The Rev. Rita Wilson Perry '70

The Rev. Rita Wilson Perry

The Rev. Rita Wilson Perry

The Rev. Rita Wilson Perry '70 recently came out of retirement to serve as the transitional pastor at Central Presbyterian Church in Fort Smith, Ark. Perry, who earned her masters of divinity degree from Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa in 1991, pastored various churches in Arkansas and Oklahoma before being honorably retired in the Presbytery of Arkansas in June 2015 following 37 years of active service to the church. She credits her Ozarks education for providing the foundation for a fulfilling life in the ministry. "As a religion major with an emphasis in Christian education, I was blessed to have excellent professors who not only challenged me in classes, but also gave me opportunities to experience ministry first-hand in ways I would never have imagined," she said. "It is my joy to share in keeping such a legacy alive for students who join the Ozarks family for years to come."