St. Luke's Episcopal Church sits high on a hill at 4106 John F. Kennedy Boulevard in North Little Rock, Arkansas, a few miles north of the state capitol. Red doors open onto a campus that has grown from a single frame house into a sanctuary, a parish hall, a chapel, a labyrinth, and a two-story education wing. The parish's motto, written into the hearts of its people, is simple: It Really Is All About Love! That phrase has come to mean welcome to anyone who walks through the doors, openness to hard questions, and a steady reach beyond the building to neighbors who are hungry, sick, grieving, or homeless.
From 17 Charter Members on a Hill in North Little Rock
St. Luke's began on March 31, 1954, when 17 charter members organized as St. Luke's Episcopal Mission. At the time, North Little Rock was the largest city in the United States without an Episcopal church. The Bishop of Arkansas, R. Bland Mitchell, appointed the Rev. William W. Wilcox as Priest-in-Charge, and the first service was held on May 3, 1954 in the American Legion Hall at 215 West 14th Street. The present property was purchased that November, and a frame house on the lot was converted into a chapel, two Sunday School rooms, and a kitchen. The first service in that building was Evening Prayer on Christmas Day, 1954.
The mission grew quickly. The Rev. J. Stanley Gresley arrived in February 1955, followed in 1956 by Frank Mangum, who served first as Seminarian-in-Charge and then as priest. A Parish Hall was built in 1958 with worship on the upper level and unfinished classrooms below. On May 18, 1959 the mission voted to become a parish, and the 88th Annual Convention of the Diocese of Arkansas approved the petition on January 18, 1960. The 203 communicants were led by their first rector, the Rev. Frank Mangum.
The Rev. Rudolph M. Bangert arrived in September 1961 as the second rector and served until his retirement in 1975. Under his leadership the parish grew so quickly that, for several years, St. Luke's led the diocese in numbers confirmed. Ground was broken for a permanent church building on St. Luke's Day in 1967, and the building was occupied in January 1969. The frame house that had been the first chapel was relocated to the rear of the property and named Fortenberry House, in honor of the David Fortenberry family. Mary Glenn Bangert served as Christian Education Director and church secretary from 1964 to 1975.
The Rev. Lawson Anderson became the third rector in November 1975. During his tenure, the parish hosted the 1977 Diocesan Convention and offered one of the first Education for Ministry study programs in the diocese. In the late seventies and into the eighties, the women of the parish completed a needlepoint project that outfitted the nave and sanctuary with kneelers, chair upholstery, Stations of the Cross, and a processional banner. Father Anderson took a six-month sabbatical in Lincoln, England in 1981, and the retired Anglican Bishop Gerald Colin and his wife Iris served the parish during his absence. In 1983 the parish hall was renovated and expanded, and the refurbished hall was dedicated to the memory of Victor Wilder. The Respite Care Center, opened in 1985 with a grant from the United Thank Offering and the participation of four other denominations, still provides care to elderly neighbors every Thursday. St. Luke's was also a founding church of the Shepherd's Center of North Little Rock in 1986.
The Rev. Dr. P. Donald White Jr. became the fourth rector in December 1992 and expanded Christian education, formed small groups, and grew the music program, including the addition of four handbell choirs. A 1998 capital funds drive led to the additions completed in 1999: a chapel and prayer garden, a labyrinth, renovations to the chancel and sanctuary, the installation of a new pipe organ, and a two-story educational wing dedicated to the memory of Jonnie T. Schulte. The Rev. Keith A. Gentry became the fifth rector in June 2003 and reduced the mortgage debt by nearly half while growing outreach ministry.
The Rev. Carey Stone, the parish's sixth rector, arrived in 2011 along with Deacon Dr. Joanna Seibert. Father Stone is a Certified Spiritual Director and a published poet who loves the way language and travel meet. He and his wife Shannon are parents to their daughter Emily and share their home with three four-legged companions. Under his leadership the parish has continued to grow its programs for all ages.
