CEF Greenville

District Director
Policies, School and Church Partnerships
(o) 864.292.5842 x11
(c) 864.275.3126
bj@cefgreenville.com

I grew up in a small town in Virginia and was a preacher’s kid. I did my best to live up to the stereotype that you may have heard about a preacher’s kid. While that does not give me bragging rights, it did strengthen my ability to catch my own children very quickly when they misbehaved! When I was 10, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.  It was my daddy who had the privilege of opening God’s Word and sharing the plan of salvation with me. It was also my daddy who baptized me.

Being a preacher’s kid, I was at the church every time the doors were open. I grew up in a small town, and it seemed that whenever I did something I was not supposed to do (daily), the townspeople felt obligated to make sure my parents knew, sometimes before I could even get home. At some point I told the Lord I’d had enough and would never marry a pastor or be in full-time ministry, and I did neither. Then in 1998 my husband felt the call to become a pastor, and in 2005 I began serving full-time with CEF.

I thank God for calling me to CEF.  There is no greater joy than leading a child to Jesus and then seeing the joy on a child’s face as they tell others the good news. My husband Larry and I worship at Edwards Road Baptist Church, where we lead a Life Group, mentor couples in premarital counseling, and work with church planting and mission teams to reach Atlantic Canada with the Gospel.  I am also serving as a Trustee for the North American Mission Board and my hobbies include beekeeping (which means I encourage my husband from a safe distance), walking, reading, watching movies, cross-stitching, planning our next family event, and making a honey-do list!  My most current favorite name is “Bebe” by five precious grandchildren!

CYIA Coordinator
Summer Support
(o) 864.292.5842
audrey@cefgreenville.com

Audrey grew up in Greenville, South Carolina and currently studies Elementary Education at Anderson University. Blessed with an amazing Christian family, Audrey heard the story of Jesus Christ before she first took a breath in the world. At age four, she asked Jesus to save her. Growing up in the church, she loved learning about God and serving Him. “At age 12, I more fully grasped the gravity of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice and the crushing weight of my sin. Rededicating my life to Christ at 12, I fell in love with the God who loved me first,” Audrey said. At age 13, Audrey attended a Summer Good News Club and was struck by the wonderful songs, Bible stories, and verses which captivated children’s attention and pointed them to the Cross. Amazed, she applied for the summer position the next summer at age 14--and she has stayed ever since!

Outside of Good News Clubs, Audrey spends an exorbitant amount of time outside exploring unknown places, becoming lost in the woods when hiking, and oftentimes getting sunburned. She says she typically drinks an (unhealthy) three cups of coffee a day, loves to write, and eat most things sweet. She absolutely loves to swing dance and hopes to do so for the rest of her life. She also loves serving at her local church, Edwards Road Baptist, (where her parents met and life as the Axmann family began!). Audrey says she is grateful for the blessings the Lord pours and continues to pour into her life - one of them being the joy of serving Him at CEF!

Office Assistant
Staff Support
(o) 864.292.5842
jean@cefgreenville.com

Jean is a lifetime resident of Greenville. At the age of six, she asked Jesus to save her at a church revival meeting. She is a graduate of North Greenville University (in the days when it was a Junior College), and Clemson University. Jean married Rev. Nick Ballew in 1975, and has served alongside her husband as a Pastor’s wife in churches where he has pastored for over 42 years. A retired 7th grade math teacher, Jean said she loved her job, the students and her coworkers. Jean and her husband have two daughters, Adele Dixon, and Kerri Schwager, and 7 grandchildren. “I love the Lord, and desire to serve Him every day. I love what I do here at CEF!”

Special Events Coordinator
Staff Support
(o) 864.292.5842
(c) 864.346.3234
ruth@cefgreenville.com

Ruth grew up in Marion, North Carolina where her family were members of the First Baptist Church. At age 10, she joined the church and was baptized, which was the “expected” thing to do in her home. Jesus began to be real to Ruth during her college days at UNC, and she rededicated her life to Him after graduation. She is married with two adult children, and her husband and she are members of Eastside Presbyterian Church.

