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Child Evangelism Fellowship

Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) was founded in 1937 by Jesse Irvin Overholtzer (1877-1955), and over the years has had many PB from both open and exclusive circles involved with it. Since the beginning, it has been headquartered in Warrenton, Missouri, which is part of the St. Louis CSA. It facilitates teaching the Gospel to children, and encouraging local church fellowship. According to Wikipedia, it has programs established in all 50 U.S. states, and 192 countries, with 733 full-time workers in the U.S., about 40,000 volunteers throughout North America, and over 1,200 missionaries overseas. By 2014, it was estimated to have taught nearly 20 million children.

Contents

Alumni

OB

  • Robert & Ruth Ambler were announced in LOI 1991-11 as "commended to work with Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) by the saints at Gospel Chapel Enfield, Oreland, Pennsylvania. Bob and Ruth have been active in this area in reaching out to children with the Gospel, and have felt the leading of the Lord to spend their full time in the work with children. Bob is the Executive Director of USA Ministries for CEF."
  • I.M. Bainbridge, of Uddingston, Scotland, did a 10-part series in Believers Magazine on "Teaching the Bible to Children" and in the final issue (1979-10), with regards to leading a child to Christ, he said "it can be helpful to use a counseling tool such as the Wordless Book (where colors are used to illustrate the way of Salvation)." In a footnote, the article said that said tool was published by Child Evangelism Fellowship Press.
  • Norman Buchanan served as a treasurer of the Sherbrooke, QC branch of CEF.
    • In a tribute to Dr. Arthur C. Hill, in News of Quebec 1991-Spring, Norman wrote, "Arthur is standard in my memory for his sanctified enthusiasm. The first time I met him was in Toronto. He was then, as always, excited about Quebec as a needy mission field. To me, Quebec was just another province. Two or three years later I "came over to help". Thank you Arthur! One day in my early years, I was sitting quietly in Grace Chapel waiting for the meeting to start when Arthur put his hand on my shoulder. "Your application for the post of treasurer of the Child Evangelism Fellowship, Sherbrooke branch." I knew nothing whatever about it until then. Of course, I became treasurer. I wouldn't have disappointed Arthur for the world. His enthusiasm was infectious. I wonder whether our healing after a visit to his office wasn't due as much to the inspiring conversation as to the pills he prescribed. Arthur loved to "rescue" good Christian books from second-hand bookstores, from university libraries, anywhere, in any city he happened to be. And he didn't just hoard them. Our home library is the richer as are dozens of others because of his love for books, and his love for us."
  • Mary Decker - [http://www.parkwaychapel.us/ Parkway Chapel, Winston-Salem, NC. Mary served as a Director in Forsyth Co., NC thru 1988, at least. Her husband served with her until his homecall in April 1987.
  • Dr. Donovan Earle Case (b. 1945 Kingston, Jamaica - d. 2022 Wentzville, MO) was speaking in regional conferences for CEF on the subject of Urban Ministries, as per LOI 1982-10, and teaching at their Leadership Training Institute. At the time, he was ministering in assemblies in Kansas, North Carolina, New York and Wisconsin. He and his family also conducted a week of camp for inner city children at Willowbrook Bible Camp in Des Moines, Iowa, sponsored by two assemblies, as well as another camp he founded in Troy, Missouri where John Grant, Danny Scott and others he had been discipling administrated the entire week for the first time. An assembly he helped plant in Wentzville / Wright City broke ground on Aug. 14, 1982, and asked for prayer for him and his wife Carolyn in the work, they were asking for 50 men to join him in his burden to plant assemblies especially in black communities in the U.S.
    • In Sept. of 1984, Judy Fitzgerald penned an article in Letters of Interest, "The Challenge of Black America", about a Missouri conference of black leaders with this relevant excerpt. "Thirty leaders from inner-city assemblies have joined hands in a new commitment to evangelism and assembly planting in black America. Convened by Donovan Case, a Missouri commended worker, the meeting brought together men and women from black assemblies n New Orleans, Atlanta, Savannah, Washington, New York City, Chicago, St. Louis, Minneapolis and Denver. Sessions were held April 30 to May 2 at the headquarters of Child Evangelism Fellowship in Warrenton, Missouri." These conferences, later named the National Conference for Pioneering Black America (NCPBA) annual gatherings, were held at least thrice at the CEF headquarters.
