08 May 2025 Couple of the Month: Natasha and Everette Cornell Maltbia
HER STORY:
I am loving person, with good listening skills, who has a passion to help others succeed in life.
Native of: Conway/Faulkner County.
Children: We have two children: Kennedy (30), who is married to Jalon Hughes (29), and Connor Maltbia (27).
Education: I graduated from Conway High School and attended the University of Central Arkansas.
Work: I work for Conway Public Schools.
Special interests: I love shopping and looking for good deals. I also love vacationing and spending time with family. I enjoy Zumba Fitness with Amy at the Conway Regional Health & Fitness Center.
Honors you’re especially proud of: It is an honor to have successfully raised two children and to be promoted to empty nesters. I recently completed the Conway Educational Aspiring Leadership (CEAL) program for Conway Public Schools.
Community activities: My husband is the pastor of True Holiness Saints Center, Inc. I am heavily involved in the women’s ministry for the church. We have a heart for young people and families. I love gleaning and soaking up wisdom from our Mother’s Board and Gleaners’ Ministry.
Something unique about you: People think it’s odd that I don’t have favorites of colors, movies, food, or, as my daughter says, “of anything.” Lol!
HIS STORY:
I am very driven, but a compassionate person.
Native of: Conway/Faulkner County.
Education: I graduated from Conway Public Schools and attended the University of Central Arkansas. I received my ministry ordination from the Church of God in Christ World Headquarters in Memphis, Tenn.
Work: I am the founder and senior pastor of True Holiness Saints Center, Inc. I have been doing so for almost 33 years.
Honors you’re especially proud of: I received the 2024 Friend of the District award and was inducted into the Conway Public Schools Hall of Fame. I was awarded the 2022 Conway Chamber of Commerce Diversity in Business Award. Also, I was recognized as the first African American Chaplain of the State of Arkansas’s House of Representatives 87th General Assembly. I was given the key to the City of Conway in 1996 and again in 2002, and I was the 2001 Honorary Assistant Attorney General of the State of Arkansas. I have received numerous other awards and accolades.
Community activities: I serve as a member of the Conway Regional Health System Board of Directors, as Chaplain for the Conway Police Department, and am a proud member of the Central Arkansas Ministerial Alliance.
Special interests: I absolutely love immediate and extended family-related activities. I am an avid WWE Wrestling fan. I also enjoy going to the theater to see a good action movie.
What do you love about living in the 501? I love the people. So many of our neighbors and community partners are an absolute joy to do life with. Without question, the 501 is a great place to live and raise a family. I also appreciate our economic stability and educational opportunities.
Their STORY:
Natasha and I grew up in the same community and attended the same local church. We have practically known each other our entire lives. We became high school sweethearts and later married while attending the University of Central Arkansas. Interestingly enough, we got married June 5, 1993, and founded True Holiness Saints Center, Inc. July Fourth of the same year.
While I spend my professional time pastoring the church, Natasha is in her 21st year working full time for the Conway School District as an administrative assistant in the Central office. Even though we have chosen two very different career paths, we work hard to have lunch together at least three days a week. This is a great opportunity to reconnect as a couple.
It is agreed that we are both part of the secret sauce that makes True Holiness so successful. I love being out front on stage leading the congregation, while Natasha loves being in the background, undergirding me with prayer and sound advice.
When asked how to sustain a thriving marriage after 33 years and two children, we agree on the following three nuggets: One, keep God at the center of your marriage, basing every decision on Biblical principles. Second, always remember your family is your first ministry; never put the congregation’s needs before your immediate family’s needs. Finally, stay best friends! Always communicate and learn to laugh, love and forgive.
