FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Hot Springs, Arkansas
The Church with a Heart in the Heart of the City
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Hot Springs, Arkansas
The Church with a Heart in the Heart of the City
Meet the Rev. Leslie Roper
Leslie is quite literally a cradle Presbyterian — her parents joined Central Presbyterian Church in Fort Smith, Arkansas, the Sunday before she burst onto the scene. She was raised in that church and nurtured by the ministries of the Presbytery of Arkansas. After graduating from Austin College with a BA in Psychology and a minor in religion, Leslie spent two years interning in our denomination, first at the Presbyterian United Nations Office in New York City and then at the denomination headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky. Over those two years, Leslie discerned God’s call on her life and after finishing her service to the denomination enrolled at Columbia Theological Seminary where she received her Masters of Divinity. After graduating, God called Leslie back home to Arkansas where she served as Associate Pastor for Youth and Children’s Ministries at First Presbyterian Church in Batesville until 2014, when she was called by that same congregation as their Head Pastor. Leslie watched as God grew her Batesville congregation in size and in service, ushering in new programming for children and young families and building new mission partnerships in the community. She has also been active in service to the larger church, serving on multiple committees, chairing task forces attending General Assembly, and ultimately serving as Moderator of the Presbytery.
