Sanctuary Church of Jonesboro was established in 2011 by Kenneth and Erica O’Connell, who felt called to plant a church in Jonesboro while ministering in Northeast Arkansas. Previously, the O’Connells served as youth pastors in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Sanctuary started as a small North American Missions congregation meeting in the O’Connell’s living room, with just 18 attendees at the first service. As the congregation grew, they moved to a rented facility. In 2013, Sanctuary was approved for the Church In A Day program through the United Pentecostal Church International, and acquired a permanent location on Strawfloor Drive.

Continued growth led to the need for a larger space, and after years of searching, we purchased our current property at 3119 Rook Road near Jonesboro’s city center. In June 2022, we moved into our new, 12,500+ square-foot facility on over 9 acres and this marked a new chapter in our journey. God has continued to bless Sanctuary as we have continued to be a Safe Haven for All People. We have been blessed to see tremendous growth both numerically and spiritually since 2022 and we believe that the best is still yet to come.