Who We Are

After attending an Emmaus Walk in Memphis in 1983, the Rev. Glenn Pettus began planning for a spiritual renewal effort in Northeast Arkansas (Emmaus Walks) while assigned as a pastor at the UMC in Tuckerman. Preparations took almost two years!

The Noahs of Ark Emmaus Community was formed and the first Walk was held in Little Rock on September 4-7, 1986. 19 men attended the first walk and in October 1986 it's second walk was held for 21 women. The first two Walks were sponsored and conducted by the Memphis Emmaus Community, with the fledgling Noahs of Ark Emmaus members participating. The location of the first walks were held in Little Rock at St. John's Catholic Church. The Noahs flourished, and took the Emmaus experience to Puerto Rico in October of 1990, with the support and participation of the Spiritual Formation Office of The Upper Room in Nashville. In January 1997, the walks were moved to the 4-H center in Ferndale where they were held until August of 2007. They were then moved to Camp Tanako, where they are currently still held.

In 1991, the Noahs formed the Arkansas Chrysalis Community, an Emmaus similar experience designed for youth from 15-18 years of age. The Noahs of Ark Community continues as the sponsor of Chrysalis in Arkansas.

As the NOAC continued to grow, the eagerness for others to have the Emmaus experience caused other groups to form in North Arkansas (Heart of the Ozarks Emmaus). The group soon moved west to serve the Northwest Arkansas area.

As spiritual growth and Emmaus walk participation continued, time, distance and space limitations for full participation caused the need for the NEAR the Cross Emmaus community to be formed in 2005 to serve the Northeast Arkansas area. The first Walks were conducted in September and October of 2006.

In 2016, Noahs' of Ark Community was once again blessed to add the newly created version of walks for seniors, called Face 2 Face.