Two Sunday Mornings, One Liturgical Heart
Sunday worship at St. Luke's follows the Book of Common Prayer and offers two options for those who want a quieter service and those who want full choir and congregational singing.
- 8:00 AM - Worship Service without music, held in the main church and streamed on YouTube.
- 9:30 AM - Choir Call for the Adult Choir.
- 10:30 AM - Children's Chapel begins. Children process with banners and gather downstairs in two Christian formation rooms with trained staff and volunteers.
- 10:30 AM - Worship Service with the Adult Choir, also streamed on YouTube.
Holy Communion is offered at both services. The 8:00 service is a shorter, contemplative rite that some longtime members and visitors prefer. The 10:30 service is the principal liturgy of the day, with the choir singing at least two choral anthems each week and supporting congregational hymn and service music. On Christmas Eve, Easter Day, and other major feasts, the choir sings choral masses with organ or orchestral accompaniment and occasionally a cappella polyphony.
Midweek prayer is built into the rhythm of the parish. On Wednesdays at noon, the community gathers for a Healing Prayer service using Rite II with anointing for the sick. The Centering Prayer Group meets Wednesdays at 3:30 PM in the chapel of St. Luke's, and a Zoom link is available for those who want to join virtually. On Thursdays at 5:00 PM, Evening Prayer is led by Mark Holst and shared on Facebook. Recordings of all three weekly offerings are posted online afterward.
The Adult Choir, the Bells, and the Nichols & Simpson
The Adult Choir of St. Luke's takes St. Augustine's saying to heart: Those who sing pray twice. The choir is present at the 10:30 Sunday service and at all principal holy day services throughout the liturgical year. Its repertoire includes choral anthems, congregational hymn and service music support, and a service of Advent Lessons and Carols each year. The choir rehearses every other Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:00 PM and enjoys a social hour afterward.
The Bells of St. Luke's, the handbell ensemble, support the liturgy throughout the year. Anyone ten and older can play, and the music is marked for newer ringers. The choir and bells fill the nave with the sound of the 1999 Nichols & Simpson pipe organ, which anchors the music program of the parish.
Other liturgical ministries are the backbone of weekly worship. Acolytes, including ten trained youth, serve at the altar and assist the clergy at services, Evensong, convocational services, funerals, and weddings. The ministry is open to anyone between the ages of six and one hundred; coordinator Josh Taylor welcomes new servers. The Altar Guild, led by Suzzette Patterson, has five teams that prepare the altar for Sundays, weekdays, and special occasions, caring for vessels, linens, candles, and frontals. Lay Eucharistic Ministers, or chalice bearers, assist the priests at the Eucharist, and Lectors read the First Reading and Epistle under Mark Holst's leadership. Worship Leaders are lay persons licensed by the Bishop to lead Morning and Evening Prayer; Ushers, led by Suzzette Patterson and John Hooker, greet parishioners and visitors, distribute bulletins, facilitate Communion, and help orient newcomers.
Children, Youth, and the Children's Chapel Downstairs
Christian formation at St. Luke's begins with the littlest members and continues through high school. The Children and Youth Ministry Team, led by Betty Guhman, has 15 families with a total of 27 children and youth, including six in infant or preschool, six in elementary or middle school, twelve in junior or senior high, and three in college.
During the 10:30 service, children process with banners into the church and then head downstairs to two Christian formation rooms staffed by trained caregivers and volunteers. Younger children (ages one to five) go to the nursery, while older children (ages six to sixteen) attend Children's Chapel next door, where they discuss the bible readings, the Episcopal worship tradition, and the church calendar before sharing closing prayers. Older youth often assist the leaders in these discussions.
Programming is built around age groups:
- Infant-Preschool (ages 1-5): Sunday morning nursery during the 10:30 service, available on request for the 8:00 service. Baptism preparation is offered for parents and godparents.
