Mark Copeland - Elder

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I am married to Elizabeth.  We met at Harding University, where both of us earned our college degrees.  I am a teacher at Vilonia Public Schools, where I teach 6th grade math and coach 7th grade girls in volleyball, basketball, and track & field.  Elizabeth works for Blue Cross/Blue Shield where she is the e-Commerce Project Administrator. 

We have 3 children.  Carson, our son, is the Human Resources/Business Office Director at Maumelle Nursing & Rehab. Kinsey, our oldest daughter, is a student at Harding University and is on target to graduate in the summer of 2011.  Julia, our youngest, is a senior at Vilonia High School. 

We have been attending R & C since we moved here in August of 1986.  The Lord has blessed us tremendously and I want to do everything I can to build and strengthen His  body.  Life is short and everything we do should be done to bring honor and glory to God.  May we seek His will in our lives and not our own will.

Don Riddle - Elder

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Arkansas has been my home since 1962, and Betty was born here.  Betty and I are graduates of Vilonia High School and have been married since 1970.  I have a degree in Chemistry from the University of Central Arkansas and work as a Toxicologist for the Arkansas State Crime Lab.  Betty works as a land title examiner for a title insurance company.   My family and I worked as missionaries in Australia from '81-'89.  Our two daughters are married and live in Australia with their husbands and our 6 grandkids.  I have served as an elder for Robinson and Center since 1994.  I always tell people that God puts people where He wants them.  I believe that that is why we are here. 

Steve Norris - Preaching Minister

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Sandy and I moved to Conway and to R&C in September 2009 after fifteen years with the North Heights church in Batesville, AR. I am an Arkansan by birth, Sandy was born and raised in Michigan, though by southern parents. It only causes problems on the rare occasion that Arkansas plays Michigan (She’s a little conflicted, I’m fine). 

We have three daughters. Whitney is at R&C most weekends, she is a grad student at Harding in the Marriage & Family Therapy Program. Leeann is a Reading Specialist at Eagle Mountain Elementary in Batesville, her husband Jordan is a therapist at the Arkansas Sheriff’s Youth Ranch. Our oldest daughter, Lindsey, is a stay at home mom, caring for our two grandchildren: Kade (6) and Zoe (3). All three girls, and the two sons-in-law, are all Harding grads, Lindsey’s degree is in Child Development. Lindsey’s husband, Keith, preaches for the North Heights congregation.

I have been preaching full-time now for over thirty years. Sandy and I met when I went to Michigan to attend a preaching school there right out of high school. After graduation there I continued my education and have earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees from Harding University.

Sandy and I love living in Conway and are excited about what lies in store for this church and community. I really like weekly “Staff Meetings” at Stoby’s with Micah and Nick (Wednesday’s happen to be “pancake day”). Sandy refers to it as our “Stack meeting”.

Nick Starnes - Campus Minister

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Catherine and I began work with the Bears for Christ in the summer of 2010 after nearly six years with the Jackson Street congregation in Magnolia, AR.  We have three children, Owen (5), Jack (4), and 1 on the way.  We feel extremely blessed to be able to work with college students from the three colleges in Conway and have our children grow up around such great role models.  It is our goal to create a ministry focused on becoming campus missionaries, reaching college students in a place where it’s sometimes difficult to see Jesus.  We are imperfect people who have seen great things happen in our lives because of the love of God, and we hope to share that love with as many students as possible.

For more information on the Church of Christ Student Union (Bears for Christ) CLICK HERE  to find us on Facebook.

Jonathan Colvin - Youth Minister

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My wife Hannah and I recently moved to Conway in late August.  We were serving in Fayetteville, and we felt led to take up a position here.  Conway is in fact Hannah’s home, but I am glad it is my new home now as well.  We both feel that the Lord has blessed us with tremendous opportunity in serving here as a youth ministry team.  Our hearts are set on glorifying God with everything that we do, and we try to push young people to find the relationship with God that we are all in desperate need of finding.  We are both individuals who need the cross as much as the next person, and because of the gift found in His grace, we want to share the cross with as many teens the Lord gives opportunity. Hannah plans to pursue her dream of Occupational Therapy at the University of Central Arkansas.  I graduated with two undergraduate degrees from Harding University in Searcy, AR in Youth Ministry and Preaching.  There is a future plan for both of us obtaining a Master’s Degree as well.  Hannah will actually finish with one in Occupational Therapy through her program at UCA, and I am planning to pursue a Masters of Divinity through Harding Graduate School in Memphis this fall.  We will see where God leads us. We are very excited to be here at Robinson and Center and look forward to encountering how the Lord will bless us.