JEFF & AMY WAGNELL

Jeff was born in Kenya to AIM missionaries Mark & Ruth Wagnell in 1985; he accepted Jesus as his Savior when he was three and a half. The Wagnells left the mission field and moved to Oregon in 1990. In 1997 Jeff began to volunteer with CEF. He continued working with CEF until he finally answered God’s call to full-time ministry in 2010. 

Amy was born and raised in Nebraska. She accepted Jesus as her Savior when she was seven. She attended 5-Day Clubs as a young child and then when they moved and there was no one to teach 5-Day Club, she decided (at 12 years of age) that she would teach her own club.  At the age of 14, someone told her about CEF’s teen program, Christian Youth In Action (CYIA), so she started working with CEF. When she was 19 (2010), she agreed to prepare to become a CEF director.

Jeff and Amy met when they both went to Children’s Ministries Institute (CMI) in Missouri the spring of 2011 to prepare for full-time ministry with CEF. For the next 4 years Amy continued to work and train with CEF first in Omaha, NE then as Local Director in Kearney, NE. Meanwhile, Jeff moved to Salem to work with CEF under Betty Franz who retired in August 2014 at which point Jeff became the local CEF Coordinator.

In August 01, 2015, Jeff & Amy tied the knot and Amy moved to Oregon to work with Jeff here in Salem. In November, Jeff officially became the Director of CEF of Oregon, Capitol Chapter. Amy works part-time both as Capitol’s secretary and Jeff’s ministry assistant.

They are very thankful for their 4 children: Felicity, Katee, Madi, and Libby.

In 2024 Jeff accepted the position of state director for CEF of Oregon and officially resigned from Capitol Chapter in December. Amy accepted the local director position for Capitol Chapter. 2025 will be a year of adjustment as they find their new normal and split their attentions between two different offices in Salem.