On December 8, 1983, seven couples gathered to prayerfully consider if God was calling them to start a new church with a unique focus. The mission would be to help others realize their full potential as spiritual leaders who express their authentic relationship with Christ to those around them. It would be a church focused on people and Truth, preparing the Body to embrace the work of the Gospel (Ephesians 4:11-16; 2 Timothy 2:2; 1 Peter 2:5, 9; Matthew 5:14-16).

With this vision in mind, the families committed to seven days of prayer to answer two key questions. First, would they be willing to make such a church their home? Second, would they give sacrificially of their time, resources, and skills to help the church get started? The following Sunday, the families came together and voted unanimously to begin Fellowship Bible Church of Northwest Arkansas.

For the next several months, they faithfully gathered in their homes for worship, teaching, and community, while at the same time, laying the foundation necessary for public ministry. On February 1, 1984, Dr. Robert Cupp began part-time ministry as Fellowship’s first pastor.

When Fellowship officially opened to the public on Sunday, May 27, 1984, the core of the church had grown to seventeen families which met in rented facilities of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Bentonville.  

In addition to a healthy corporate worship experience, Fellowship embraced (and still does) life-on-life interaction as a crucial part of equipping people for effective ministry. At the time, it was very unusual, if not unheard of, to make the home the center of small group ministry. For many, this led to ministry becoming a lifestyle and God blessed it.

By June of 1987, the church grew so rapidly that a larger worship venue was necessary. For four years (1987-1991), Oakdale Junior High in Rogers became the place where the church gathered to celebrate how God was moving in and through His people. Each week, using sound equipment, portable cribs, and children’s ministry supplies, humble, servant-hearted leaders transformed a junior high school into an authentic place of worship.

As Northwest Arkansas continued to grow more regional in nature, Fellowship built its first building in the Rogers/Lowell area to provide a centralized gathering place for the church. The first building on the Rogers campus was dedicated to the Lord on June 16, 1991 in hopes that it would be a place where God would be pleased to work in and through His people.

As the Rogers Campus continued to expand, God’s blessing of growth continued to outpace the facilities. As a result, buildings were added to accommodate the growth of new people attending. During this timeframe, Fellowship truly became a regional church with people driving in from Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville, and even from southern Missouri.

In September of 1998, the Elder Board of Fellowship added services on Saturday night to make room for the number of people in attendance. However, as Fellowship Saturday Night was born, it quickly became evident that the greater opportunity was to reach a new demographic of people with life circumstances that made Sunday morning worship difficult or impossible.

This congregation became a unique expression of Fellowship’s vision and mission attracting professionals with work responsibilities on Sunday, people recovering from difficult life experiences, and those more comfortable exploring issues of faith in a non-traditional Saturday evening setting.

To capture the heart of what God was doing there, the congregation changed its name to Mosaic where “all are broken,” “all matter,” and “One (Jesus Christ) gets the glory."

As the church grew, so did the need for counseling services. A licensed counselor joined the staff in the late 90’s, and in 2002, two additional licensed counselors were added. Around 2006, graduate students from John Brown University began interning at the Counseling and Care center.

In 2019, a new building opened at the SW corner of the Rogers campus. This enabled further expansion of the number of counselors and services offered. Today, 19 counselors serve over 800 clients per month through the Counseling and Care Center. They meet with clients at all three Fellowship campuses offering licensed Christian counseling at a reduced cost for individuals of every age, couples, and families.

In October of 2003, Celebrate Recovery (which meets on Friday Nights) became the third congregation at Fellowship Bible Church. It is a powerful place to seek God for help in overcoming difficult hurts, hang-ups, and habits and to celebrate Him.

Celebrate Recovery provides a biblically balanced approach to help bring sustainable recovery and healing to our hurts. It guides us toward new healthy truths and life-giving habits as we repair our broken relationships

In 2011, Fellowship launched the BiLD Training Center (now called The Training Center) to help equip the people of Fellowship, other churches, and business professionals with tools for effective spiritual leadership in life and ministry. The overarching goal was to provide accessible and comprehensive training opportunities, fostering spiritual depth, and impactful leadership.

From Biblical Foundation to Spiritual Formation, the Training Center curriculum has impacted thousands, equipping them with a strong foundation to lead in life and ministry.

The Training Center also oversees Fellowship’s Residency program which is focused on developing and launching the next generation of spiritual leaders. Additionally, it collaborates with leaders and congregations, locally and globally, in the endeavor of equipping, mobilizing, and supporting church planting efforts.

On May 8, 2016, Fellowship launched its fourth congregation (Fellowship Fayetteville) in the city of Fayetteville. Although, many from Fayetteville had been actively engaged in Fellowship’s vision and mission for over 30 years, the new location provided a place for them to gather and be equipped to reach their neighbors.

With the University of Arkansas in their backyard, God has brought people from all over the world to the front doors. Through this congregation, Fellowship has an opportunity to engage the world in a way that is uniquely Fayetteville. On March 1, 2019, Celebrate Recovery began meeting on Friday Nights on the Fayetteville Campus as well, offering a renewed sense of hope and help to the people of Fayetteville and its surrounding communities.

April 3 2022, Fellowship opened its third campus and fifth congregation Fellowship Bentonville. With thriving ministries for students, women, men, and special needs and disabilities, and almost 100 adult community groups, Fellowship’s newest location hit the ground running.

Fellowship Bentonville gathers the people of Bentonville and surrounding cities around a common mission to know and express the authentic Christ. With over 30 people moving into the area daily, Fellowship Bentonville continues to grow quickly making an impact in the lives of those around them.