Diverse faith communities thrive in the Bible Belt

Flourishing. Diverse. Active in good works. These words aptly describe the countless numbers of religious institutions attended by people of faith in the Bible Belt of Northwest Arkansas. Arkansas as a whole claims Christianity as its dominant religion, with 79 percent of adults holding Christian belief. That’s the finding of Pew Research Center’s Religious Landscape Study of 2014.

You’ll find Christian churches pretty much everywhere, and increasingly, without steeples. There are megachurches, old-fashioned country churches, mainline denominations, and even a biker church and a cowboy church. Ethnic churches serve Hispanic, Marshallese, Asian, African-American and other worshippers.

Jehovah’s Witnesses, The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, Seventh-Day Adventist and Unitarian religious groups have a presence in NWA communities as well.

Fayetteville and Bentonville are home to Islamic Centers where prayer and worship is available to those of the Muslim faith. Jewish congregations are growing in Benton and Washington Counties. The Indian and Hindu population has seen a large increase due to Walmart’s attraction for work and vendor opportunities, resulting in the dedication of a temple in Bentonville.

Here’s a cross-sectional look at some of these faith communities:

Protestant

The largest denomination is Baptist, and in our region, nearly 70 churches are affiliated with the Northwest Baptist Association. Freewill, Missionary, Independent, and Primitive Baptists are variations of the Baptist faith.

Other Protestant denominations are those found in most American urban and rural areas: Methodists, Presbyterians, Churches of Christ, Lutherans, Assemblies of God and Nazarenes. One unusual ministry is a partnership called Car Care ministry. First Methodist Church of Bentonville and Havenwood provide basic automotive services for single women to help them achieve self-sufficiency.

Corner Post-Cowboy Church in Siloam Springs meets on Sundays for “Bible preaching and teaching, cowboy campfire sing-a-long gospel music, family-style worship and country-style hospitality,” as described on their website.

Megachurches like Fellowship Bible Church and Cross Church meet at multiple campuses with thousands attending. There are small churches, like Lighthouse of Faith Fellowship in Huntsville where Mennonites gather for worship and Sonrise Fellowship in Harrison. Non-denominational churches are on the rise, with “come as you are” contemporary services and nontraditional names like Catalyst, Church of Today, Keypoint and New Heights.

Perhaps the most spectacularly beautiful church is Thorncrown Chapel outside Eureka Springs. In its woodland setting, this famous church of glass rises 48 feet, removing visible barriers to the trees, sky, and sun of creation. It’s listed fourth on the American Institute of Architects’ top buildings of the 20th century and has been described as “one of the finest religious spaces of modern times.” Thorncrown is a popular destination for weddings and tourists and is open every Sunday for worship services.

Liturgical

“Catholics here find a warm welcome in the Bible Belt,” said Rev. John Antony Cq, the priest at St. Joseph in Fayetteville, the oldest Catholic parish in the area. In Springdale, St. Raphael Catholic Church, with its huge, multicultural congregation, is the largest parish in the state.

St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church in Rogers serves Eastern Orthodox Christians in Northwest Arkansas. The church was named for St. John Kochurov, a missionary of the Russian Orthodox Church in the early 20th century who helped establish churches in Chicago.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in downtown Fayetteville is known for more than Sunday worship in its beautiful sanctuary of wood and stained glass. The church hosts several Alcoholics Anonymous groups, helps refugees with resettlement, provides a community for sexually-exploited women and provides respite for caregivers of those with early-onset dementia and Alzheimer’s. Other Episcopal churches are St. Thomas, St. Martin’s Episcopal Center at the University of Arkansas, St. John’s, St. Theodore, Christ the King Anglican, St. Gabriel’s Anglican and others.

Judaism

Jewish congregations are growing in Benton and Washington counties. Etz Chaim, which means Tree of Life, was the first synagogue in Benton county, opening in 2004.

Temple Shalom in Fayetteville, where Reformed Jews gather for worship, joined with a local Muslim builder to develop the Temple of Peace. Chabad of Northwest Arkansas brings Orthodox Jews together. Chabad is a Hebrew acronym for three intellectual elements that are guides for life: wisdom, comprehension, and knowledge.

Berit Olam Fellowship in Springdale is a congregation of Hebraic Messianic believers who meet on Saturday mornings for worship, and Tuesday evenings for studies in the Torah.

Muslim

Prayer services are held regularly for Muslims at the Islamic Center of Northwest Arkansas, located on the University of Arkansas campus. The Bentonville Islamic Center also hosts daily and congregational prayers.

Hindu

Sri Krishna temple, the first Hindu temple in Northwest Arkansas, was built with help from the Bentonville community and dedicated in 2012.