Ruth has had a passion for children’s ministry since she caught her oldest child praying in the bathroom at age 3, asking God for forgiveness after he had broken a DVD player. She knew that what he was being taught was making a difference even at that young age. Since that time, her work with children has included serving with VBS, teaching Sunday school, and working as Children’s Ministry Director at Shannon Forest Church (now Eastside). She believes God called her to start the Good News Club at Eastside 12 years ago and she has been involved in some way with CEF since that time.

Ruth has been on staff since January of 2015. She says, “I am so thankful to combine my love of fundraising with my passion to see children know Jesus.”

Administrative Assistant
General Information, Club Statistics, Ordering Materials
(o) 864.292.5842 x10
paula@cefgreenville.com

Paula grew up in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Her mother and father were believers, and she was blessed to grow up in a Bible believing church. There, at the age of 12, she accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior. She has been in Greenville for over 30 years and met her husband, Sonny, at Edwards Road Baptist where they are members. Paula has always worked with young people and children in church including serving as a G.A. Leader and Director, Sunday School teacher, and AWANA leader. Paula started working with CEF in January of 1999, after being on the CEF Board for 4 years. “The best part of what I do is working with GNC workers and our CEF donors. It is such a blessing to me to get to know these people who love the Lord and are called to His ministry by giving of their time, talents, and resources,” Paula says. One of her great loves is to read books, especially old fiction “antique books” that were written/published in the late 1800’s or early 1900’s.

Paula started her walk with the Lord through guidance in His Word and the teaching in Bible Studies and church. She attended Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, OK, and then moved with her college roommates to Dallas, Texas where she began her business career with Bowater. She and her roommates were very active in their Singles Church group and they also attended Dallas Theological Seminary classes.

Ministry Coordinator-Anderson
Club Support
(o) 864.292.5842
(c) 864.353.1274
lori@cefgreenville.com

Lori is an Anderson native, who grew up in Townville, SC. She now lives in Seneca with her husband, children, and pets. She became a born again believer at 12 years of age. After having “prayed a prayer” at age 7, solely to impress people, Lori knew in her heart she was not God’s child. The increasing conviction became heavier and heavier until finally she surrendered her life to Christ. It was a complete change, even at the young age of 12 her life became different.

Lori began working at CEF in January of 2013 after working for 9 years in cabinet sales and design. “I love working with fellow believers who have the same goal of evangelizing children with the Gospel of Christ. It is awesome to see the body of Christ working together in many different forms.”

Lori says she enjoys laughter, shopping, gardening, walking her dogs, watching sports, spending time with her crazy family, coffee, and music.  Learning to play the guitar and traveling to Hawaii are two things on her bucket list. Although not a big time reader, some of her favorite books are Chuck Swindoll’s “Great Lives” series.

Director of Training
Ministry Coordinator-Greenville
Materials Information
(o) 864.292.5842 x13
(c) 864.616.4529
cindy@cefgreenville.com

Cindy was born in Seattle, WA to parents who were attending Bob Jones University. When she was four, Cindy told her mother she wanted to become God’s child and her mother helped her understand how. Later that year her family moved to Brazil, SA where they served as missionaries, often using CEF material. Cindy met her husband Bill at college here in the USA and they soon moved to Brazil where they served for 10 years and where their four sons were born. Southside Baptist Church (now Fellowship Greenville) was their sending church and was the body to which they returned in 1994. Cindy served as the Children’s Ministry Coordinator there for 10 years, after which she came on staff with CEF in 2005. In 2016 they left Fellowship Greenville to help with a small church plant on the west side of Greenville, Westview Baptist, where they serve in many ways.

She and Bill enjoy cooking, traveling, and watching football and baseball together. Even though they are technically “empty nesters” they enjoy having children, grandchildren, and various foreign students in their home often. “I have always seen myself as a missionary, and one of my favorite books is ‘A Chance to Die’, Elisabeth Elliot’s biography of Amy Carmichael,” Cindy said. “The two things I enjoy most about being a missionary to children is working alongside others with like passion and seeing the faces of precious children as they understand God’s wonderful love for them.”

Ministry Coordinator-Media
Staff Support
(o) 864.292.5842
ashley@cefgreenville.com

Ashley grew up in southeastern Kentucky where her dad served at Clear Creek Baptist Bible College. Blessed to grow up in a Christian family as a pastor’s daughter, she came to know Christ at the age of four. Ashley moved to Greenville, SC, when she began her studies at North Greenville University in 2012. There, she received a BA in Media Ministry.

