History

The story of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church of Little Rock, Arkansas begins in 1892, when the first Greek Orthodox Christian immigrants arrived in the state. By 1905, enough Orthodox men and women had settled in Arkansas to begin celebrating Divine services on a regular basis. In 1913, the growing community welcomed its first permanent priest, Father Kallinikos Kanellas, marking the official establishment of the parish. On June 8, 1920, the Annunciation received a State Charter, purchased a church structure, and formally planted its roots at 1500 Center Street in Little Rock, where the first service in the new building was held on Palm Sunday, April 1921, with Father Arsenios Priakos officiating.

The decades that followed were marked by steady growth and quiet community-building. In 1959, the parish made an important contribution to the civic life of Arkansas when Representative Gale Windsor of Pulaski County introduced House Resolution No. 18 at the parish's urging, calling on communications and institutions in the state to recognize the Eastern Orthodox Church as the fourth major faith alongside Protestants, Catholics, and Jews, a recognition long standard in larger population centers but then absent in Arkansas. The resolution was approved by the Legislature. In 1963, on the occasion of its 50th anniversary, the church on Center Street was formally consecrated by His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos, prelate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America.

By the mid-1970s, the parish had outgrown its Center Street home as people of every background continued to make the Annunciation their spiritual home. The community purchased 4.5 acres of land in West Little Rock, and in 1983 construction was completed and the doors of the Annunciation Church at 1100 Napa Valley Drive were opened. At the dawn of the year 2000, the parish broke ground on a major expansion project to better meet the needs of its growing and diverse congregation. Since 1984, the parish has also become widely known throughout Arkansas for its annual International Greek Food Festival, held each spring, with proceeds benefiting local charities.

Today, the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church is home to more than 400 families representing a broad variety of nationalities and backgrounds, reflecting the American experience in the fullest sense. Under the pastoral leadership of Rev. Dr. Nicholas J. Verdaris, who has served the parish since 1999 and holds the title of Protopresbyter of the Archdiocese, the highest rank a married parish priest may attain, the Annunciation continues to be a vibrant and welcoming spiritual home for all of Central Arkansas, united in Christ and committed to sharing the light of the Orthodox Christian faith.