First United Methodist Church of Hope is pleased to announce the appointment of Rev. Melanie
Tubbs as FUMC-Hope’s pastor. The appointment, by the Arkansas Conference of the United
Methodist Church, becomes effective July 1.
Rev. Tubbs comes to Hope from Jacksonville FUMC, a congregation she has served since 2023.
“I am excited about partnering with Hope First United Methodist Church to deepen its identity as
a resilient and faithful United Methodist congregation,” she said.
Rev. Tubbs listed other goals — “to strengthen worship and preaching that nourish disciples; to
equip laity to live boldly into their calling; to build a visible, relational presence in downtown
Hope; and to help establish the stable structures and physical spaces that will sustain ministry for
the future.”
A graduate of Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, Rev. Tubbs has a Bachelor of Arts
Degree in History, with minors in English, Speech and Social Studies. She also has Master’s
Degrees in Social Science and Communications from Arkansas Tech and a Master of Divinity
Degree from the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado. She taught public school for 12
years and taught at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville for 12 years.
She is an Elder in Full Connection with the Arkansas Conference. Her other previous pastoral
appointments include Augusta, Cotton Plant, McCrory, Bald Knob, Waveland, Plainview and
Ola, and Russellville — all in Arkansas.
Rev. Tubbs has a grown daughter, living in Tennessee with her husband and three children, and a
son and his wife in Arkansas. An avid reader, Rev. Tubbs loves historical and science fiction and
is a member of Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO). She enjoys time with her family,
eating vegetarian, Netflix binges, and playing with her dogs.
FUMC-Hope extends an invitation to all to meet and hear Rev. Tubbs as she fills the local pulpit
for the first time on Sunday, July 5, and each Sunday thereafter at 10:30 a.m. FUMC meets at St.
Mark’s Episcopal Church, located at 301 S. Elm Street in Hope, has an office at 202 S. Main in
Hope, and believes in “following Jesus, loving people, and sharing grace.”