The Leeper family had a long road to finding their church home, but once they started attending De Queen First United Methodist Church a little over a year ago, they knew they had found a place of safety, comfort, and God’s love.
“My wife and I come from very different backgrounds – her family raised her in church and it has always been a huge part of her life,” said Josh Leeper. “I however was not raised in a church, and as I grew older, had a dark part of my life where I gave into drugs and alcohol, and eventually found myself in prison due to my decisions. I will always regret those decisions, but it was in my darkest hour that I found God and truly felt his presence.”
Josh said that finding a church that would not judge him or his family for his past was something he struggled with.
Until one Saturday when the Leepers were discussing going back to church. Their daughter, Viola, was very persistant that she wanted to go to the church where she had been attending a program called “Kids of the King” with her babysitter – De Queen FUMC. So Josh and his wife, Dawn agreed to attend and give it a try.
“We fell in love with everyone there and absolutely loved their commitment to the community as much as their members. We share in each other’s triumphs as well as losses,” Josh said. “Rev. Stephen Copley’s commitment is amazing. He goes above and beyond for anyone who needs him and even for those who don’t know they need him, because of that I respect and admire him even more.”
Josh said that he loves seeing Viola wake up early on Sundays just to go to church. “It’s incredible to see her enthusiasm,” said Dawn.
Josh said De Queen FUMC is the first church he’s been to where no one is an outsider. “My wife and I always said that we wanted to raise Viola with God at the center of our family and in a church that would fuel her drive to get closer to God. First United Methodist Church is that church for our family.”