About Us

Leading Generations to Passionately Follow Jesus

Bella Vista Baptist Church was launched in June 1972 to share the gospel with what was then Bella Vista Village, a retirement area. Much has changed since 1972, but the church's mission remains the same - to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and lead generations to become passionate followers of Jesus. To that end...

We love God, treasure His Word, worship His name, and live for His glory.
We love others, welcoming one another as Christ has welcomed us, reflecting the character of God in service to others, and investing in the redemption of people in our city, our region, and beyond.

We live to leave a gospel legacy, reaching and connecting the generations around us with the gospel, integrating them into the church body, and equipping them with a biblical worldview of life.

Our Leadership and Staff

Brent Summerhill

Senior Pastor
Brent Summerhill has served Bella Vista Baptist Church since November 2019. A Fort Smith native and lifetime Arkansan, he  previously served churches in Cabot and Magnolia. He and Cindy have been married since December 1986.

Ed Byrnes

Students
Ed has served as a pastor or church planter in Arkansas, Oregon, and Texas. He and Crystal love serving students and their families for the gospel.

Chris Simpson

Worship
Along with an amazing group of singers and instrumentalists, Chris serves as leader of our congregational worship. Chris loves music, but his passion is to give people a voice to praise Jesus.

Steve Strohl

Choral
Steve has served various churches including our church before retiring from full time ministry. He now serves as our choral director. Steve 's heart is for a choral ministry of worship, not performance.

Glenda Moss

Kids
Glenda has 30+ years working with children and families. She and Randy, her deacon husband, love serving the families of our church and community.

Carolyn Beaver

Ministry Assistant
Carolyn is the first person you meet at the church. She is always ready to graciously serve our people.

Crystal Harms

Financial Secretary
Crystal manages and coordinates all things financial for the church. On the side she leads ladies' Bible study groups and serves alongside her deacon husband, Rick.

Our Beliefs

SCRIPTURE
The Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy.

GOD
There is one and only one living and true God who exists in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He is all-powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise.

JESUS
We believe that Jesus is the Son of God, was born of a virgin, was wholly God and wholly man, lived a sinless life, died in our place as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind, was buried, arose bodily from the grave, and ascended into Heaven.

HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that God the Holy Spirit is active in convincing unbelievers of their need for salvation, and is the Comforter and Guide Who lives in every believer.

MAN
We believe that man is a special creation of God, made in His image, but that through the sin of the first man, Adam, mankind fell so that all men are sinners and need salvation.

SALVATION
We believe that salvation is a gift received through repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

THE CHURCH
A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers with the Lord Jesus Christ as the Head.

ORDINANCES
Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus.
The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby believers remember the death of the Lord Jesus and anticipate His second coming. The bread is symbolic of His body and the juice represents His blood.

For a complete doctrinal statement, refer to The Baptist Faith and Message 2000.