About Us
As Presbyterians
We affirm that God comes to us with grace and love in the person of Jesus Christ, who lived, died, and rose for us so that we might have eternal and abundant life in him.

The Presbytery of Arkansas
The Presbytery resources and serves as the governing body for the churches in the northern two- thirds of the State of Arkansas. We have over 8,000 members that live from the Mississippi Delta to the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains. Our members are native Arkansans and people who have moved to our area from all over the world.
We are the fourth largest Presbytery in the Synod of the Sun and consistently support the work of the Synod and the General Assembly through our money and the work of people from our Presbytery. The Presbytery is divided into four regions which offers opportunities to fellowship and network.
Presbytery Meetings
We have three Presbytery meetings a year. One of those is held at one of the two Presbyterian colleges/universities located within the bounds of the Presbytery. The churches are invited to send a Youth Delegate to that meeting to advise the Presbytery on some of its votes and to learn about the working of the Presbyterian system. Our Presbytery has close relationships with the institutions of higher learning and with Vera Lloyd Children’s Home and Family Services.
The work of our presbytery is led by a Coordinating Team and our Presbytery Staff. The Coordinating Team is charged with doing the "necessary and urgent" work of the Presbytery in between regular meetings. Our Presbytery is currently staffed by a full-time Transitional General Presbyter and four- part time employees: a Stated Clerk, a Connector, a Transitional Youth and Young Adult Developer, and an Administrator. Hired by the Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center Board is the Director of the nationally recognized Presbytery of Arkansas Camp and Conference Center, Ferncliff.
The Presbytery of Arkansas is one of the few presbyteries in the denomination that supports the Presbyterian Women with a line-item in the annual budget. The Presbytery supports the ministers and educators within our bounds, offering opportunities to come together for learning and fellowship as well as connecting with them through social media. The Presbytery has a contract with Wellspring Counseling Center that provides eight free counseling sessions for active ministers, CREs, educators and their families. Each year the ministers and educators of the Presbytery are given two free nights for rest and relaxation at Ferncliff.
One support of our small churches comes in the form of a strong Commissioned Ruling Elder (CRE) program. CREs are trained (two-year program) and encouraged to serve in our smaller churches. The Presbytery is also pleased to partner with the Town Square Collaborative at the University of the Ozarks. An important part of its mission is to support rural pastors primarily in the Presbytery of Arkansas. This is accomplished through cohorts for CREs and MWS, as well as the REM (Ruling Elders in Ministry) program.
Ministry Support
Our Presbytery actively reaches out in ministries of compassion and justice toward others. Our members were instrumental in founding the Arkansas Rice Depot, now merged with the Arkansas Foodbank, a vital ministry serving hungry Arkansas children, families, and seniors. The Disaster Assistance Center at Ferncliff Camp & Conference Center, through a partnership with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and Church World Service, hosts one of two national sites for Gift of the Heart Kit Distribution - key supplies for those who've experienced a disaster. As supporters of Solar Under the Sun, a ministry bringing electricity to God’s children in underdeveloped nations, we send groups to serve and experience Christian fellowship in Central America. Through these efforts, our presbytery shares the message of Christ, both corporately and in addition to all the many ministries offering Christ’s love to neighbors in need done through the work of our congregations.
We have a covenant relationship with the Presbytery of Honduras. Leaders within the Arkansas Presbytery organize mission trips to Honduras annually. Projects involve construction work on homes for individual families or churches, theological education, leadership training, financial support of pastors and their families, solar and clean water projects, and education scholarships that enable Honduran youth to finish high school.
Our Presbytery's youth ministry is collaborative, welcoming, and centered on supporting youth as they grow as disciples of Christ. Youth, young adults, and adult leaders from around the Presbytery of Arkansas spend their time, gifts, and energy to devise creative, engaged youth ministry that serves youth in junior high and high school. Our leadership team, the "Youth A-Team" is composed of adults and youth who plan summer trips, hands-on service opportunities, and events throughout the year. The Presbytery also supports young adult ministries and campus ministries in different locations across the state, including University of the Ozarks, Lyon College, and United Campus Ministry at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.
Founded in 1937 by members of the Presbytery of Arkansas, Ferncliff Camp was created as a place for youth and adults to gather and experience Creation in community with one another. During the summer months, Ferncliff welcomes over 1,300 children and youth from 1st to 12th grade to participate in day and overnight camps focusing on exploring Creation, living in Christian community, and growing their faith. In addition to these summer camps, Ferncliff has grown to include a Nature Preschool, Disaster Assistance Center, and Retreat & Conference Center. Year round, Ferncliff hosts church retreats, volunteer mission experiences, nature-based worships and education, and youth events like our Presbytery's Youthquake for middle and high school youth. We are a healthy and forward-looking Presbytery that is connected to our churches and to the other governing bodies of the Presbyterian Church (USA).