Meet Our Staff

Gary and Sherrie are high school sweethearts from North Carolina and are celebrating 55 years of marriage this June 13. They were both born again in 1975 while Gary was stationed with the Army in Germany. They have 3 children who live in CA, NC and FL, and they have 8 grandchildren.

Gary graduated from the University of Maryland, Grace Theological Seminary and Dallas Theological Seminary. He is also the author of 4 books. The most recent, True Discipleship, was published in 2018. Gary and Sherrie both taught at a Bible College in Guam, and they also served as missionaries in Africa.

Gary likes playing chess, long walks, amateur gardening, reading, the K.C. Chiefs and chocolate. Sherrie is what Gary calls “a renaissance woman” because of her multiple interests and abilities.

I am blessed to serve in my 19th year of pastoral ministry at Bella Vista Community Church. I felt that God was calling me into vocational Christian ministry at the age of 15. My education journey includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in Bible from Blue Mountain College in Blue Mountain, Mississippi, and graduate degrees—Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry—from Beeson Divinity School at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. I enjoy walking outdoors, going to the movies, and traveling. The adventure continues as I focus on the area of pastoral care at BVCC. In John 13:34-35 Jesus says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” 

Mike Walkup has been the Director of Music at BVCC since 1998. He has been a church music director and musician since he was 18 years old. Mike is a graduate of Emporia State University. He is married to Natalie Walkup. Both Walkups are classically trained professional opera singers. Mike has been a public school music teacher since 1985 (having taught preschool through college level) and is currently a general music/choir director for the Bentonville School system. The Walkups have one married daughter who is also a professional opera singer. They have one grandchild. In the summer you can find Mike playing with his granddaughter, on his boat fishing and swimming, on the golf course or playing with their French Bulldog T-bone and Olde English Bulldogge Blossom.