James Mitchell (born February 26, 1965) in Orlando, Florida) is a retired American Professional Wrestling manager best known for his work in WCW as James Vandenberg, in ECW as The Sinister Minister, and under his own name in TNA. He started in the Carolinas/Virginia independent scene before getting his first break in SMW as Daryl Van Horne as the manager of Prince Kharis, a wrestling Mummy. It flopped, but he stuck around to manage Kendo the Samurai and a few others. He debuted as Vandenberg at WCW Uncensored 97 as the manager of Mortis, the antagonist of Glacier in the Blood Runs Cold storyline. After the feud ended, he had a short-lived commentary segment on WCW Saturday Night called "The Odditorium" before it was scrapped. He found success in ECW managing Mikey Whipwreck and Yoshihiro Tajiri to the ECW World Tag Team Titles
near the end of the promotion's run. He arrived in TNA early on as "Father" James Mitchell, the leader of the New Church. His most famous work there was as the manager for Abyss, and later against him. He also used the Sinister Minister name in MLW in 2003 as the manager of Christopher Daniels, Whipwreck, and Jerry Lynn.
"Sinister Tropes":
- Abusive Parents: To Abyss.
- Arch-Enemy: (in SMW): Tim Horner; (in WCW): Glacier, Ernest "The Cat" Miller; (in ECW): The FBI; (in TNA): Raven, Sting, Abyss; (in MLW): Sabu.
- Bald of Evil: In his later years.
- Beard of Evil: Goatee with connected mustache
- The Cameo: Led Mikey and Tajiri to the ring for the Three-Way-Dance between Tajiri, Little Guido Maritato and Super Crazy at ECW One Night Stand 2005.
- Carnival of Killers: Sent Havok, Black Reign, Rellik, Judas Mesías, and even Raven after Abyss.
- Collector of the Strange: His gimmick in SMW and WCW. As Vandenberg, he was supposed to have been the curator of the Museum of Medical Oddities in Taipei.
- Department of Redundancy Department: Mortis and Wrath were called Vandenberg's "rare oddities."
- Expy: Became one to Paul Bearer in TNA, only in this case he was sending The Undertaker expy Mesías after the Kane expy Abyss, in a reversal to how Bearer's WWE story went.
- Evil Laugh: As the Sinister Minister.
- Evil Mentor: To Mikey Whipwreck and Yoshihiro Tajiri.
- Fingore: In Forever Hardcore, he relates the story of how he blew off a chunk of finger by packing too much flash paper into his fireball device while drunk before November to Remember 2000. The explosion also slashed his wrist and stomach with shrapnel.
- Heel: At all times.
- Hollywood Satanism: His entire gimmick from his becoming the Sinister Minister until he retired.
- Killed Off for Real: On the March 24, 2020 episode of Impact, he is killed off in the Undead Realm after being betrayed and stabbed by Havok. He got better though.
- Large Ham: The guy's supposed to be Satan, what else would you expect from him?
- Meaningful Name: Daryl Van Horne was the name of the Devil character in The Witches of Eastwick.
- Non-Action Guy: He lost a Last Man Standing match to Raven at TNA #70, November 5, 2003, but it really wasn't his role. During an in-ring confrontation with Abyss, he said, "What am I going to do, beat you up?"
- Playing with Fire: In MLW and TNA, where he blinded CM Punk with a fireball. It was also how he blew off a chunk of finger.
- Power Stable: The New Church, with Shane Douglas, Mike Awesome, Kobain (Flash Flanagan), Slash (Wolfie D.), Sinn Bodhi, Tempest (Devon Storm/Crowbar), Brian Lee, El Vampiro, Belladonna, Malice (WCW's the Wall).
- He took the Gathering (CM Punk and Julio Dinero) away from Raven.
- Red Baron: "Father," "Devil"
- Sinister Minister: Well, duh.
- Traumatic Haircut: Gave one to Raven in TNA.
- Unrelated Brothers: Judas Mesías and Abyss are both his kayfabe sons in TNA/Impact Wrestling. This would be impossible in real life; he's only 10 years older than Gilbert Cosme and less than 9 years older than Chris Parks.