Her family often attended the Southern Baptist Convention together, and, in the early 2000s, she remembers a man teaching her and her sisters 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, as well as giving her a devotional book. The man’s heart and animated teaching style made such an impression on her, that she never forgot that interaction. It was not until she began studying the Wordless Book in preparation for coming to CEF, that she realized that the devotional had been published by CEF, and the man was a CEF missionary. Ashley joined the CEF staff in 2018. “My heart’s desire is to use my gifts in media and technology to share Christ with the world. I am so thankful for the ministry of CEF, and the blessing to be a part of it,” She said.

Ashley enjoys reading, going to the movies, and attending local theatre productions, as well as spending time with her friends and family. She attends The Church at Greer Station, and loves being a part of the community there.

Ministry Coordinator-Greenville
Staff Support
(o) 864.292.5842
(c) 864.230.2531
debbie@cefgreenville.com

Debbie grew up in Summerville, South Carolina known as “The Flowertown in the Pines.”  Though she grew up in a Christian home, attended church, and had a grandfather who was a pastor, she did not make a decision for Christ until she was 12. Debbie met her husband, Billy, while attending Baptist College at Charleston, now known as Charleston Southern.  They have a grown daughter (Melanie), a grown son (Colby) and daughter-in-law (Keri.) They are the proud grandparents to their grandson Nicholas.

Debbie is a member of Mitchell Road Presbyterian Church, PCA, and a former public school teacher. She says the best job she ever had started when she joined the CEF staff in January of 2010.  “I find joy in every part of my job. My family and friends sometimes refer to me as Pollyanna because I’m always looking for the good in every situation. I look forward each week to sharing the Gospel and the love of Jesus with my third graders in Sunday School at MRPC.” When in junior high school Debbie performed in numerous plays that were done for the community.  Through modeling during high school, Debbie was named Miss US Keds.

Ministry Coordinator-Pickens
Club Support
(o) 864.292.5842
(c) 864.640.5977
roxanne@cefgreenville.com

Roxanne is a “Southerner that was born up North.”  She grew up in Michigan and was blessed to meet a wonderful man on a visit to South Carolina…that was 29 years ago.  As a result of that move, She became a Christian when the Lord presented her with the opportunity. They have attended Rock Springs Baptist Church in Easley for the past 28 years.  

Roxanne started working with CEF as a volunteer in an Good News Club that her church sponsored. She took TCE and loved it, and when a position on staff became available, she applied for it. That was four years ago.  “My favorite part of my church activities and my job is working with the children and telling them about Jesus,” Roxanne said. She and her husband have three children, and they are their greatest blessings!

Office Assistant
Miscellaneous Office Support
(o) 864.292.5842
christel@cefgreenville.com

Christel was born and raised in Loris, SC. She became a Christian at the age of seven. She and her husband Sam have a son (Austin) and a daughter (Ada Marie), and they currently attend Edwards Road Baptist Church.

Christel enjoys working with the children in AWANAS, and helping at the Preschool Desk every fourth Sunday, as well as Women’s Ministry events that they have at her church. She also enjoys being a chaperone for the children’s camp during the summer. Christel started working at CEF in November of 2013. She said, “I enjoy all the smiling faces that I see at work. God is so good and I am blessed to be working with such great people.”

Director of Stewardship
Club Support
(o) 864.292.5842
(c) 864.395.0527
paul@cefgreenville.com

“Having been a pastor for 30 years, ministering to and with all ages, I am thrilled to have a part in this unique ministry of reaching boys and girls for Christ in the setting of our public schools and communities—through Good News Clubs, “ said Paul. He and his wife Tammy are also active in their church, Westview Baptist, ministering to children and teenagers. They have three children and three grandchildren: Maggie, Josiah, and Paul. In the heritage of his faithful grandfathers and father, Paul says it is his desire to leave a godly “inheritance to his children’s children” (Proverbs 13:22, Deuteronomy 6:1-25).

When time allows, Paul enjoys reading (he says there are piles of books all over his house), hiking the Appalachian Trail, and his great passion—fly fishing. He and his grandchildren have formed a hiking and fishing club, allowing them to discover the wonders of God’s creative work.

