Our staff is here to serve you as well as others in the community. Visit our Contact page for various ways for you to contact us.
Senior Pastor
Brother Jaimie Alexander began his ministry at First United Methodist Church in Bella Vista on June 26, 2011. He is excited to have returned to NW Arkansas, where he resided from 2002 to 2009 while serving as an Associate Pastor at Central United Methodist Church in Rogers. Brother Jaimie was born in Heber Springs where his family owned and operated a restaurant and service station for 31 years. He graduated from North Little Rock Northeast High School, Hendrix College, and obtained his Master of Divinity from Chandler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, GA.
Brother Jaimie is happily single and very close to his family who live in central Arkansas. At his age, he is blessed to still have three of his grandparents involved in his life. He enjoys football, cooking, traveling, old architecture, Arkansas and American history and writing a weekly food column for the White River Journal of Prairie County, Arkansas. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Aldersgate Renewal Ministries of the General Board of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church in Nashville, TN.
 Lee Myane
Associate Pastor
Pastor Lee Myane is now our full time associate pastor after serving a year as a part time associate while finishing seminary at Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City. Pastor Lee specialized in evangelism at Saint Paul School of Theology and has a passion for the community, mission and helping people see the “Good News” of Christ in their lives.
Here at Bella Vista First United Methodist Church Pastor Lee is working with our young families including children and youth. With a mission to equip generations to become spiritually maturing Christians, Pastor Lee is working to find common ground and connections within our congregation to bring all our generations together in mission and ministry.
With pastoral ministry as a second career, Pastor Lee practiced over 15 years as a landscape architect and business owner in Northwest Arkansas before finding his call to ministry. Currently he is a provisional elder in the Arkansas Conference.
Pastor Lee and his wife Andrea have three children, Silas, Sarah and Sawyer. They have lived here in Northwest Arkansas since 1997 and in Bella Vista since 2004.
Jan Lowe
Assistant to Senior Pastor & Director of Lay Ministries
Jan Lowe began her service with us as our church Secretary in September of 2005. In June, 2006, she took on the new duties of Director of Lay Ministries. In that capacity, she helps new members and guests find a place to become active in our congregation, as well as helping every member to be in ministry.
Jan utilizes her background in Human Resources and Training and Development to help enhance current ministries or build new ones that help our members to find their niche in our church.
Janet Walton
Secretary
Janet Walton's sunny disposition and propensity to help others, which she credits to her mother's influence, is an asset in the church office. Janet had never worked in a church before, but she brings some excellent experience with her - mostly working with people.
Previously the director of Enid Community Learning Center, Janet worked with inmates of the OK Department of Corrections, at-risk junior high and high school students, and school drop-outs who wanted to continue their education.
Janet and her husband Ron have been married for 38 years and have four children, 3 sons and a daughter. They also have sixteen grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Dr. Larry Zehring
Director of Music Ministries
Dr. Larry Zehring is pleased to serve as our Director of Music Ministries. A native of Oklahoma, Larry holds degrees in Choral and Vocal Music Performance and Conducting from the University of the Ozarks, Tulsa University and the Conservatory of Music at the University of Missouri – Kansas City (UMKC.) He has done additional post-graduate work at the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, NY, at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ, and the Julliard School in New York City.
Larry has been involved in church music since junior high school and has served at First United Methodist Church since 1995.
Kyle Elmore
Pianist / Organist
Kyle Elmore joined our music staff in August of 2011. As an organist and pianist, he provides music for our traditional worship services as well as serving as the accompanist for our choirs, ensembles, and soloists. Kyle grew up in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and graduated from Fayetteville High School in 2010. He began taking piano lessons at the age of 11 and organ from Charles Rigsby at 14. Shortly after beginning organ lessons, he began playing and subbing at various churches throughout Fayetteville and Fort Smith. As an organist, Kyle has played two solo recitals in addition to joining many other organists on various concert programs. He is a member of the American Guild of Organists and gained admission to the prestigious St. Olaf College music program as a Church Music/Organ major, where he studied with Dr. John Ferguson. In the spring, Kyle plans to return to college as a Biochemistry/Pre-Medicine major at the University of Arkansas, while continuing to serve as organist and pianist.