  • John Hayden - Jewell, IA
  • Dorothy Kenyon - Sherbrooke, QC
    • Sept. 1973 Letters of Interest featured an article about Institut Biblique Bethel where Dorothy was teaching, and mentioned this excerpt:
    • "The year 1947 found Miss Dorothy Kenyon burdened about a training center for French Canadian workers. Miss Kenyon, a Child Evangelism Fellowship worker, had been deeply concerned for the evangelization of Quebec's children. She also saw the need of preparing French evangelists and pastors, so that the people of all ages could be taught and Christian families and congregations developed in Quebec. Others had the same vision. With the encouragement of Dr. Hill and Dr. Klinck, a 94-acre farm was purchased on the eastern edge of Sherbrooke, not far from Lennoxville. It was 1948. The following year, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Angst of Emmaus Bible School in Lausanne, Switzerland, joined Miss Kenyon, and a three-year Bible program was inaugurated. It was a small start. The first class of six graduated in 1952. The school is still small (about 55 students), but it is unique. It was, and still is, the only non-denominational French-language Bible School in North America."
  • Sarah Carter Lewis - Bethany Gospel Chapel, Newport News, VA (b. 1905 Elizabeth City, NC - d. 1994 Pittsboro Christian Village, Pittsboro, NC)
  • Sharon Noller - Greenville, SC @ Overbrook Gospel Chapel in 1975 while she was a student at Bob Jones University.
  • Mr. and Mrs. M. Dwane Norton served with CEF for several years in the Maritime Provinces and in North Central Ontario, as per LOI 1984-10 reports. They were based then in Orillia, Ontario, and commended from Hillside Bible Chapel there. In 1983, they also started "conducting a ministry called Discovery Time, working in fairs, camps, schools, DVBS and teacher training seminars".
  • Melodie Smith - Hilltop Chapel, Weston, Toronto, ON. She was commended initially in 1980 by Forest Hills Bible Chapel, Grand Rapids, MI, then an added commendation in 1984 from Hilltop Bible Chapel, then in the Weston neighborhood of Toronto, now in Etobicoke. She worked with CEF in Toronto, and several years in children's and youth work at Hilltop.
  • Dr. Frederick A. Tatford
    • 1967-9 LOI report on Dr. Tatford visiting America from England, who then was serving as editor of the Harvester and of the Bible and Prophetic Witness indicated him as a retired civil servant and full-time worker, who was president of Moorlands Bible College, a former governor of Park School in Yeovill, and a council member of Workers Education Association. He was also listed as vice-president of the Christian Colportage Association, Christian Union, Victory Tract Club, Evolution Protest Movement. Further, a council member of the International Jews Society, Child Evangelism Fellowship, Arabic Literature Crusade, and the Home Worker Fund. He was also credited as holding posts as a director of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, and of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, and president (1959-1961) of the Institute of Public Supplies. He was in North America to speak among assemblies in various parts of the U.S. and Canada.
  • David & Vita Wainwright - Northeast Bible Chapel, Colorado Springs, CO sponsored summer neighborhood studies for CEF for several years prior to being commended in 1992 to work in Papua New Guinea, as per Letters of Interest, 1992-9.
  • Rolland & Flora Wilson of Torrance, CA (as per LOI 1984-10) shared of their coming "into the family of God 42 years ago (1942) with no spiritual background. We went to Biola for a year and a half and then worked in jail work, street teams, and Child Evangelism Fellowship for the next four years. Thirty-eight years ago (1946) we were introduced to the assemblies." Many children and young people lived in their home subsequently, some of them "growing up to serve the Lord". Flora was active with women's and children's work in Released Time classes, coffee hours and working with underprivileged girls at Verdugo Bible Camp." They retired in 1978 which freed them to be involved in more work in their assembly, and both and/or individually counseling "those in need".

EB

  • Beth Hayes (KLC-EB) Albany, OR

Assemblies

Other

Sources

  • Wikipedia
  • Believers Magazine
    • 1979-10
  • Letters of Interest (LOI)
    • 1967-9; 1973-9; 1982-10; 1984:9-10; 1986-10; 1988-9; 1991-11
  • News of Quebec, ed. by Richard Strout, also the primary editor of Quebec here on BrethrenPedia.
    • 1991-Spring (46-1)
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Last edited on 4 September 2023, at 02:26