Rev. Louis “Biff” Averitt was born in Lake Village, Arkansas, on September 23, 1944. He grew up in a household of seven children, two parents, and two grandparents.
He attended schools in Dumas, Fordyce, and Little Rock and was a 1962 graduate of Little Rock Central High School. He graduated from Hendrix College in Conway with a BA, majoring in history and political science. He received his theology degree from Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. There he earned a Master of Theology degree, was awarded the Ruth Sowell Flowers Award as the most improved student in his class, and was inducted into Theta Phi International Scholastic Society for seminary students.
Upon graduation in 1969, Rev. Averitt received his first full time appointment to a Methodist Church in Rison, Arkansas, also serving Mt. Carmel, a small Methodist congregation near Rison. In the three years he served in this appointment, the Rison church grew and built a completely new facility several blocks away from the old building.
The next appointment was a suburban church in Camden called St. Mark. He served there for two years. Next was an assignment to serve as associate pastor at First United Methodist Church in Little Rock. Rev. Alvin Murray was senior pastor. While in this appointment, Rev. Averitt taught a course in religion at Philander Smith College and authored a book entitled Prayers by Biff. After five and half years of ministry there, he was assigned as pastor at Sheridan United Methodist Church for four years. During his tenure in Sheridan the church grew; the debt was reduced; and the size of the parsonage was doubled and paid for in full.
In 1983 Biff became Director of Cooperative Parish Ministries, the only area-wide program of ministry serving churches in both Conferences of Arkansas. After two years he was appointed senior pastor of Asbury United Methodist Church in Little Rock. During his eight years there the church grew from 955 members to over 1300. The church celebrated its tenth anniversary in its new location on Napa Valley and completed the second phase of its building program. His friend and former senior pastor Rev. Alvin Murray had retired, and he became the associate pastor in an unusual role reversal.
In 1993 Rev. Averitt moved to Magnolia where he became senior pastor of First United Methodist Church there. In his seven-year tenure the church membership stabilized, had the largest confirmation class in its history with 24 seventh graders, and completed an extensive renovation and development program in excess of 3 1/2 million dollars. The unfunded liability of the project was less than $750,000. The church entered the 21st century poised to grow and minister to a new generation.
In June of 2000 Rev. Biff was appointed as District Superintendent of the Paragould/Jonesboro District of the North Arkansas Annual Conference.
After serving two years as District Superintendent, he was appointed senior pastor of Central United Methodist Church of Rogers, where he served until his retirement in 2008. Following his retirement he was honored to receive the Cornerstone Award in 2009.
Rev. Averitt is married to the former Ann Manasco of Mena. They have been married for 58 years. Their three children are Louann Averitt Brace, Dr. Susan Averitt, owner/physician of Best Start Pediatrics, and Chris Averitt, an attorney with Wilcox and Averitt in Jonesboro. They have eight grandchildren, four step-grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and four step great-grandchildren.
Brother Biff served for over twenty years on the Conference and District Boards of Ordained Ministry in both the Little Rock and North Arkansas Conferences as well as the Arkansas Conference following the merger of the two conferences. He has a heart for those entering the ministry and an extensive knowledge of clergy issues and needs. In addition he has served on the Conference Councils on Ministry, CFA, and numerous Conference Agencies and Task Forces. He has been a trustee of Hendrix College, Camp Tanako, and the United Methodist Children’s Home. He has served on the Committee on Congregational Development in the seventies and early eighties and on the Design Team for Transformational Leadership in the nineties, out of which Connected in Christ grew. He currently serves on the board of Parents Left Behind, an organization founded by his daughter to support bereaved parents in our area.