Hi s t o r i c a l Co n f e r e n c e s o f Me t h o d i s m i n Ar k a n s a s

During the past 200 years, the Methodist churches of have been served by six different Annual Conferences: Arkansas Conference, Little Rock Conference, North Arkansas Conference, Southwest Conference, Ouachita Conference, and White River Conference.

1816 - 1835 From 1815 to 1835 1836 - 1854 the Arkansas Territory The “Arkansas was served by pastors Conference” of appointed by the the Methodist Episcopal Missouri Conference Church was organized in of the Methodist Batesville. The Conference Episcopal Church. also included the upper 2/3’s of Louisiana and the Indian Territory. The Conference then had six districts. 1854 - 1870 Arkansas Methodists 1870 - 1914 were divided into A third conference, two conferences, the named the White Ouachita or “Wachita” River, was organized Conference in the south in the northeast part became the second of Arkansas. The conference authorized by northwest remained the the Methodist Episcopal Arkansas Conference. Church. It later became the Little Rock Conference. 1879 - 1972 In 1879 many of the 1914 - 2003 African American The Arkansas congregations chose to and White River join the conference of the Methodist Episcopal Conferences merged (North) Church within Arkansas, forming the to form the North “Little Rock Conference, ME.” In 1929 the Arkansas Conference. named changed to Southwest Conference, and consisted of three districts in and Arkansas. In 1972 the Arkansas churche s of the Southwest Conference merged with the North Arkansas and Little Rock Conferences.

Fulton Co. Clay Co. Benton Co. Carroll Co. Randolph Co. Boone Co. Marion Co. Baxter Co. 2003 2012 Sharp Co. Greene Co. Izard Co. Madison Co. Lawrence Co. Washington Co. Newton Co. Searcy Co. Stone Co. Craighead Co. Mississippi Co. Independence Co. The Little Rock The Arkansas Crawford Co. Jackson Co. Poinsett Co. Johnson Co. Van Buren Co. Cleburne Co. Franklin Co. Pope Co.

Cross Co. Conway Co. White Co. Crittenden Co. Sebastian Co. Logan Co. Woodruff Co. and North Arkansas Conference reduced Faulkner Co.

St. Francis Co. Yell Co. Perry Co.

Scott Co. Prairie Co. Lee Co. Pulaski Co. Lonoke Co. Monroe Co. Conferences merged the number of districts Saline Co. Garland Co. Montgomery Co. Polk Co. Phillips Co.

Hot Spring Co. Arkansas Co. Grant Co. Jefferson Co. to form the Arkansas from 9 to 5. Pike Co. Howard Co. Clark Co. Sevier Co. Co. Lincoln Co. Cleveland Co. Desha Co.

Hempstead Co. Little River Co. Conference, and Nevada Co. Ouachita Co. Drew Co. Calhoun Co. Bradley Co.

Miller Co. Chicot Co. Lafayette Co. Columbia Co. Ashley Co. reduced the number of Union Co. 1:1,245,000 districts from 12 to 9.