All About CfCB and the Board of Directors

Louis Butterfield, Ed.D.    Ryan Butterfield, LAC     Christina Ryan, B.A.
Kelly Elander, M.A.    Kyle Reeves, M.A.    Bob Ritchie, M.Ed.
Mark Sullivan, B.A.    Marlin Williams, B.A.    Becky Foster    Rhett Maris

The Center for Christian Broadcasting, Inc (CfCB) is a501(c)(3) religious non-profit organization, headquartered in Searcy, AR. The CfCB has a unique multi-media approach to reaching the US and the world. We incorporate the use of video, audio, written word and the internet to fulfill our mission. The CfCB has, at its core, one mission, and that is the same mission of all Christians since the first century: to successfully follow the directive of Jesus Christ as stated in Matthew 28:18-20.
"Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always,to the very end of the age.'"

CfCB has produced three original series and is in post-production of our fourth.The "Dating, Marriage, Sex" series with Dr. Adrian Hickmon and the "Coming of Age" series for girls and boys have been seen across the nation. Distribution of the Coming of Age series to the Ukraine is in the works. Currently the series is being translated and we have hopes for a Spanish edition. Our fourth production, a women's study series over the Old Testament, will be a necessary edition to churches and Christians worldwide. CfCB also plans to produce radio, television and print advertising for churches and evangelism efforts. We plan to offer Vacation Bible School materials, Bible class materials, bulletin materials and devotionals and sermons for ministers and teachers to download from our website. We would also like to use the power of the internet to offer teaching blogs in the form of real-time conversations, and counseling and advice from qualified professionals. Our hope is that someone in need, from anywhere in the world, can access our website and receive the help they need or be directed to reputable Christian professionals in their area.

Dr. Lou Butterfield, Ed.D. is the founder and Director of the Center for Christian Broadcasting, Inc. (CfCB) and is a Professor of Communication at Harding University where he began working in 1970. He has recently been granted half-time status at Harding so he can dedicate much of his time to CfCB. He remains on an unpaid status with CfCB. Butterfield received his Doctorate in Instructional Technology from Texas Tech University in 1989. Prior to this he received both his Master of Science and his Educational Specialist Degrees from Indiana University in Instructional Technology in 1974 and 1975. His B.A. was granted by Harding University in Bible and speech in 1969. In addition to his work with Harding and CfCB, Butterfield has owned Butterfield Productions (an advertising and video production company) since 1972 from which he has written numerous national, regional and local advertising and marketing campaigns. He has also served as pulpit minister, deacon and youth director in various churches in Arkansas and Mississippi. For the past 14 years he has served as pulpit minister for the Remmel church in Newport, Arkansas, eight of which he has also served as an elder. Butterfield also continues to be a columnist for the Newport Independent, where his weekly articles have appeared for over eight years. Back to Top

Serving as an Associate Director, Ryan Butterfield, son of Dr. Lou Butterfield, comes to CfCB after having graduated in 1997 with a B.A. in Advertising from Harding University. He graduated in 2008 with a Master's from Harding's Marriage and Family Therapy program. Ryan is our Jack of all trades, and is proficient in directing, writing, shooting, editing, web-design and advertising. Ryan and his wife, Paula, served on the mission field in Florence, Italy as part of the Avanti Italia program from 2000-2002. He works as a counselor at Capstone Treatment Center in Judsonia. Ryan, Paula and their two boys, five-year-old Sam, and one-year-old Jack, attend Downtown church of Christ.
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Christina Ryan, Assistant to the Director, graduated from Harding University in 2006 with a B.A. in Electronic Media. Christina has been a very welcomed third addition to CfCB and has been a member of our team since graduating from Harding. Christina's skills include: shooting, editing, writing, directing and just about everything else in which she is asked to participate. Previously a co-founder of the Christian Life Section at the Daily Citizen in Searcy, Christina also served as its editor before coming to CfCB. She is currently working on her Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy at Harding. She attends Highway church of Christ in Judsonia. Back to Top

Kelly Elander, our cyber-space member of the board, has been an Assistant Professor of Communication at Harding University since 2003 teaching Interactive Media (Web Communication). He worked as an Instructional Design Consultant for TMP Worldwide and as an Instructional Designer at the Arthur Andersen Worldwide Training Center outside Chicago. Kelly received his Masters in Adult Instruction and Performance Technology from the University of Michigan in 1999. He earned his B.S. in Radio and Television Communication from Ohio University, working as a radio deejay, traffic reporter, and community service director until attending The Preston Road Center for Christian Education in Dallas, TX. Kelly then worked for more than four years as a domestic missionary in upstate New York and six years as the minister at the Farmington Hills (Michigan) church of Christ. He is a member of the Downtown church of Christ in Searcy, Arkansas, where he serves on the Adult Education and Domestic Missions committees, and serves in their jail ministry and Fishes and Loaves food ministry. Married to the former Julie Gibson, they are the parents of three children, Liz (a Harding student), Josh, and Sam. Back to Top