Ministry Coordinator-Greenville
Staff Support
(o) 864.292.5842
(c) 864.630.6937
kinley@cefgreenville.com

Kinley was born and raised in Greenville, SC and is proud to say he is a Southerner through and through. Blessed to be raised in a Christian home with parents and grandparents who taught him truths from God's Word, he became a child of God when he was 6 years old, and shared the love of Jesus with anyone who crossed his path. Kinley began his adventure with CEF in 2009 as a CYIA summer missionary and came on staff in October of 2013.

With Kinley, there’s never a dull moment. On any given night, you can find him at the movie theater, at a new restaurant in town, reading a book, traveling somewhere distant and intriguing with his close friends, or sitting around a table sipping tea and eating dessert with his family. As a movie connoisseur, he enjoys watching quality films and television (British television being his favorite). He also enjoys reading two chapters of a good book each and every night. Each January, he takes a week off to go on a “Friend-venture” with his closest friends (who are really like family). If you are unlucky enough to ride in the car with him, you’ll soon realize that he loves to trying to out-sing the radio (and most of the time he wins).

“I love being a part of The Church at Greer Station and teaching children on Sunday mornings there,” he said. They definitely keep him moving and grooving, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. “I love working with our Good News Club volunteers and seeing their hearts for serving the Lord. Those relationships are my favorite part of working with CEF.”

Ministry Coordinator-Anderson
Club Support
(o) 864.292.5842
(c) 864.367.2515
donna@cefgreenville.com

Donna grew up in Rock Hill, SC, in an unsaved household. Her life with Jesus didn’t begin until 1990, at the age of forty, in upstate New York (Saratoga Springs, NY).

Nothing is impossible with God. In 2014, by His grace, the Lord directed her steps to become a volunteer at a Good News Club in Anderson, SC, and from there, in January of 2015, he designed that she would become a part of the CEF staff. Her church, New Covenant Church, is a sponsor for an elementary school in Anderson.

Donna said, “I love sharing His Good News with the children and working with such a great staff and team of volunteers. My favorite thing to do is to pray and watch the Lord answer! He is able to do so much more than I can think or ask!” She loves reading Christian Classics and stories about missionaries, old and new, because they inspire her to pursue the Lord with even greater passion! Her hero in the Bible is Caleb who, in his old age, had much more to do in the Lord, “by taking his mountain.” She says her mountain is the hearts of these children.

Ministry Coordinator-Media
Staff Support
(o) 864.292.5842
taylor@cefgreenville.com

Taylor grew up in–you guessed it, Taylors, SC! She also lives in Taylors with her wonderful husband, Benjamin. She is the third generation of her family to grow up at Taylors First Baptist Church, and she loves worshiping with her church family there. She graduated from North Greenville University in 2013 with a degree in Mass Communications-Broadcast Media, but she always felt called to work in ministry. “I’m so glad I found a way to combine my passions here at CEF!” she said.

Other passions include taking too many pictures (or so her friends say), painting, coffee, British television, bike riding, but most of all learning more about her precious Savior. She has worked with children’s ministry in various ways for 17 years, so she feels like the Lord has been preparing her for this job for quite a while, and she is so excited to be a part of what God is doing through CEF and Good News Club!

Ministry Coordinator-Oconee
Club Support
(o) 864.292.5842
(c) 864.905.4405
elizabeth@cefgreenville.com

Although she was born in Hillsboro, Texas, Elizabeth has spent most of her life in Pickens County, SC.  She was a very shy child with an avid imagination, and spent most of her time reading and swinging. She says she still loves to swing. She received Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior when she was 10.  It was not until she was 13 that she made a public profession of faith. (Remember, she was very shy.)

She cannot remember the first time she began working with children in church, but she knows she was a young teenager. She has taught Sunday school, VBS, GAs, Acteens, as well as Awanas. She also homeschooled her two younger children. “I not only love children, but respect them. I think it is very important to really listen to children, and never ignore them. I have a tender heart for those rowdy boys who, try as they might, cannot help but fidget and get in trouble,” Elizabeth said. She began teaching and later, co-coordinating at Six Mile Good News Club in 2006. Elizabeth has served on staff with CEF since 2013. She is married to a wonderful man named Dale, and they have three grown children: Seth, Aaron, and Grace.