ENGAGE YOUR CHURCH

He was adopted by Billy and Mary Nicholson, a maintenance worker and school teacher, who took him home to 401 West Richardson Circle in Hartsville, South Carolina. He grew up in a Christian elementary school and developed a love for the game of basketball. While training for basketball in high school, he found his God-given talent for running and joined the high school Track and Field team in the spring of 1978. He ran 4:28 in the mile during the State Championship meet in 1979 which earned him an athletic scholarship at Charleston Southern University. He graduated from CSU in 1984 with a major in Communications and minor in Religion.

From 1984 until 2017 (33 years), Danny served in University Advancement for eight different institutions of Higher Education, including, Medical University of South Carolina, Coker College, and Carson Newman University, to name a few. To download Danny’s full bio, click here.

Jay began his career in Christian non-profit fundraising in 2011. Since then, he has worked for various ministries in Alabama, Illinois, and Florida, helping and leading team efforts to raise over $75M. 

Jay joined the team at Connie Maxwell Children’s Ministries in August 2020 and currently serves as Senior Vice President of Strategy & Engagement. In this role, he works closely with the President and Executive Leadership team to ensure execution of the organization’s 10-year strategic plan. Jay and the team he leads help oversee the following efforts: Annual giving, marketing, church engagement, volunteer engagement, events leading to alternative revenue & database growth, foster parent recruitment within churches, and more.

Jay holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Brock School of Business at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. He also earned a Master of Arts in Leadership from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. He completed his undergraduate degree in Journalism & Mass Communication from Samford University. Jay earned his Credentialed Certified Nonprofit Leader (CCNL) certification from Christian Leadership Alliance in 2016.

Jay and his wife Lauren have been married since 2008 and live in Greenwood, SC with their two children, Brayden and Isabella. In his spare time, he enjoys hunting, traveling, and creating experiences that produce meaningful connections with family and close friends.

Philip serves as the Director of Church Engagement at Connie Maxwell. He is a native South Carolinian, born in Florence and raised in Greenville, and currently resides outside of Columbia in Lexington.

He and his wife, Emily Ann, were married in 2004, and they have three children: Manning, Wyatt, and Sally.

Philip received his undergraduate and master’s degree from North Greenville University. He is currently finishing his D.Min. in Church Growth and Revitalization from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Philip has served on the staff of several churches throughout the state over the past 25 years as a student pastor, pastor of discipleship, and senior pastor.