Pastor Kyle Hughes has a pulpit poise and ministerial savvy that is rare in a young man. As a result, there is no question about his giftedness. Furthermore, his passion to see Pine Bluff positively impacted and changed rests on a solid, dual foundation—his belief that God makes the difference in lives and in communities and his personal attachment to the people of southeast Arkansas. Therefore, no questions remain about his mission.
In May of 2007, when Pastor Kyle graduated from Central Bible College in Springfield, Missouri, there was only one thing he knew for sure: he was supposed to return to southeast Arkansas. Having grown up in Star City with family ties to Pine Bluff, Pastor Kyle was very familiar with the area—including the challenges—but was certain that God’s direction was clear. His heart for the city of Pine Bluff had intermingled with his belief that the youth of Pine Bluff represent fertile ground for positive change.
Therefore, with the support of his wife, Heather, who is not from this area, he committed to pack up and come back home as a move of faith—even though he had no position or support prearranged.
Both Pastor Kyle and Heather realized that their choice might not be easy because they had already experienced the sacrifices associated with committed ministry. Pastor Kyle’s father, Jim Hughes, was bi-vocational for a long time but entered full-time ministry when Kyle was about 14 or 15 and remained faithful to that call until he passed away a couple of years ago after a battle with cancer. (His life and ministry are still widely respected in southeast Arkansas.) Heather’s father is still the senior pastor of a thriving church in Fayetteville.
The journey to youth ministry in Pine Bluff actually began when Pastor Kyle felt a personal call to full-time ministry at only 13 years old. Since that time, he not only completed his degree in Preaching & Evangelism but also served as part-time youth pastor at Branch Assembly of God in Branch, Missouri, completed two internships (at Pine Bluff First Assembly of God in 2005 and at Trinity Fellowship Assembly of God in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in 2006), and preached in various evangelical services.
Pastor Kyle and Heather, who is a talented vocalist, have a vision to see two stages or levels of growth among the youth—spiritual growth and solidified unity among the students first, which will naturally produce a heart for the unsaved and spur evangelistic outreach and ultimate numeric growth second. At some point in the future when God’s timing is right, Pastor Kyle dreams of planting a church and establishing a ministry that would specifically target those who are caught in the chains of addiction and deprivation—right here in Pine Bluff. What better target is there to start preparing for change than with youth? It is clear, therefore, that Pastor Kyle and Heather have been sent to First Assembly in the providence of God for ministry that will begin with the youth in this church and ultimately bless this entire city.
On a personal note, Pastor Kyle loves spontaneous moments of humor, likes to laugh and talk, loves people, and fanatically supports the Razorbacks and the Cowboys. His sports fantasies are to see the Razorbacks win a football or basketball national championship and to be present to watch the Boston Red Sox defeat the New York Yankees in Fenway Park.
