First United Methodist Bella Vista Staff

Rev. Ron Hayes was born and raised in Iowa as was his wife and high school sweetheart, Julie. They attended Iowa State University together before beginning corporate careers that took them
all around the country.

Answering a Call to Ministry during a long and successful time in the corporate world came before retirement age. But Pastor Ron couldn’t deny God’s Call any longer and now serves in ministry with great joy. Starting with seminary studies at Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, OK, he then served as a Full Time Local Pastor as the Associate Pastor at Rogers FUMC (AR) for more than four years. He was recently appointed as Lead Pastor with us at FUMC Bella Vista.

Pastor Ron firmly believes that gifts and graces come in so many ways and in so many forms, new/old, and seen/unseen ways.  Anchored in tradition and in the tried-and-true efforts which can lead to new and additive ministries to receive, grow, and share the love of God.  Weaving an energized and well-grounded body of faith into a rich purple cloth to hold God’s light high each and every day is an honored task.

Focused on the Christian journey ahead, Pastor Ron also tries to find time

Amy and her family relocated back to Northwest Arkansas in October 2015 after spending 3 years in South Carolina. They are happy to be back in Bentonville and FUMCBV. Amy and her husband, James, have had great opportunities to move around the country starting in Colorado. They met while attending Adams State University where Amy earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management. Montana, Vermont, Arkansas, and South Carolina have all been home over the years and Amy has worked in as many different areas as places they’ve lived, taking time off when son Alec was born. Then she spent time volunteering in the elementary schools with Alec and daughter, Jenna. When the Gilmores lived here before, Amy worked in the Finance Office, so is familiar with a lot of the comings and goings on and people at FUMCBV.

Andrea Fobes is a long-time Bella Vista resident by way of Northern Virginia. Before that, she grew up in Texas. She has a love of computers thanks to her dad who taught her how to program when she was 10. Although she only dabbles in that department these days, she can still find her way around most machines with relative ease. Andrea is quite the foodie and an avid baker, too. She also has plenty of experience in a church office having served at another church for almost 10 years. Andrea has been taking care of her parents for more than a decade, and her mother, Laura, lives with her here in Bella Vista. The rest of her family lives elsewhere in Arkansas. She loves the Lord, and is overjoyed to be working at FUMC and appreciates the opportunity!

Larry Zehring has been our church’s Director of Music Ministries since the fall of 1993. He holds degrees in vocal music performance from the University of the Ozarks and Tulsa University, and in choral conducting and musicology from the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He has done additional post-graduate work in choral music at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, Westminster Choir College and the Julliard School. He has appeared in choral performances with the Philadelphia Orchestra under conductors Eugene Ormandy, Rafael Freuhbeck de Burgos, William Smith and Julius Rudel. He was a member of the Grammy-Award winning Gregg Smith Singers, appearing with them as soloist on several tours and recordings. He currently lives in Bentonville with his wife, Annette, who is Director of Music for St. Theodore’s Episcopal Church in Bella Vista.