Leadership

The spiritual, administrative and financial oversight of Appleton Community EFC, under the headship of Christ, is provided by the Board of Elders, which consists of a minimum of three lay Elders (elected by church members), and the Senior Pastor.

Our Pastor

Greg Dykstra – Senior Pastor
Greg began his ministry at ACEFC in April, 2014. Prior to moving to Appleton, he served in pastoral ministry in East Peoria, IL for over 26 years and pastored in Texas, Illinois, & Michigan before that. He has also enjoyed the privilege of teaching college courses for Moody Bible Institute’s Distance Learning Center.

After being raised in a farming community near Kankakee, IL, Greg attended Illinois State University in Normal, served for two years in the US Army, then went back to ISU to complete his undergrad degree in Accounting.

Greg married Donna in 1976 and they moved to Dallas, TX, where he received a Masters of Theology in Biblical Exposition from Dallas Theological Seminary. They have three adult children (Joel is married to Angela, Katie is married to Ryan, and Kristin is married to Jeremy). Donna worked with Special Needs students for many years in the Peoria Public Schools and has assisted with Youth and Children’s Ministries at each of the churches where Greg has been a pastor.

An avid sports fan, Greg enjoys taking walks with Donna as well as hiking and biking and he cheers without shame or apology for the Cubs, Bears, and University of Illinois basketball. He also has a strong passion for prayer and for teaching and talking about the Truth of God’s Word.

Associate Pastor

Andy Sell

Andy was born in Ripon Wi and raised in Central Wisconsin Sand Country in Oxford.  He graduated in 1999 and joined the United States Air National Guard and served both active and guard duty during 9/11 and both the Afghan and Iraq wars for 6 years.  

He met his wife Rebekah who is on staff at ACEFC partner church River Shores in Berlin Wi while in college in 2002.  He was saved in 2004 and was married in 2006 while living in Colorado.  They moved back to Wisconsin and their daughter Eleanor (Elly) was born a year later.  Over the next 6 years they added Ethan, Liam and Finn and spent much of that time as Organic Farmers.  

Andy would move on to co-found a Grassfed Beef Jerky company which he co-ran for several years.  During this time he finished his Bachelor's Degree graduating Cum Laude with a degree in Organizational Administration.  The next season of his career would be in poverty alleviation working in food pantries, low income housing and homeless shelters helping low income families get better access to essential services.  During this time, he also worked as a consultant helping facilitate difficult organizational dialogues and creating strategic plans.

The Sells currently reside in Berlin, WI where they have attended River Shores Church (EFCA) since 2017. While teaching during this time he would answer the call to ministry and begin his Masters of Arts in Religion at Trinity.  He was brought on staff at ACEFC in February of 2024. 

Our Elders

Dean Pankow

I have been an active member of ACEFC since 2007 when my wife and I returned from the mission field in Cameroon, Africa. I served as an elder for one term from 2011 to 2014. I have also served for numerous terms on the missions committee and on several other committees throughout my time at ACEFC. I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior while in the US Army in 1973 and was discipled through the ministry of the Navigators. I met my wonderful wife Laurie through a Navigator bible study while at UW-Madison. God blessed our 42 years of life together with 3 amazing kids and now 13 energetic grandkids. Laurie left us to be with Jesus in 2022 after battling through Alzheimer's Disease. With the help of God, I look forward to serving the body of Christ at ACEFC. Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Blessings, Dean Pankow

 

Darrell Martin

​I was born in Beloit, Wisconsin and raised in South Beloit, Illinois.  I met my wife Karen at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois.  We have been married for over fifty years and have three grown children, Renee, William, Joanne and six grandchildren.  We are blessed in the fact all our children are walking with the Lord and still actively serving Him.  I am now retired after thirty years in the Navy and having worked as a telephone lineman, telephone cable splicer, and a computer programmer.  This has led me from my hometown to the Milwaukee area and finally to the Fox Valley.

I have been in church since I was an infant and I gave my life to the Lord as a teen-ager.  I have seen the Lord’s mighty hand on my life in those years since.  We have been members of ACEFC since shortly after moving to the Fox Valley nearly thirty years ago.

Church Secretary

Ruth Danfield

I was born in Seattle, WA but was raised in India where my parents were missionaries for 10 years.  I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior when I was 6 years old in a tent meeting/crusade that my father led in Calcutta.  God has seen me through all of my  life’s circumstances and has never left me.  He has always been my anchor, my guide, my Shepard and the source of my strength.  I retired from the Appleton Area School District to take care of my grandchildren in 2013 and thought that my “working” days were over.  God had other plans and called me to become the office secretary here at ACEFC in 2020.  I have been so blessed by this ministry and thank God for the opportunity and privilege to serve this congregation.

Worship Leader

 Music Ministry