Hope’s First United Methodist Church celebrates one year anniversary

      Deacon Tony Elkins, pictured, filled the pulpit for a second time and will again be serving FUMC for the next two Sundays. He is a recent seminary graduate who lives in Pine Bluff and came to Hope to fill in at FUMC as the tenure of Rev. Larry Kelso of Magnolia was completed.

      Rev. Kelso returned to his retired status after six months, after becoming part of the Hope community as he shepherded FUMC and helped to grow the congregation.

      Deacon Elkins is the latest in a long line of speakers to have blessed FUMC by filling the pulpit.  Previous speakers included notables Ret. Rev. David Wilson, a former Hope resident and former Southwest District Superintendent of the Arkansas Conference of United Methodists; Ret. Rev. Rodney Steele of Hope; Ret. Rev. Phil McLarty of Hope; Ret. Rev. Davis Thompson of Sherwood, formerly of Hope; Ret. Rev. and author Britt Skarda of Little Rock; Ret. Rev. Bubba Smith, who grew up in Nashville; Dr. Russ Breshears, formerly of Hope and former Wesley Foundation Chaplain at Ouachita Baptist and Henderson State Universities; Rev. Ellen Alston, Hendrix College chaplain, who was accompanied by organist Kay Bell Provus, formerly of Hope; and Rev. Edna Morgan, former Southwest District Superintendent who guided the church in the organizational process.

      FUMC has been blessed to meet in the historic St. Mark’s Episcopal Church at 301 S. Elm Street for the past year; and the congregation is grateful to the Episcopal congregation for that blessing.  FUMC’s vision is to be a church that embodies the love of Christ in word and deed, and its mission is to develop deeply devoted disciples of Jesus Christ.

     Everyone is invited to hear Rev. Elkins this Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 301 S. Elm in downtown Hope.