Dawn Thompson
Handbell Director
Dawn Thompson was born and raised in Iowa and has been involved in music in some way since the age of four, when she began taking piano lessons from her mother. Dawn majored in Music Education at Cornell College of Iowa and taught music to elementary students in public schools. She has been involved with handbells for many years: playing in handbell choirs, directing, performing solo handbells, participating in small handbell ensembles and arranging music. She has been the Handbell Director at First United Methodist Church since 2001.
Carrie Drish
Director of Children's Ministries
Carrie Drish grew up in a little town just south of Detroit in Michigan, where she lived there until she left for the Army in 1993. While in the Army, she served in Georgia, Maryland and in Kuwait. After her enlistment she returned to Michigan, north of Detroit. Shortly after returning home, she met and married her husband Ken . Their family remained in the Detroit Metro area until 2005 when the now family of four relocated to Bella Vista.
The Drish family joined FUMCBV in 2008. In 2009 the position of Director Of Children's Ministry opened and Carrie felt as if God had answered her prayers. Carrie loves her family, Bella Vista, and her job working with the children of our church family.
Danette Baker
Director of Youth Ministries
Danette has been married to Eric for 16 years and have 3 girls…Kamryn, 16, Kaci, 13, and Kyler, 5. Danette and her husband, Eric, both grew up in NWA and graduated from Rogers High School. They lived in San Diego, CA and Virginia Beach, VA while Eric was serving in the Navy. In 2002, they returned to NWA to finish raising our girls. Danette is happy to be a part of this exciting time of growth in our church.
Amy Gilmore
Treasurer
We are pleased to welcome Amy Gilmore, who moved to Bentonville from Helena, Montana in the Fall of 08 with her family.
Amy’s husband James, (who works for Wal-Mart), and two children Alec (9) and Jenna (7) joined the church in June of 09 and quickly became active members. Wanda Williams, Amy’s mother, who also moved with them from Montana, teaches Sunday School here at FUMC.
Amy earned her Bachelors in Business Administration from Adams State College in Alamosa, Colorado. Amy has performed a wide range of positions throughout her career.
Amy is an active parent and enjoys hobbies of stamping/scrapbooking, and reading.
She took off the last eight years to raise her children who are now in school. The treasurer job here is part-time and will allow Amy the flexibility of working around her kids’ schedule.
Marge Smith
Financial Secretary
Marge Smith came to First United Methodist to “fill in until they find a permanent person”. That was in 1990 and Marge is still serving the church as Financial Secretary. She keeps the membership rolls current, records financial giving, and tracks congregational visits.
Troy Jorgensen
Director of Media Ministries
Troy Jorgensen was named Director of Media Ministries, which includes overseeing the operation of audio, visual, and lighting equipment used to enhance worship services and other programs.
Troy and wife, Brenda, relocated to Bella Vista from Stockton, California late 2006 with children Alexis Talia and Chloe Lilia.
Shannon Shirley Wicker
Praise Team Director
Shannon has been involved with FUMC Bella Vista since the fall of 2007 when she became a member of the church. Shortly following, she became heavily involved in the contemporary service by recruiting for the Praise Team and selecting music for the the 9:30 service on a weekly basis. In the spring of 2009, she took on the role of Praise & Worship Leader for the contemporary service and has done that ever since. Shannon believes there is no greater outlet for sharing her love of the Lord than through song!
In 2006, Shannon graduated from Henderson State University with a Bachelor's in Music Education with double principles in piano and voice. Her teaching career brought her to the Bentonville School District where she has taught fifth grade music and choir for the past four years. In addition to teaching and leading praise and worship music, Shannon also serves the Bella Vista and Bentonville music communities through private piano and voice instruction, directing a local church choir, accompanying on piano for area recitals and plays, and occasionally performing opera.
In her "spare" time, Shannon loves spending time with her family; especially her baby daughter Kayla Grace. Bella Vista is the perfect place for Shannon because of her love for nature and the outdoors. There is nowhere she would rather be!
Garrett Greer
Worship Leader
Garrett is our Worship Leader for the Contemporary Service. His wide ranging musical talents and deep love of God have already had an impact on the joy of worship we all feel during the Contemporary service.
|
