About St. John the Evangelist · Huntsville, Arkansas
St. John the Evangelist Church is a Catholic mission parish located in Huntsville, Arkansas, in Madison County. It belongs to the Diocese of Little Rock and is part of the West Ozark Deanery, attended from St. Vincent de Paul Church in Rogers. The parish serves a small community in the Ozark region of northwest Arkansas, offering Sunday Mass in both English and Spanish for the area's growing Latino population. It is pastored by Fr. Keith Higginbotham, who also serves as associate pastor at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Rogers.
- Patron
- St. John the Evangelist
- Rector
- Fr. Keith Higginbotham
- Diocese
- Diocese of Little Rock
Why belong here
St. John the Evangelist offers an intimate, bilingual Catholic community in the heart of the Ozarks where English and Spanish-speaking parishioners worship side by side. As a small mission, it provides a personal, family-like atmosphere with the richness of the broader Catholic tradition, including the Sacraments, devotions like the veneration of icons, and connections to the wider Diocese of Little Rock. Its outreach to Madison County's growing Latino population through a dedicated Spanish Mass makes it a true crossroads of cultures and faith in northwest Arkansas.
Mass times at St. John the Evangelist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before Mass (Sunday: 8:30 AM and 11:30 AM)
About St. John the Evangelist
St. John the Evangelist Church is a Catholic mission parish in Huntsville, Arkansas, in Madison County. It is part of the Diocese of Little Rock and belongs to the West Ozark Deanery. Because it is classified as a mission, it is 'attended from' St. Vincent de Paul Church in Rogers, meaning clergy from Rogers serve the Huntsville community. The parish maintains its own dedicated worship site at 411 Crossbow Road and offers Sunday Mass in both English and Spanish.
- Parish type: Catholic Mission
- Deanery: West Ozark
- County: Madison County
- Attended from St. Vincent de Paul Church, Rogers
Clergy and Staff
The parish is pastored by Fr. Keith Higginbotham, who also serves as associate pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Rogers. He is assisted by an administration manager and administrative assistant who handle the day-to-day operations of the mission. Fr. Higginbotham is fluent in Spanish, which supports the parish's bilingual ministry.
- Pastor: Fr. Keith Higginbotham (also associate pastor at St. Vincent de Paul, Rogers; birthday Oct. 12; ordained May 26, 2018)
- Administration Manager: Mike Wineland
- Administrative Assistant: Jayme Alderman ([email protected])
The Icon of St. John the Evangelist
On December 29, 2024, St. John the Evangelist unveiled a newly commissioned icon of its patron saint during a special Mass. Father Keith Higginbotham, who had long wanted something 'a little grander' than the existing devotional image, commissioned American realist painter Timothy Jones — recommended by Deacon Tom Parks — to create the work. Around the border of the icon is painted St. John's name and the Latin phrase 'In the beginning was the Word.' It now hangs above the doorway between the vestibule and the sanctuary. Fr. Higginbotham explained that 'the spiritual understanding of an icon is that it is a window, or a door, and we look through it at the saint who is in heaven.' The unveiling was followed by a discussion panel with the artist and pastor.
- Icon unveiled December 29, 2024
- Artist: Timothy Jones (American realist painter, formerly of Rogers, who converted to Catholicism in the 1990s)
- Connector: Deacon Tom Parks
- Location: above the doorway between the vestibule and the sanctuary
- Inscription: St. John's name and 'In the beginning was the Word' in Latin
Pastoral Changes and Clergy History
Because St. John the Evangelist is a mission attended from St. Vincent de Paul in Rogers, its priests are typically assigned there from the diocese's wider pastoral team. Bishop Anthony B. Taylor has issued several pastoral assignments affecting the parish over the years.
- Rev. Jason Tyler, STL — previously served as pastor of St. John the Evangelist (relieved of duties in a pastoral change announcement); remains pastor of St. Joseph Church in Fayetteville and Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Lincoln.
- Rev. Jules Norbert Njopmo — previously served as associate pastor (relieved of duties in the same announcement).
- Rev. Keith Higginbotham — current pastor; also associate pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Rogers.
Spanish-Language Ministry and the Latino Community
Madison County has a growing Latino population, and St. John the Evangelist plays a recognized role in serving Spanish-speaking Catholics through a dedicated noon Mass each Sunday. The local Madison County history produced by the Shiloh Museum notes that the parish 'offers a Spanish-language mass for the county's growing Latino population.' Fr. Higginbotham's fluency in Spanish helps bridge the two language communities within the small mission.
- Sunday 12:00 p.m. Mass in Spanish
- Fr. Higginbotham is fluent in Spanish
- Recognized by county-level history as a hub for Spanish-speaking Catholics in Madison County
Contact and Location
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish by phone or email, or visit in person at the church in Huntsville. As a mission of St. Vincent de Paul, the Rogers parish line is also available as an additional contact.
- Physical address: 411 Crossbow Road, Huntsville, AR 72740
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 755, Huntsville, AR 72740
- Phone: (479) 738-2282 or (479) 636-4020 (Rogers)
- Email: [email protected]
- Diocesan website: https://www.dolr.org/parishes/st-john-evangelist-church-huntsville
Madison County Catholic Life
Madison County, formed in 1836 shortly after Arkansas statehood, is home to a small but growing Catholic community. Religious life in the county includes a wide range of Protestant denominations and, increasingly, the Catholic mission at Huntsville serving both long-standing English-speaking families and newer Latino residents.
- Madison County Ministerial Alliance (founded 1990s) includes 10–15 churches and religious organizations and hosts joint religious services and food drives.
- St. John the Evangelist is recognized as the principal Catholic presence in the county.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Jason Tyler, STL
Previously served as pastor before being relieved of responsibilities; remains pastor of St. Joseph Church in Fayetteville and Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Lincoln.
- Rev. Jules Norbert Njopmo
Previously served as associate pastor before being relieved of responsibilities.
- Fr. Keith Higginbotham
Current pastor and associate pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Rogers.