by David Gomez

The state of Arkansas is a part of what is well known as the Bible Belt of the United States. Within the cities of this region, which spreads across the American South, multiple churches can often be seen lined up along the same city block. While the physical presence of these churches paints a picture of a region immersed in Christian faith, one might wonder: Does this faith fill every crevice of our communities? Is there a deeper layer of Kingdom work that remains untapped across our North American landscape? The answer echoes with a resounding yes. Among these hidden opportunities shines the prospect of awakening and collaborating with the apostolic saints within our congregations—those who are fervently called to evangelize within the marketplaces of daily life.

A Field of Laborers

Among such impassioned individuals are Cody and Leslie Speights, a couple whose journey of faith and love began in the youth group of their local church, blossoming into marriage and a shared life’s mission. Supported by Pastor Rick Greer and leadership at The Church at Burns Park in North Little Rock, Arkansas, they have pioneered a path to reach an untouched field of potential harvest among young H–2A workers in the fish farms scattered around the outskirts of North Little Rock. The H–2A agricultural program grants temporary visas for foreign workers to provide seasonal labor in places with a lack of domestic laborers. These workers may be in Arkansas for only a season, but Cody and Leslie feel moved to reach them with the gospel.

Leslie, shaped by her upbringing as the daughter of missionaries in Mexico, brings a bilingual fluency to their mission, making their outreach all the more natural and effective. Cody, an Arkansas native who sensed a call as a young man but never grasped a clear pathway to “ministry,” found his passion and call when he transitioned into the field of fish farming. His heart became impassioned to reach these young but vulnerable men, some who are thousands of miles away from their homes.

A First-Century Church in 2024

I first met Cody in a somewhat unplanned way. As the district superintendent of the Alliance South Central District, I was visiting The Church at Burns Park on a Sunday morning when, after preaching, Leslie’s younger brother, Nathan, came up to me and invited me to go with him to visit a house church. Having nothing else on my schedule, I went out with him. When I got to the farm, I could smell delightful hardwood smoke and the pork shoulder roasts laid on the smoking pit. As someone who smokes meat from time to time, I knew it was going to be a great lunch. I soon met Cody. He immediately spoke enthusiastically about his career in fish farming and then invited me on a tour of the 240-acre farm of ponds and processing facilities, one of two farms that he manages. More importantly, he began to speak with deep conviction about the passion he feels for the call of making disciples among the young men God has brought under his leadership and care on the farms. This compassionate care was overwhelmingly evident, not just in Cody but also in his wife, Leslie, as she prepared the long dining table where these young men had begun to come into their home for a Sunday afternoon meal. One by one, each young man came in with a Bible in hand, gifted to them by Cody and Leslie, with their names engraved on them. We sat down for lunch, and there was a lot of conversation and laughter. It was clear that these men felt cared for and safe. After the meal, there was a time of singing and a message of the good news of Jesus by Cody, and Nathan, who was translating. Yet, the most powerful time I witnessed that day was the time of prayer, mostly led by Leslie, who poured out her heart in intercession for these men. As I left that day, I thought, This is a first-century church in 2024.

A Gospel Opportunity

I have heard testimonies of things that have taken place in the lives of these men. One skeptical young man often expressed his seeming disbelief during the gatherings. Then, one day, he asked for prayer. He had received a phone call that his son was seriously ill in the hospital. As Cody and some of the other men prayed, a sense of peace came over the young man. His son got better overnight and was released from the hospital the next day. God used this miracle in his life, as evidenced by his receptive posture from that day forward.

Another young man, who had bought a car for his father in Mexico and was anticipating surprising him with it on his next visit, received news that his father had died unexpectedly of a heart attack. In that moment of great loss and disappointment, this new and growing family of faith prayed for and comforted him. Everyone, even in their positions of relative need, pitched in to send a love offering to help cover the travel costs for him to be with his family as well as funeral expenses. These men had moved from merely hearing the gospel together to experiencing its power among them.

Cody and Leslie are not licensed workers with The Alliance—at least not yet. They may never be. But the response of these men to Cody and Leslie’s love and leadership is clear. They are coming to faith through their work. Cody’s vision is to disciple these men, developing them into people that live out the mission of Jesus, and to plant house churches among the neighboring 10 to 12 other fish farms that he networks with in that region of Arkansas. These fish farm house churches will likely not become accredited churched, nor do I feel that they have to be. But, as the Holy Spirit moves and Cody and Leslie continue to work, I wonder what will become of this opportunity. What is God doing? Are Cody and Leslie our local marketplace missionaries? How do we partner with workers like these? Is there a place for us to have district missionaries who make disciples in spaces where the local church in its traditional form is not present? I invite you to consider with me—are there other opportunities around us, like these, where we can unleash and partner with apostolic saints in our churches that have a clear and passionate call to reach the marketplace for Jesus?

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