LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (April 16, 2025)—The Methodist Foundation for Arkansas has chosen The Hon. Mark Leverett as the keynote speaker for its annual Bishops’ Club Luncheon, an invitation-only event set for Friday, May 16.
Leverett, who serves in the elected position of State District Judge for District 31, Little Rock 3, received the invitation to speak primarily because of another leadership role he holds: Chair of the Oscar Washington Jr. Educational Fund. The Fund seeks to ignite the power of purpose, knit generous hearts with education and provide scholarships to propel the next generation further, for the good of all. It is named in memory of Leverett’s good friend, Oscar David Washington, Jr., a husband, father, and Christ follower who had been elected Vice President of Customer Service for Entergy Arkansas before his untimely passing in 2018.
The OWJEF, which honors Washington’s passion for helping young people find success in life, is one of MFA’s seven partners in its Hope Scholarship initiative, which has benefited low-income undergraduate students in Arkansas since 2021.
“Judge Leverett and I initially connected through one of the Foundation’s grant-making priorities, Clergy and Laity Education,” said MFA President and CEO the Rev. J. Wayne Clark. “We have since formed a strong friendship, and I’m delighted that guests at the Bishops’ Club Luncheon will have the opportunity to hear him speak about ways the Oscar Washington Jr. Educational Fund supports its scholars and sets them up to succeed. The story Mark shares is truly inspiring.”
Initially organized to help support the MFA’s daily operations, all Bishops’ Club gifts now go toward the Foundation’s discretionary grant work, which ranges from community health initiatives to ministries that address food insecurity, from providing environmental awareness and energy education resources to fighting homelessness and poverty. The Bishops’ Club is named in honor of Methodist bishops and their families who have served Arkansas since 1836. To learn more about the Bishops’ Club and its membership levels, visit the Bishops’ Club page of the Foundation website or contact the Rev. Lynn Kilbourne, 501-664-8632 or
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 $220 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.
