Some leaders step into an organization and help it grow. Others help shape what that organization will become.
For Conway Ministry Center, Spring Hunter has done both.
Long before many of the programs and services that define the Ministry Center today existed, Spring was helping pioneer a vision for what it could mean for the Church to respond to people experiencing crisis in our community. As the former Executive Director of Conway Ministry Center, her advocacy for families and individuals facing homelessness, poverty, hunger, and other difficult circumstances helped shape our program model, expand our reach, and establish the presence the Ministry Center has in Conway today.
During Spring's tenure, the Ministry Center accomplished countless things, but perhaps one of the clearest pictures of her leadership was the nine years the organization hosted the city's warming station. When temperatures became dangerous, Spring continually reminded our community that caring for our most vulnerable neighbors wasn't simply someone else's responsibility. She championed the belief that the Church has a role in caring for “the least of these,” and she worked tirelessly to bring churches, volunteers, organizations, and community members together to answer that call.
But Spring's legacy isn't measured only by programs she helped build.
It's also measured by the people she helped build.
One of Spring's greatest strengths as a leader has always been her ability to recognize leadership in others. Rather than simply asking staff members to follow, she equipped them to lead—to develop their own gifts, trust their instincts, advocate boldly, and take ownership of the work God placed before them. The influence of that kind of leadership continues to ripple throughout the Ministry Center today.
While Spring is no longer part of the everyday operations of the organization, she hasn't stopped pouring into its mission. Today, she serves as President of the Conway Ministry Center Board of Directors, providing leadership, wisdom, historical perspective, and continued advocacy. She also remains connected to issues affecting vulnerable Arkansans across the state, helping ensure the Ministry Center continues to understand both the needs in front of us and the larger systems affecting the people we serve.
The Conway Ministry Center looks different today than it did in those early years—and that is exactly what pioneers hope for. They build something strong enough for the next generation of leaders to keep building upon.
Spring and her husband, Charlie, are now enjoying a new season of life together while raising their family, but her fingerprints remain throughout this ministry.
We are deeply grateful for Spring Hunter: for the doors she opened, the people she advocated for, the leaders she developed, and the foundation she helped build.
Some people lead an organization for a season. The very best leaders leave it equipped to continue the mission long after that season changes.
