Yokem Endowment will support feeding ministries
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (November 13, 2026)—The Methodist Foundation for Arkansas (MFA) yesterday announced the establishment of the Mackey Yokem Endowment Fund to honor the Foundation’s inaugural Director of Leadership Ministries, who will retire next month after 10 years of service.
“A decade after we asked Mackey to help increase the Foundation’s work in continuing education and grants, our programs in these areas look substantially different and considerably more robust,” said MFA President & CEO the Rev. Wayne Clark. “We’re grateful for all the energy he has put into his time here, and we wanted to establish this fund in his name as a way of sustaining that momentum.”
The Yokem Endowment Fund, which begins with a $25,000 balance, will support feeding ministries, in accordance with Rev. Yokem’s wishes. Its annual distribution will be awarded through the MFA Grants Program, which during Yokem’s tenure grew from just over $850,000 in distributions in 2016 to more than $2.1 million in the 2025 calendar year.
Friends of the Foundation may contribute to the Yokem Endowment Fund at any time by making a gift online. When prompted, choose “Yokem Endowment Fund” from the drop-down menu.
About the Methodist Foundation for Arkansas
With a mission to establish and manage charitable funds to strengthen and expand Methodist ministries across Arkansas, the Methodist Foundation for Arkansas manages over $280 million in endowment funds and other charitable assets that benefit local churches and other United Methodist ministries. Founded in 1963, the Foundation has grown into one of the largest United Methodist foundations in the country, managing more than 800 funds that support Methodist ministries. To learn more, visit methodistfoundationAR.org.
