The new pastor of the Highlands Christian Church is happy to let all the existing programs continue on. Members of the church work as a team and everything runs smoothly. It would be like changing sails in the middle of a crossing to change programs now, he said.
French, who grew up in south central Arkansas, came to Bella Vista from Berryville. He had moved to Berryville after retiring as a Methodist minister and, when he saw the local Disciples of Christ Church needed a pastor, he offered to fill in on a temporary basis. That ended up lasting six years.
The Disciples of Christ Church turned to be a good fit, he said. He likes the welcoming atmosphere he found there.
"I felt so connected," he said. "I knew I was in the right place."
Moving is never easy, he said, adding that he's moved nine times over 32 years. It helps when the people are friendly and welcoming.
In Bella Vista, he found an incredible choir and a church that can be considered medium in size.
The women's group is especially active, he said. They raise money for local charities like Helping Hands and the Children's Shelter as well as international missions.
Services are traditional at the Highlands Christian Church. Children attend the first part of the service with their parents, and French always has a special children's message which gives him the chance to use his puppets. He also does some magic for the young audience.
Growing up, French considered becoming a magician after receiving a magic kit as a gift. He did a few shows, but he realized that magic was not what God was calling him to do.
When he lived in Berryville, he worked at Intrigue Theater in Eureka Springs for a while. He also led ghost tours for the Basin Park Hotel for a short time, but, he said, "Ghosts just aren't my thing."
French has always gone by the nickname "Skip" even though his given name is James. The nickname, he explained, came from the orphanage where his adoptive parents found him. The people who ran the orphanages used nicknames for all the kids.
He always knew he was adopted, even though he couldn't remember anything about his biological family. Then one day, he got a call from a private detective who had been hired by his sister. French only knew one sister who was also the child of his adoptive parents, but the detective told him there were other sisters. It turned out that he has two sisters who share his biological parents and eight more half-siblings from his parents' other relationships. So in Berryville, French hosted a family reunion for 11 siblings, some of whom had never met.
He has had an interesting life and uses stories from his life in his sermons.
"If I do my job right, I tie them all together and it makes sense," he said.
General News on 06/19/2019