- Elementary and Middle School (ages 6-10, grades 1-6): Worship service procession with banners, Children's Chapel, Worship Service Activity Bags, Junior Bulletins, coffee hour games and treats, and monthly outings.
- Junior and Senior High (ages 11-17, grades 7-12): Monthly participation in worship as acolytes, torch bearers, gospellers, lectors, ushers, and oblationers; confirmation classes; service and outreach projects; and monthly fun outings.
Youth currently serving on the worship team include ten trained acolytes, eight to ten ushers and oblationers, and seven lectors. The parish is preparing to launch a Children's Choir, a Children's Handbell choir, and a Junior Altar Guild, and to begin EYC/EKC activities with other central convocation parishes. A $1,500 Keller Mission Endowment grant from the Diocese of Arkansas helped equip the nursery and Children's Chapel rooms and build a resource library of lesson plans, books, and instruments.
Festival of the Senses: A Free Year of Art on the Hill
In 2011, St. Luke's created Festival of the Senses as a gift of the arts to the community. The series is the only year-long free concert series of its kind in North Little Rock, featuring distinguished local and regional performers in classical, contemporary, vocal, band, and choral music, along with dance, drama, and comedy. Events are free and open to the public thanks to donor generosity, series sponsors, and grants from the Arkansas Arts Council (an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage) and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Concerts are held in the church sanctuary and followed by a reception with food and drink in the Parish Hall. Many performances are livestreamed on Facebook at facebook.com/frcarey and posted afterward on Facebook. The series has featured musicians from the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, pianists, vocalists, and chamber ensembles from across the region.
The Red Door, the Soup Patrol, and Annie Lee's Pantry
The Red Door Ministry is responsible for welcoming everyone who walks into St. Luke's. The whole congregation plays a part, greeting newcomers with the warmth the parish is known for.
Outreach to the wider community runs deep. The parish works in partnership with several neighbors and ministries:
- St. Francis House is a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Arkansas providing social services, a medical clinic, and assistance for veterans. St. Luke's provides quarterly dinners with entertainment for the veterans and, through Operation Adopt a Vet, ensures each veteran has presents to open at Christmas. Parishioner Jeannie Fry serves on the St. Francis House board.
- Family Promise Ministry began in 2016 with support from a Keller Fund grant, a St. Luke's Endowment Fund grant, and a partnership with Park Hill Christian Church. After the pandemic, families are housed in nearby apartments rather than at the church, and St. Luke's continues to provide supplies for breakfast and noon meals once each quarter.
- The Clothes Closet and Home Goods roll out every Tuesday morning from 8:30 to 10:30, weather permitting. Gently used clothing, towels, bed linens, kitchen utensils, dishware, and small appliances are accepted and distributed to neighbors, with overflow going to Immerse, Dorcas House, and St. Francis House.
- The Park Hill Christian Food Pantry receives regular donations of peanut butter, dry cereal, and other staples from a collection box in the narthex. The parish also helps with the Christmas Store and holiday food basket distribution each year.
- Annie Lee's Pantry, a Little Free Pantry in front of the church where the sidewalk meets the parking lot, is open to anyone at any time. Dedicated in honor of Annie Lea Shuster, the pantry's motto is Take What You Need, Leave What You Can. Donations of non-perishable goods, water in warm weather, and items that don't require a can opener are especially welcome. The Daughters of the King help sponsor the pantry.
Pastoral ministries include the Community of Hope Lay Pastoral Ministers, trained caregivers who visit the sick, shut-ins, and bereaved. The Soup Patrol delivers hot meals to families facing illness, death, or hardship. Anyone who knows of someone in need of a visit or a prayer is encouraged to contact the church office.
Small Groups, ECW, the ChurchMen, and the Daughters of the King
Parish life is woven together by several community groups. The Parish Life Committee coordinates receptions, dinners, and special occasions, with volunteers preparing food, setting up, and cleaning up. The Saint Emma Chapter of the Order of the Daughters of the King is a spiritual sisterhood of women dedicated to prayer, service, and evangelism, meeting on the second Sunday of the month in the Parish Hall at 12:15 PM.
