extends through the 5 county offices in Pulaski—South, Southwest, East, North Little Rock, and Jacksonville, AR.

Prior to serving as the director, he held numerous administrative, management, and supervisory positions within the Division of Children Family Services, including when he began his career with DCFS as a family services worker. Those positions include the following:

  • Family Service Worker Conducting Child Abuse and Neglect Investigations
  • Providing Foster Care and Protective Case Work Services
  • Program Coordinator and County Supervisor for Foster Care Services in Pulaski County
  • Supervisor of Training, Testing, and Analysis with Information Systems Technology
  • Qualitative Assurance Reviewer
  • Program Administrator
  • Administrator for Program Operations for DCFS Community Services

In June 2018 he accepted an appointment to become the Team Decision Making (TDM) Supervisor for the Department of Human Services/Division of Children Services in the State of Arkansas.

Rev. Dr. Graham, has more than "27" years of experience as a child welfare professional, including the time he was employed by Youth Home, Inc as a resident treatment manager in the Boys Intensive Behavior House. In addition, he has more than 2 years of experience as a regular substitute teacher in Little Rock Public Schools.

He is a 1983 graduate of the Historical Little Rock Central High School and has attended the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) Conway, AR, and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR). Rev. Dr. Graham served in the Arkansas Army National Guard for 4 years and is a 1985 graduate of the United States Soldier Support Institute at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana.

Rev. Dr. Graham received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy and Religion from Arkansas Baptist College in 1990. He continued his education by attending the Academy for Family-Centered Services University of Arkansas at the Little Rock Graduate School of Social Work and the Division of Children and Family Services.

As part of his training in the Arkansas Department of Human Services DCFS Little Rock, AR, he completed 117 hours of Competency-Based Training Level I and II. This spanned from 1990 to 1991.

Rev. Dr. Graham again continued his education by attending the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Graduate School of Social Work in Little Rock, AR. He completed coursework studying Social Work Practice with Multi-Problem Families from February 1992 to April 1992.

In 1994, Rev. Dr. Graham completed 102 hours of Core Curriculum Training for Family Service Workers. In that same year, he also accomplished Managing Quality Performance Training.

Rev. Dr. Graham received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree from Anointed by God Ministries – Alliance, Seminary, and Chaplains in 2016. As a pastor, Rev. Dr. Graham is ministry-minded and believes that the church is established for the good of the community.

Like what God's Word says in Matthew 5:14, "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” It further states in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

Rev. Dr. Graham sees that work as those outlined and described in Matthew chapter 25. Thus, through his vision and admirable leadership, several outreach ministries have been formed at Bethesda, such as:

  • Bethesda’s D.Y.M.O.I. Manor
  • Raven Food Pantry Ministry
  • Clothes Closet
  • Say Yes Youth Mentoring Ministry
  • Prison and Jail Ministry
  • P-3 Ministry (Post, Prison, and Population Ministry)
  • S.W.A.T. Street Witnessing Ministry
  • "Behold The Lamb of God" "Midday Manna" on Rejoice Little Rocks Gospel Experience Every Monday at 12:00PM 103.3FM, 105.5FM and 1380AM

AUXILIARY SUPPORT:

  • Rev. Jermaine Rudd, Outreach Pastor
  • Dr. Barbara Flake, Christian Education Director
  • Rev. Marilyn Peoples, Minister
  • Rev. Hugh Williams, Minister
  • Sis. Lauran Cook-Walker

Leaders

  • Solomon Bush, Deacon's/Trustee Ministry
  • Al Haggen, Brotherhood/Trustee Ministry
  • Philip Brewster, Brotherhood/Trustee
  • Doris Treadway, Trustee
  • Roy Randolph, Finance/Music Ministry
  • Bernice Cook, Finance Secretary/Ushers/Custodian
  • Pennella Sanders, Church Clerk
  • Pearlie Meadows, My Brother's Keeper/Pastor's Aide Ministry
  • Peggy Osler, Pastor's Aide/Raven-Food Pantry Ministry
  • Floyd Bibbs, Music Ministry
  • Jasmine Northrop, Youth Ministry
  • Kim Rudd, Youth Ministry
  • Patrice Adams, Youth Ministry
  • Shannon Johnson, Youth Ministry
  • Robert Butts, Van Ministry
  • Danny Johnson, Van/Kiros Prison Ministry