First Presbyterian Church of Walnut Ridge will host the Service of Installation for its new pastor, Rev. John C. Arnold, on Sunday, Nov. 11, beginning at 5:30 p.m.  The Presbytery of Arkansas will conduct the service, led by an administrative commission of ministers and ruling elders.  Rev. Bill Seitz, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Mena, will give the sermon. The church, founded in 1878, also is observing its 140th year of service in the community. Following the installation service, a public reception will be held in the church fellowship hall.  All members, former members and other friends of the church are welcome and encouraged to attend both the service and the reception at the church, 300 West Walnut St. Arnold, a native of St. Charles, Mo., earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and his Master of Divinity degree at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Austin, Texas. He and his wife, Rev. Susan Arnold, previously lived in Texarkana, where they served as co-pastors of First Presbyterian Church for about seven and a half years. He concluded his call there in early 2016.  Before accepting the pastorate at Walnut Ridge, he was supply pastor for Trinity Presbyterian Church in Bossier City, La. “I’m so excited to be serving the Walnut Ridge and Hoxie area ,” Rev. Arnold said.  “My passion in ministry is making spiritual growth as simple and practical as possible for people. Life can be hard, but knowing God and growing in your faith shouldn’t have to be. Hopefully, we can be a church that meets people wherever they are, and walks alongside them as they learn and grow.” The couple served as co-pastors at First Presbyterian in Hot Springs for eight years prior to moving to Texarkana. Before rejoining the Presbytery of Arkansas at its quarterly meeting last month, he was a member of the Presbytery of the Pines where his positions of leadership and service included the Committee on Ministry, the Committee on Representation, the Business Affairs Committee, and moderator. Rev. Arnold has been a sought after keynote speaker for numerous youth events and workshops, and spiritual adviser and musician for Arkansas Pilgrimage/Cursillo weekends.  He has assisted with training Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center staff for its summertime ministry in Little Rock. In addition to his church ministry, Rev. Arnold authors an online blog, “The Practical Disciple,” and produces “The Practical Disciple" podcast, which is available through iTunes and other sources. His wife, Rev. Susan Arnold, has accepted the pastorate of First Presbyterian Church in Wynne, and the couple is living in Jonesboro.  They have two adult children, Ruth Arnold Amensen and Matthew Arnold, who are students at the University of Conway and employed in Little Rock.First Presbyterian Church of Walnut Ridge will host the Service of Installation for its new pastor, Rev. John C. Arnold, on Sunday, Nov. 11, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

The Presbytery of Arkansas will conduct the service, led by an administrative commission of ministers and ruling elders.  Rev. Bill Seitz, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Mena, will give the sermon.

Following the installation service, a public reception will be held in the church fellowship hall.  All members, former members and other friends of the church are welcome and encouraged to attend both the service and the reception at the church, 300 West Walnut St.

Arnold, a native of St. Charles, Mo., earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and his Master of Divinity degree at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Austin, Texas.

He and his wife, Rev. Susan Arnold, previously lived in Texarkana, where they served as co-pastors of First Presbyterian Church for about seven and a half years. He concluded his call there in early 2016.  Before accepting the pastorate at Walnut Ridge, he was supply pastor for Trinity Presbyterian Church in Bossier City, La.

“I’m so excited to be serving the Walnut Ridge and Hoxie area ,” Rev. Arnold said.  “My passion in ministry is making spiritual growth as simple and practical as possible for people. Life can be hard, but knowing God and growing in your faith shouldn’t have to be. Hopefully, we can be a church that meets people wherever they are, and walks alongside them as they learn and grow.”

The couple served as co-pastors at First Presbyterian in Hot Springs for eight years prior to moving to Texarkana.

Before rejoining the Presbytery of Arkansas at its quarterly meeting last month, he was a member of the Presbytery of the Pines where his positions of leadership and service included the Committee on Ministry, the Committee on Representation, the Business Affairs Committee, and moderator.

Rev. Arnold has been a sought after keynote speaker for numerous youth events and workshops, and spiritual adviser and musician for Arkansas Pilgrimage/Cursillo weekends.  He has assisted with training Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center staff for its summertime ministry in Little Rock.

In addition to his church ministry, Rev. Arnold authors an online blog, “The Practical Disciple,” and produces “The Practical Disciple” podcast, which is available through iTunes and other sources.

His wife, Rev. Susan Arnold, has accepted the pastorate of First Presbyterian Church in Wynne, and the couple is living in Jonesboro.  They have two adult children, Ruth Arnold Amensen and Matthew Arnold, who are students at the University of Conway and employed in Little Rock.