Rogers-Lowell Area News

Mount Sequoyah Center Invites Community to Attend Annual Easter Sunrise Service

Mount Sequoyah Center, Inc., a nonprofit conference and retreat center in Fayetteville, Ark., welcomes the community at the annual tradition of Easter Sunrise Service. The service will begin at 6:30 a.m. on April 1 at Vesper Point on the Mount Sequoyah campus. Reverend Dr. Clint Schnekloth, of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, will deliver the sermon. Music and worship will be performed by Amanda Stokes and Amy Coonfield. Coffee and hot chocolate will be served.

Vesper Point is an outdoor chapel, with built-in wooden benches and a raised rock altar, which overlooks the Cross Overlook.

“The partnership with Dr. Schnekloth is an opportunity to highlight our mission to serve the community at large”, says Rev. Jess Schload, executive director of Mount Sequoyah. Mount Sequoyah Center, Inc. was founded in 1922 by the Methodist Episcopal Church but recently became an independent, secular nonprofit organization. While continuing to honor its roots and traditions, everyone is welcome at Mount Sequoyah; with no limitations in regards to religious or denominational affiliation.

“Sunrise worship on Easter morning is a highlight of my year”, says Rev. Schload. “For decades, Mount Sequoyah Center has offered this special worship service to all who would like to celebrate the resurrection as the sun brings on a new day. As always, this ecumenical service is open to everyone.”

Along with pastoring Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Fayetteville, Dr. Schnekloth is the author of Mediating Faith: Faith Formation in a Trans-media Era, writes a religion-based column for the Northwest Arkansas Times and is a frequent guest on KUAF 91.3 FM NPR's news magazine, "Ozarks at Large." He earned his Doctor of Ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary and his Master of Divinity at Luther Seminary.

With deep and historic roots in the Northwest Arkansas community, Mount Sequoyah Center, Inc. provides a familiar yet eclectic and inclusive space to accommodate events, large and small. While the physical presence of the campus is defined, in large part, by more than 40 structures, the diverse natural beauty of the grounds contributes to the retreat’s enduring appeal.