A Brief History of Heber Springs, Arkansas
Heber Springs Church Organized in 1997
In 1995, a dark county* project in Heber Springs was taken on by members of several surrounding churches (Record, 1997; cf. Welch, 2015). In 1996, Elder Stephen Orian, the conference secretary, met with the group of Adventist believers who were eager to establish a church. They were renting a Baptist building which the Baptists were not using, except for one Sunday out of the year. It was located on the outskirts of the city (Record, 1996). On August 16, 1997, the group rejoiced as seventeen believers were organized into a church (Record, 1997).
A New Church in 2014
When the Heber Springs members had to find a new place to worship, they found a cemetery chapel. Although it was in a lovely location down a country road, beside a pasture, it was not conducive to growth. They met in the chapel for many years, but in early August 2014, the members wanted to “get the church out of the graveyard” and began looking for a location where their church could grow. They found a place on the main highway just two blocks from the city park where a lot of festivals are held. They felt like this was the perfect place where their church would be able to grow (DeWitt, 2014).
*A dark county was an area where no active Adventist work was being done.
Citations
(1996, Oct 1). Southwestern Union Record, p. 18.
(1997, Oct. 1). Ibid., p. 14.
DeWitt, Laurie. (2014, Oct. 1). Ibid., p. 20.
Welch, Linda. (2015, Nov. 1). Ibid., p. 17.
How it all Began 