To REACH as many people as possible for Christ, To PROVIDE a place of Christian nurture, instruction, fellowship, and service for all believers, and To GROW a local congregation of the Original Free Will Baptist faith tradition.
SENIOR PASTOR
The Reverend Kelley Smart
MINISTER OF YOUTH
The Reverend Marci Rollins-Smart
MINISTER OF MUSIC
Sally Davis
SECRETARY
- Congregation – General Board reports to congregation in Quarterly Conferences
- General Board – Committees of the church report to the General Board a few weeks prior to the Quarterly Conference.
- Christian Education – Oversees children/youth ministries, Sunday school, and other discipleship ministries
- Trustees – Handle matters related to maintenance of the real property of the church
- Deacons – Assist the pastor in matters related to Christian service and congregational care
- Ushers – Assist with Sunday worship services by providing a welcome, collection of offering, and are available on other occasions as needed
- Personnel – Provides guidance on matters related to paid employees of the church including the hiring process and discipline
- Finance – Plan the annual budget in the spring of the year
Church business meetings, known as Quarterly Conferences, are held on the third Sundays of January, April, July, and October at 6:00 pm. The April meeting may be adjusted based upon the date of Easter Sunday. Only members of Little Rock are allowed to vote in the Quarterly Conferences. A member must have attended one meeting in the previous year to be eligible to vote. Recommendations are made by the General Board and presented to the congregation during new business. Additional items may be brought forth from the floor of the meeting.
To review current leadership team and terms for Little Rock OFWB Church, click here.
Boards and committees meet monthly with the exception of the Personnel Committee which meets quarterly on the first Mondays of February, May, August, and November. The Finance committee meets in the spring prior to the April Quarterly Conference in order to plan the budger for the new fiscal year. Our Finance Committee is made up of the chairperson from each board, the church treasurer and assistant treasurer, as well as the pastor. The ministerial staff works with the boards and committees to supply guidance and the monthly meetings. Our fiscal year funs frrom July 1 until June 30 with church elections and budget approval occurring at the April Quarterly Conference.
Learn more about the History of Little Rock
Learn more about the Original Free Will Baptist and our denominational ministries
Sunday morning worship begins in our sanctuary at 10:00 am. Our worship services at Little Rock are what some may describe as liturgical and are based upon the seasons of the Christian year. The Christian year begins with the season of Advent in preparation for Christmas and concludes with Christ the King Sunday. With each season, you will notice the colors of the worship banners, pulpit stole, Communion table cloth, and cross stole (outside of the sanctuary) change based upon the Christian year.
- Purple – Advent and Lent
- White – Easter, Communion, Weddings, and Funerals
- Red – Pentecost Sunday and sometimes for the first half of the season of Pentecost
- Green – Epiphany (following Christmas) and Ordinary Time (when there is not a significant celebration i.e. Christmas, Easter, etc.)
The word liturgical means “work of the people” and is indicative of worship services which include multiple elements of congregational interaction (responsive readings, prayers of confession, affirmations of faith, etc.)
The Revised Common Lectionary is a resource used in many liturgical churches which provides readings for each Sunday of the year from the Old Testament, Psalms, Gospels, and New Testament letters. It was created by the Consultation on Common Texts. This diverse group, comprised of scholars and denominational representatives from the United States and Canada, developed the lectionary as a resource for common use among various Christian churches.
Vanderbilt University provides an online, easy to follow version which can be found at
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/.
Special Worship Services
We join with other congregations in our community to celebrate special occasions throughout the Christian calendar. These services occur on a rotation featuring different locations, preachers, and special music.
- Ash Wednesday – Prepares for the season of Lent which leads up to Easter
- Maundy Thursday – Remembers the events on the night when Jesus was betrayed
- Good Friday – Commemorates the day on which Jesus was crucified and buried
- Easter Sonrise – Celebrates the bodily resurrection of Jesus from the grave (Breakfast provided)
- Pre-Thanksgiving
- Pre-Christmas
First Aid & Emergencies
We know that accidents and other medical situations can happen at any time and place, including the church facilities. A few years ago, an Emergency Response Team was put into place with volunteers who are able to step in when there is a need. To assist in times of need we have first aid kits available in the church conference room, the kitchen of the fellowship building, as well as the sink/counter area of the Christian Education Center. In the event of a heart-related emergency, we have an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) located in the church conference room. This device provides step by step instructions once it is opened and will determine what action is needed until emergency personnel can arrive. In an effort to assist emergency personnel, our buildings are labeled as follows:
A – Christian Education Center (Classroom Building)
B – Church Offices and Conference Room
C – Sanctuary (Worship Center)
D – Heritage Hall (Fellowship Building)