So. Baptist Pastor David Hughey steps down after wife files for divorce

By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Thursday, July 02, 2026

While the Southern Baptist Convention doesn’t have a policy on whether divorce disqualifies a pastor from leadership, David Hughey, lead pastor of Geyer Springs First Baptist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, has chosen to step down after his wife, Louanne, divorced him last month after nearly 40 years of marriage.

The divorce decree, filed in the Circuit Court of Saline County, Arkansas, on June 19, said the couple, who have three adult children and multiple grandchildren, had been living separately since about January 2025. They were married on Aug. 16, 1986.

Louanne Hughey filed for divorce in February, according to court records. She further stated in a deposition for divorce on June 16 that she sought to divorce her husband due to “general indignities.”

The Sheppard Firm PLLC, which is not representing either party in this case, says the claim of "general indignities" is the “most common grounds for divorce used in Arkansas” as a fault divorce state.

Louanne Hughey claimed in her filing that her husband “would humiliate me, intimidate me through his words, he would speak derogatorily about my character, and he would be emotional neglect [sic] through a lack of bonding which was ongoing. This has lead [sic] to my life with the Defendant being intolerable.”

In his official response, Pastor Hughey denied his wife’s allegations, stating they only had “normal marital arguments” and disagreements.

“My wife’s allegations made in her statement are totally untrue, and I did not humiliate her, intimidate her, speak derogatorily about her character, and I was not neglectful emotionally at any time,” he stated. “We may have had some disagreements and normal marital arguments throughout the marriage, but that was the extent of our problems.”

The former couple have divided the sale proceeds from their primary home and will divide the proceeds from four other properties, according to the decree. His wife will also keep a Honda Pilot and Honda Civic from the marriage. Pastor Hughey will keep a 2005 GMC Sierra SLT and an Infiniti. They also agreed to split the proceeds from a collective seven financial and retirement accounts.

According to the church’s website, Pastor Hughey began serving at Geyer Springs in 1992.  He worked in multiple roles before becoming lead pastor in 2016.

In a statement to his congregation cited by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, which first reported the divorce, the former lead pastor, who's now listed on the church’s website as the director of pastoral care and ministry support, said he tried to save his marriage, but his efforts failed.

He also explained that even though he wasn’t required to step down, he chose to do so to avoid becoming a distraction to his church’s ministry.

"I know this is unsettling, but I feel certain my decision is led by God and best for our body," he said in his statement.

He further explained his decision to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, stating: "When it became evident that reconciliation was not going to happen, I told leadership that should divorce occur I did not feel comfortable continuing in the role of Lead Pastor. This was a very personal decision for me. Although Charles Stanley as well as other Southern Baptist Pastors have remained in their roles after divorce, I didn't consider that an option for me."

He continued: "No one on our staff or lay leadership teams asked me to step down or suggested that I should. I spent a lot of time in prayer, seeking the Lord. For me, it came back to the issue of distraction. While I have been greatly supported and loved by this congregation, I feel certain I would have been a distraction for either some who are here or for some the Lord might bring our way in the future. While this was a difficult decision for me and for our church family, out of my desire to honor God and my love for His church, I believe this was the most loving decision in the long run."