Who We Are
And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.
Luke 23:34 ESV
Our Mission
Joppa House is made up of a diverse group of Christian churches. Although we value the 24/7 prayer model, it is not our sole purpose at Joppa House. We seek to help the local church provide a prayer covering over Northwest Arkansas and the surrounding areas.
We do not seek to support a certain denomination, but instead we support the local church, meaning all believers. The two activities that unite the Body of Christ are prayer and worship. For this reason, we design and structure all events at Joppa House to be accommodating to a wide range of believers. Because our greatest chance in seeing change in Northwest Arkansas is getting the local church to unite together in worship and prayer.
We seek to help the local church provide a prayer covering Northwest Arkansas and the surrounding areas.
A Catalyst for Unity
We believe that God has a role for local churches, just as He has for the houses of prayer. This is evident in the many churches you will find represented in the prayer room. Many of our worship teams are combinations of several local churches joining together.
Our Name
Our name comes from the City of Joppa, referenced in the book of Acts. God used the City of Joppa in three ways:
Miracles: God raised Tabitha from the dead at Joppa, and we are believing for an outpouring of Miracles at Joppa House.
Unity: God sent Peter to the Gentiles at Joppa, and we are believing that God will unify the Body of Christ through Joppa House.
Divine Appointments: God brought Peter and Cornelius together at Joppa and we are believing that God will use Joppa House to make key connections between believers in our community.
We do not seek to support a certain denomination, but instead we partner with the local church, meaning all believers.
Our Mission
To partner with the local church to provide prayer-cover over Northwest Arkansas for the Glory of God and the good of the region. We want to help the local church through our training courses. We will provide prayer-cover through our open-to-the-public prayer room. Finally, we will do it for the good of the region through our outreaches.
Our Core Beliefs
These beliefs are what we believe God will do.
1. We believe that through prayer and worship of God, Joppa House will equip, unify, and mature the saints to administer works of healings for the spirit, soul, and body of the community, through the grace gifts of His Spirit.
2. We believe that God will watch over His word to perform it and that it will be accompanied by demonstrations of His power.
(Eph, 4:12-13, Mark 16:15-18, 1Cor. 2:4-5, 1Cor. 12:7-11, Jer.1:12)
Gretchen Speer
President
gretchen@joppahouse.net
About Gretchen Speer
Gretchen was raised in a ministry culture and has been leading worship for almost 25 years. She is passionate about leading people to the Lord both in corporate worship and through discipleship. She has been married to her best friend for 20 years, and they have been blessed with 4 beautiful children. Her family is a part of Ignite Church where she is the staff Worship Director. Gretchen is currently serving as the President of our Board of Directors and serves as Directional Leader at Joppa House.
Robert Haynes
Board Member
robert@joppahouse.net
About Robert Haynes
Robert & his wife Mary are the founders of Joppa House of Prayer. They have been married since 1992 & have 3 adult children & 7 grandchildren. Robert had served as a teaching & administrative Pastor before coming to Joppa House. Robert currently serves as directional leader at Joppa House of Prayer. It is his passion to see life change in NWA through prayer & worship. He sees a Church that is coming together as one body, joining hands with local churches to advance the will of God in NWA.
Adam & Christy Morris
Board Members
office@joppahouse.net
About Adam & Christy Morris
Adam spent his childhood in Northwest Arkansas (NWA) and although he moved away as a teenager, he always called NWA home. He and Christy moved to NWA in 2005. While Christy is not native to NWA, she has grown to love the area and is proud to call NWA home. Adam and Christy have been involved with Joppa House since the first meeting. Adam works in Higher Education and uses his passion for education to serve at Joppa. Adam has helped develop curriculum and teach classes. He serves in the Healing Room at Joppa. Christy is an administrative assistant at a local church. She enjoys serving in the Encouragement Room. Adam and Christy are parents to a precious boy, Nate. Adam, Christy and Nate attend Mosaic church in Rogers, AR.
Derek Speer
Treasurer
derek@joppahouse.net
About Derek Speer
Derek has lived in NWA the majority of his life. He has been married to Gretchen for 20 years and they have 4 beautiful children. The Speer family are a part of Ignite Church in Rogers. Derek has worked for a local healthcare system since 2007. He spends his free time coaching and cheering on his kids in all their endeavors.
Eric & Yami Pate
Board Members
office@joppahouse.net
About Eric & Yami Pate
Eric is a Physical Therapist (PT) at Children’s Therapy TEAM, where he works with children with special needs. He has been a PT for since 1996 since graduating from Rockhurst College in Kansas City, Mo. He has worked with children with special needs since 1988 and as a PT since 1995. Eric is originally from Little Rock. He and his wife Yami completed their education and moved to Rogers in 1999. They were married in 1993 and have 2 children, Adriana and Joshua. Eric’s passion for Joppa House is several fold: First, he sees the call to prayer as central to our faith in God and dependence on Jesus Christ. Along with prayer, is a call to unity with the Trinity and the church. Joppa House is a place for unity to be facilitated and the Love of Christ promoted between churches and our community to Christ.
Yami Pate was born in Honduras and lived there until she married her husband Eric whom she met while working as a Dentist for World Gospel Outreach in Honduras. In order to be certified as a dentist in the US she went to University of Tennessee Dental School in Memphis and came to practice to NWA in 1999. She and her husband established her own dental practice in 2003 in Bentonville. Being a Mom is her favorite job, but she enjoys reading and loves to play tennis and volleyball. Her love for prayer began in Kansas City when she and her husband Eric attended Metro Christian Fellowship who’s pastor eventually became one of the leaders of the International House of Prayer in KC. She belonged to a prayer group of classmates during dental school. She is passionate about being part of Joppa House’s message of Unity in Prayer and of praying corporately with the body of Christ for the Harvest in NWA and the Nations.
Adam Haynes
Board Members
adam@joppahouse.net
About Adam Haynes
Adam and his wife Olivia have been in Northwest Arkansas since they were small children, so they consider themselves native “Arkansans.” He has been involved with Joppa House from the beginning. Adam works for a local company that manufactures metal roofing. You will normally find Adam filling in on percussion for worship. Adam and Olivia have three children Chloe, Maddie, and Asher. Be sure to stop and introduce yourselves when you see Adam at Joppa.