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Rev. Dr. Allen T. Stanton is a pastor, professor, and author. Ordained in the Western North Carolina Annual Conference, Allen's career has focused on building vibrant rural communities. He currently manages a small consulting practice (Reclaiming Rural, LLC), and serves as Senior Fellow for Leadership, Faith, & Community with the Town Square Collaborative at the University of the Ozarks. He also teaches as a faculty mentor at Kairos University. As a consultant, Allen frequently works with church leaders, colleges, and denominational agencies across the United States. Previously, Allen oversaw a $53 million effort to expand access to oral health care in rural Tennessee at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. He serves on the board of Hinton Rural Life Center and Neighbor, a philanthropy of the Herschend Family Foundation.
He is the author of The Gift of Small: Embracing Your Church’s Vocation (Fortress, 2024), Reclaiming Rural: Building Thriving Rural Congregations (Rowman & Littlefield, 2021), which was named a Top 10 Book of the Year by the Academy for Parish Clergy, and the soon to be published Church & State: A Practical Theology for Faith-Based Collaboration (T&T Clark). He writes regularly for Leading Ideas, and his work has appeared in publications like The Daily Yonder, Faith & Leadership, and Ministry Matters. Allen holds a Doctor of Ministry from Southern Methodist University, an MDiv from Duke University, and a BA from Wake Forest University. |
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Laura joined our church staff in September of 2017 as our Music Minister, leading our chancel choir and praise band and coordinating all music groups for special services.
Laura is a 2017 graduate of Delta State University and completed her Masters Degree at Arkansas State University in Collaborative Piano in May 2019. Before coming to Jonesboro, Laura served in four other United Methodist Churches in Mississippi. Laura is a Collaborative Pianist at Arkansas State and teaches piano and voice locally. Laura has a wonderful heart for leading people in worship through music and welcomes anyone who wishes to participate in music ministries at Cornerstone to join! |