Kyle Reeves, a CfCB board member, is the founder of My Town TV, a low-power broadcast station located in Searcy, Arkansas that is now leased to Crain Media. The quality of his station is demonstrated by the fact that a number of cable outlets in the Central Arkansas area have picked up his signal for broadcast. Kyle received his B.A. in Radio and Television and his Masters of Education, with an emphasis in Communication, from Harding University. After working with a CBS affiliate in Hartford, Connecticut for a number of years as a videographer and editor, Kyle decided to put his talents to work in teaching. He has done so both at Ohio Valley College and later in the department of Communication at Harding University. He has worked as executive producer, producer, videographer and editor for numerous productions, both secular and religious. Kyle is a member of the Downtown church of Christ in Searcy, Arkansas, where he attends with his wife, Christy, and their four children. Back to Top

Bob Ritchie, M.ED, is a long time resident of Searcy Arkansas having resided there since 1979. He is married to the former Lisa Ann James. Both Bob and Lisa serve as faculty of Harding University, Bob in Communication and Lisa in Family and Consumer Sciences. Bob holds degrees in Public Relations and Education. He has had a long time interest in Christian education serving as counselor, assistant director and director at several brotherhood Christian camps as well as teaching, preaching and song leading in congregations in the Searcy area. Bob currently serves as director of the TV studio at Harding University where he oversees operations of the television studio and teaches television production and speech. Formerly, he owned and operated Action Video Productions and worked for the NBC affiliate in Little Rock. Back to Top

Mark Sullivan is a Harding University alumnus of 2004 where in his five years as a student, took classes taught by the majority of the present members of the CfCB board, causing them to question whether their love of teaching was really worth putting up with students like himself. Mark is currently a door, window, and woodwork salesman at Central Woodwork of Nashville. In Nashville, Mark is a member of the Hillsboro church of Christ congregation where he leads worship, is a youth worker, works with the Lads to Leaders program, drives in the bus ministry, and reads in the Friend Speak ministry. As one of the newest members of the board of CfCB, Mark is excited to use his experience with teens and adolescent Christians and non-Christians to create media presentations that will especially reach those in that age bracket by use of entertaining and exciting material. Back to Top

Marlin Williams grew up in Batesville, MS, and graduated from West Panola Academy (now called North Delta) in 1987. He then attended Harding University in Searcy, AR where he received live training as a news anchor and then a Sports Director and anchor from Harding's live student produced nightly news broadcast. His first job in television was at WBBJ in Jackson, TN we he served as Weekend Sports Anchor and Sports Director. In 1996 he moved to Augusta, GA where he served as weekend anchor and Sports Director for WJBF. There he was able to cover large sporting events such as the Superbowl and the 1998 Olympics. He also won Best Sports Reporting two times for the Georgia Associated press, won Best Sports Cast twice, and won Best Sports Feature for Football Friday Night and Masters Report. In 2003, he returned to Mississippi where he anchors the 6 p.m. sportscast on WTVA and the 9 p.m. sportscast on Fox's WLOV station. He is happy to be back in Mississippi, where his parents live, and be able to cover Mississippi State and Ole Miss games. Since coming back to Mississippi he has been awarded Mississippi Associated Press awards and received an Emmy nomination for producing, writing, and co-hosting First Down on Fox, the football show on WLOV. He and his wife Tracy live in Tupelo, MS with their twin daughters Millie and Sophie who were born in September of 2004, and their two cats. They are very active in the church. Back to Top

Becky Foster started college later in life and received an AA from ASU in Newport in 1999. Since then she has taken some classes from UCA, Harding, Williams Baptist and is currently enrolled in Liberty University's distance learning program, finishing the last few classes to graduate with a bachelors in psychology. She is actively involved in the pro-life movement in Arkansas, serving as president of Jackson County Right to Life for about three years (1993-1996). She and her husband, Robert, co-own Bad Boy Mowers, out of Batesville, AR. They attend the Olyphant church of Christ. They have three grown children, a son, Brandon, and twin daughters, Kristen and Kellee. Back to Top

Rhett Maris is the Secretary/Treasurer for Jackson-Griffin Insurance Company which is headquartered in Newport, Arkansas, and Jackson Funeral Homes, Inc. Jackson Funeral Homes has locations in Newport, Harrisburg, and Newark. He has worked with his wife, Jan, in these businesses since 1987. In 2004, Rhett and Jan added Thompson-Wilson Funeral Homes in Wynne and McCrory and Thompson-Wilson Burial Association to the businesses. Rhett oversees the investment portfolio management of the businesses, the reporting requirements, and the general accounting. He is a licensed insurance agent and a licensed funeral director. Before that, Rhett attended Arkansas State University, and worked for eight years as an analytical laboratory operator for Arkansas Eastman Company. Rhett and Jan have one daughter, Jessica who attends Harding University. Rhett is a deacon of the Remmel Church. Rhett is also a member of the Newport Rotary Club.Back to Top

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Copyright © 2007 Center for Christian Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved.
P.O. Box 18, Searcy, Arkansas 72145
501-368-0157 or toll free: 877-737-1923 fax: 501-305-0111
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