BENTONVILLE - Amid the mostly Baptist bastion of northwest Arkansas, an entrepreneurial deacon is offering something... a little different.
Five weeks ago, the Rev. Roger Joslin moved to Bentonville from Los Angeles to start the Episcopalian Community of Bentonville.
Culture shock ? Of course. But his black outfit and white clerical collar turn heads wherever he goes. And for now, he's going everywhere.
The mission is clear: find a diverse group of people to form a congregation with radical hospitality at its core. Joslin hopes to offer a progressive alternative to other churches in the area.
" I think it will work here in northwest Arkansas, " he said of the radical hospitality, which focuses on meeting people's physical and spiritual needs. " It's a very friendly place. "
While he's been treated well here, he's not sure the reception would be as warm for a black, brown, homosexual or poor person.
" Ours is the kind of church where everyone is welcome, " he said. And that focus must start from the beginning. Rather than creating a core of white, middle-class people, then expanding the group, Joslin wants to start that mixed core from the beginning.
That's part of what attracted Nancy Patton, a local architect who lives in Bentonville. Patton attended her first meeting last week with about eight other adults - a visioning meeting, of sorts.
" My background is not Episcopalian, " Patton said, but she has two coworkers involved with St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Fayetteville, which is providing oversight and support for the Episcopal Community of Bentonville.
" I'm looking for something that (encourages ) more community outreach, " Patton said, mentioning the St. Paul's missions of Angel Food Ministry (a soup kitchen ) and Seven Hills Homeless Shelter (a transitional housing center ). " We can combine our love for others in this group, and I think that came out in our first meeting quite strongly. "
Patton's diverse group would like to serve the community - " to give to those who have less, " Patton said. " What makes this really special is that we are defining what we feel our group needs to be about. We're all accepting, that's very important to me - all backgrounds, all types of people, very hospitable, community-oriented. "
Joslin's church-planting plans are already moving quickly. Just three weeks after starting the job, he's got a dozen adults meeting in a small group - with two other groups starting soon. The plan is to create small groups of roughly 12 adults until the total reaches about 300 people, which could take about a year, Joslin said.
He's also seeking out the gay, lesbian and bisexual groups in the area, hoping to welcome them into the fold. " Many have been raised in churches and had devout upbringings, " Joslin said, yet churches have rejected them.
The progressive Episcopalian church interprets the Bible in terms of context and in light of the times, he said. He believes fundamentalists interpret the Bible too literally.
So was it difficult to move to Bentonville, after Los Angeles, and Austin, Texas, before that ? " I couldn't think of a more exciting place to be, really, " Joslin said. " In a town so dominated by the largest corporation in the world, it's a little like coming to Rome in the height of the Roman Empire. " It's like planting a church when every here works for the emperor, he said, laughing.
The Episcopalian church has liturgical services like a Catholic church, but masses and Sunday communion services - Eucharists - are in English, unless it's a Spanish mass, Joslin laughed.
The Diocese of Arkansas has been thinking about a church in Bentonville for about 15 years. Joslin seems the perfect fit. " I have a strong entrepreneurial bent, " he said. " I do like to create and start things. This is about creation. " After many years involved with the church, Joslin was ordained as a deacon in May. He'll be ordained as a priest in December.
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