The ChurchMen, an informal group, supports projects of both St. Luke's and the wider Episcopal Church. On the second Saturday of the month, the ChurchMen host a community breakfast at the church, with proceeds donated to needy projects at Christmas.
The Small Group Ministry brings members into homes for study, reflection, and fellowship. Groups of twelve to fourteen covenant together to be regular in attendance, prayer, and mutual support. The current group meets on Monday evenings, and more groups are forming.
The Episcopal Church Women (ECW) empowers women to do Christ's ministry in the world. Their vision is to become a blend of all ages, coming together as a peacemaking, healing part of the Church. The parish shares ECW recipes and supports the ECW through regular donations.
The Rector, the Seminarian, and the People Who Keep the Lights On
The Rev. Carey Stone is the rector. A former associate rector who became rector in 2011, he brings a background in church music, counseling, and theology. He is a Certified Spiritual Director who loves the power of the poetic word and has taken two walking tours with the internationally acclaimed poet David Whyte in the English Lakes. His sermons, often sprinkled with jokes, illustrations from pop culture, and original poetry, are posted online each week.
Chris Carson is the parish seminarian, in his second year at Bexley-Seabury in Chicago and his third year of local formation in the Iona program. He began discernment about three years ago and hopes to be ordained a deacon in 2027, with priesthood to follow. He welcomes conversations with anyone in the parish.
Kathleen Turner serves as Organist and Choirmaster. Julie Pozza is the Office Manager and the friendly voice on the phone line. Mary Jane Hodges serves as Treasurer.
The Vestry carries out the mission of the church - to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ - under the Canons of the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Arkansas. Twelve elected lay members, along with the rector, manage the parish. Members serve three-year terms, with four elected annually at the parish meeting. Officers include the Senior Warden (Lauren Heil), Junior Warden (Rebecca Gorrell), Clerk, and Treasurer. The Vestry meets monthly, excluding July and August, on the third Tuesday of the month.
What St. Luke's Believes
St. Luke's is a parish of the Episcopal Church, part of the Diocese of Arkansas, and shares the faith and order of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Worship follows the Book of Common Prayer, and the rhythms of the church year shape the calendar. The parish mission - to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ - is carried out through the ministry of all its members, lay and ordained.
The parish holds the historic Christian faith in the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Baptism is full initiation into the Body of Christ, and confirmation, ordination, marriage, and Holy Communion are celebrated as sacraments. The Book of Common Prayer is the principal liturgical resource, and daily readings follow the lectionary. The parish describes itself as a place of welcome, openness, and love, where questions and doubts are valued as part of a shared spiritual journey.
The Building and the Labyrinth
The church building was occupied in January 1969 after a ground breaking on St. Luke's Day in 1967. The 1999 building program added the chapel and prayer garden, the labyrinth, the chancel and sanctuary renovations, the new pipe organ, and the Jonnie T. Schulte educational wing. Fortenberry House, the original frame chapel relocated to the rear of the property, now serves as church offices. The Parish Hall, dedicated to the memory of Victor Wilder, hosts the coffee hour, the Clothes Closet, and many of the community's shared meals.
Inside the chapel, three stained glass windows tell the story of salvation: a Star of David, Christ on the cross of Good Friday, and a dove with flaming tongues of fire representing Pentecost. The parish encourages visitors to pause in the chapel and let the windows speak.
Getting to St. Luke's
St. Luke's is located at 4106 John F. Kennedy Boulevard in North Little Rock, a short drive from downtown Little Rock and easily reached from I-30 and I-40. The office phone number is (501) 753-4281. Sunday bulletins, sermons, and announcements are posted online; livestreams of the 8:00 and 10:30 services are available on YouTube, and recordings are posted afterward on Facebook. Visitors are warmly welcomed - It really is all about love!