The week of June 28th marked the closing of Neill Hudson's career as pastor of Fellowship Church. Only three years ago he retired from a long career in public education, one which ran concurrently with his pastoral ministry.

How does one decide when to retire? Not easily, as is shown in the following excerpts from a letter Neill wrote to his Session in March of this year:

"I have recently learned that there is no good time for a pastor to retire. I had planned for many years to retire when I was 62 years old, which was in July of 1984. At that time, we had been in our new sanctuary about 7 months, attendance was up, interest was high, and new people were attending. It just didn't seem like the right time for the pastor to retire, so I decided to wait until the first of July 1985.

"When the first of July 1985 came, the situation was about the same. We had had 21 additions since the first of July 1984, interest was high, new people were attending whom I was afraid would quit attending if I retired, so I reset my retirement date to July the first 1986.

"When the first of July 1986 came, we were just getting back into our building which had been badly damaged by a tornado on November 18, 1985. We were also involved in the "Into the Nineties" Capital Gifts Campaign. In addition, we had just hired Steve Cagley as Youth Director/Choir Director/Christian Education Director, and it didn't seem fair to him for the pastor to announce his retirement at that time. Also, we still had several new people attending and interest was running high. I decided to move my retirement date to July first 1987.

"July of 1987 is rapidly approaching. Again, it does not look like a good time for the pastor to announce his retirement. We have new people attending, interest is high, and we have just finished the best year, growth-wise, that we could hope for.

"It may be that the only good time for a pastor to retire is when he has held on too long, and senility has slipped up on him, and he has experienced complete "pastoral burn-out" and everybody wishes he would move on without having to be fired. I certainly do not want to wait until that time."

Neill was born and reared at Calico Rock and obtained his elementary and secondary schooling there. A college career which began at Arkansas Tech was interrupted by a three-year tour as a pilot with the Army Air Corps during World War II.

On his return to civilian life he began teaching and coaching basketball and track at Calico Rock with a 60 hour teaching certificate, returning to the University of Arkansas during the summers until he obtained a BSE degree in January, 1950. He then devoted his summers to graduate work at Peabody College in Nashville, TN, where he obtained a Master's Degree in physical education and school administration in 1951.

In the mid 50's Neill served for three years as the superintendent of the Children's Home in Denton, TX, and it was during this time he answered the call to the ministry. He joined Dallas Presbytery as a candidate for the ministry in the fall of 1954 and was ordained on July 15, 1956. In August of 1956, the Hudson family returned to Arkansas where Neill became Superintendent of Schools at Violet Hill and pastor of both Barren Fork and Sidney Churches. This was the beginning of a dual career that was to last for 28 years. These years saw Hudson pastoring eight different churches, and serving the field of education at various times as superintendent, principal, coach and classroom teacher.

In 1969, the Hudsons came to Mountain Home, where both Neill and his wife Evelyn were employed as teachers by Mountain Home Public Schools. In November of 1969 he assumed the pastorate of Fellowship Church, which had begun in 1965 as a mission project of White River Presbytery and Arkansas Synod.

Fellowship Church, which started with 22 members, has grown to an active membership of 187. In 1983 the church built a new sanctuary with a seating capacity of 240. Neill says he is thankful that as the community grew the church also grew into a full-time ministry. In summing up his feelings about the ministry, Neill says he felt his ministry should be to rural and mission churches which could not afford full-time pastoral leadership. Having another job enabled him to serve such churches.

At the recent meeting of the General Assembly, Neill was appointed to the position of Assistant Moderator and ably assisted Moderator Wilbur Wood of Palestine, AR, with Assembly business sessions. Neill also serves on the Board of Missions of Arkansas Synod, and the Board of Christian Education of White River Presbytery. In the past he served for nine years on the Board of Trustees of Bethel College.

In retirement he plans to do a considerable amount of fishing, follow the Arkansas Razorbacks, and do more traveling with his wife.

At the retirement reception held on June 27th there were approximately 150 in attendance. On June 28th, Neill's last Sunday as pastor of Fellowship Church, a new attendance record of 199 was set, and two new members joined. Reported by Richard Magrill.
[Source: The Cumberland Presbyterian, August 1, 1987, pages 4-5]

Remember in prayer: The family of Rev. Neill Hudson, Mountain Home, Arkansas, who died September 10. He was a retired minister in Arkansas Presbytery. (An article he wrote is printed on page 15 in this issue.) [See article below]
[Source: The Cumberland Presbyterian, October, 2000, page 8]

In the last article of the series on the Revival of 1800, which appeared in the May 2000 issue of The Cumberland Presbyterian, Walter Chesnut stated that there is no biographical information available for James Farr one of the sixteen men referred to as the founders of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

James Farr was my great-great-great grandfather, and so I share this information with you. James Farr was married to Polly King, sister of Samuel King. Among the children born to them was my great-great grandmother, Elizabeth Farr who then married Samuel T. King. Elizabeth and Samuel T. had six children, four boys and two girls. One son, James Farr King, was my great grandfather, and another son, Robert Alpheous King, was a noted Cumberland Presbyterian minister.

James Farr King raised a family of two boys and three girls. A daughter, Rhoda Malinda King, was my grandmother. She and my grandfather, David Evander Hudson married in 1891 and raised four sons, one of whom was my father, Ulys Elmer Hudson.

In my family were four boys and two girls. I have been in the ministry of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church for forty-four years and each of my three brothers have served as elders. They followed our grandfather, David Hudson, and great grandfather, Samuel Farr King, and our father, as ordained elders.

My son, David Neill Hudson, is a licentiate in Arkansas Presbytery, and so from James Farr, one of the sixteen founders of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, the succession of elders and ministers continues through the ages and into the future.

About the writer:
Rev. Neill Hudson, a retired minister in Arkansas Presbytery, died before this article went to press. On September 10, 2000, Rev. Hudson died of cancer. So in his words, "the succession of elders and ministers continues through the ages and into the future."
He was honored this year at the Ministers' Conference 2000 for his "Tent-making Ministry." The Neill Hudson Award was given to Rev. James O. Lively.
[Source: The Cumberland Presbyterian, October 2000, page 15]