Paul Stroud, 88, of Minco, Oklahoma, passed away 23 July 2026. He was a retired missionary and minister in the Church of the Nazarene
Paul Elvin Stroud was born 6 October 1937 in El Reno, Oklahoma, to Raymond and Letha Stroud. He graduated from El Reno High School and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bethany Nazarene College in 1959. He and Nettie Mae Gibson were married 11 October 1955. They were blessed with four children: Paula Ruth, Raymond Hugh II, Eunice Mae, and Nathan Brownlee.
Paul felt God’s call to ministry as a nine-year-old boy. His first official assignment was as pastor of a Nazarene Mission in Thomas, Oklahoma. In the summer of 1960, he began full-time ministry, planting a Church of the Nazarene in Lindsay, Oklahoma. There he obtained property and built a small church building. In September 1961, Paul became the pastor of the Walters Church of the Nazarene. With the help of church members, a new parsonage was built.
Early in 1966, Paul and Nettie were appointed missionaries by the World Mission Department (Now Global Missions) of the Church of the Nazarene to the Cape Verde Islands. The Stroud family arrived there in January 1967. Paul’s responsibility was to set up newly purchased offset printing equipment. He was instrumental in the printing of the Portuguese hymnal Louvor e Adoracao and other publications for local church use.
In 1971, the Stroud family returned to the United States where Paul pastored churches in Walters, Oklahoma; Chanute, Kansas; Lawson, Missouri; and Grand Saline, Texas.
Paul and Nettie were again appointed as Nazarene missionaries to the Cape Verde Islands, where he served as the interim director of Seminario Nazareno. They were transferred to Ghana, West Africa, and moved to Accra, Ghana, in 1991. They worked in the areas of Work & Witness (now Nazarene Missions Teams) and Nazarene Compassionate Ministries (NCM) for the West Africa Field, as well as helping to organize the first Church of the Nazarene in Ghana. The Strouds left Ghana in January 1997.
In March of 1997, Paul became the manager of the Southwestern Oklahoma District’s Oakridge Camp. He then became the manager at the newly purchased Salyer Lake Nazarene Camp, where he saw the initial development of the 200-acre location as a camp, retreat, and conference center.
He was instrumental in the building of The Grille, the relocation and installation of the bridge over the lake, and the Memorial Pavillion. The Music at the Landing events that Paul organized—and for which Nettie cooked—became a favorite activity on the district. He retired from the camp director position in December of 2007.
Paul became the Manager of the SWOK District’s Oakridge Camp. And then at the newly purchased Salyer Lake – 200 acres to be developed as a camp, retreat and conference center. He retired from the camp director position in December of 2007.
Never content to sit still and not be involved in ministry, Paul then served as an interim pastor and an associate pastor. The last two years were spent in care facilities as his health continued to decline.
He devoted much of his time to listening to music and greatly enjoyed telling stories of his life and ministry and praising the Lord and Savior until his passing away on July 23, 2026.
Paul was preceded in death by his wife, Nettie; a son, Nathan; and a grandson, Alexander Troutman. He is survived by daughters Paula Troutman and Eunice Weiszbrod; son Raymond Hugh; seven grand-children; and 10 great-grandchildren.