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UMs honor King with special events, community service

United Methodists across Arkansas celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day Jan. 19 by worshipping together in ecumenical settings with friends and neighbors and by engaging in community service projects. Others participated in a celebratory parade and hosted worship services and a mission fair.

This year, the day set aside to honor the slain civil rights leader preceded the Jan. 20 inauguration of President Barack Obama. As a result, the Presidential Inaugural Committee invited citizens, and particularly those in the faith community, to make the holiday “A Day On, Not a Day Off.” The nationwide call to service encouraged those who were on school or work holiday to seek out meaningful ways to serve their communities.

Members of Theressa Hoover United Methodist Church in Little Rock accepted the challenge and spent several hours volunteering at the newly established nonprofit Harmony Health Clinic. The clinic offers free medical and dental care to poor and uninsured patients in Pulaski County. The clinic building on Roosevelt Road was in need of renovation, so several dozen church volunteers, along with others from the community, ripped out old carpet and floor tiles, smoothed sheetrock mud, painted walls and spruced up landscaping.

United Methodist Women at First United Methodist Church in Morrilton hosted a Mission and Servant Fair. The event concluded with a program featuring former Arkansas Razorback football player Freddie Burton and his sister Daisha Burton Nelson, both graduates of Morrilton High School. More than 160 persons attended.

“We had 17 nonprofit organizations that set up displays telling what their mission was and how they served others and how you could volunteer to help them carry out their mission,” said coordinator Emma Carruthers.

In planning the event, UMW members considered King’s legacy. “Martin Luther King Jr. was for all, and he was a servant,” Carruthers said. “This event was not about money; it was about volunteering your services.”

At least two United Methodist congregations participated in the 25th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade in downtown Little Rock, hosted by the Little Rock Branch of the NAACP. Members of Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church marched in the chilly Monday morning event and tossed candy to those along the route.

Members of First United Methodist Church in Benton participated in the parade as well, carrying a church banner and signs declaring the importance of community unity and cooperation. Senior pastor George McCoy and other church members on their motorcycles lead the way for the Benton United Methodists.

The Benton church also hosted the Benton Unity Service Jan. 17 as part of the community’s Martin Luther King Jr. celebration. “We’re Better Together” was the theme of the service, which included an ecumenical choir made up of representatives from various churches. A communitywide meal preceded the service.

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