Ashley Crutchfield, program director

As a Raleigh native, Ashley has yet to fall out of love with her hometown. It’s here that she feels called to serve the community and create a full life with her husband, Sam, and three children, Jake, Beau, and Molly. After graduating with a BA in Communications and Religious Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Ashley moved to Washington DC for the Falls Church Fellows Program. As a graduate of their fifth class in 1999, Ashley holds a deep understanding of and belief in the Fellows Initiative’s value and lasting impact. Upon completion of her Fellows year, Ashley returned to Raleigh, worked in marketing for a computer software company, joyfully married Sam, and soon after started a faux finishing company.

Three years later, Ashley and Sam had their first son, Jake, which began her career as a full-time mom. Three babies under the age of three made for a full life. Ashley has served on the Raleigh Fellows committee since its inception in 2008, helping find mentors, host families and jobs. The Crutchfield clan hosted a Fellow in the inaugural year of 2008, which more than rekindled her love for this program and the young adults coming through it. Ashley began directing the Raleigh Fellows in 2010, grateful for the opportunity to work and serve in this capacity.

In her free time, Ashley loves to dance, have meaningful conversations over coffee, work out with friends, read historical fiction, play games with her family, date nights with Sam, anything beach & warm (Caribbean, yes please!), time with extended family, neighbors & friends, watch Jake & Beau play basketball, live vicariously through Molly as she dances, play beach volleyball, listen to all kinds of music, taste new foods, travel (anywhere), play with Chip the dog, and make new friends in the places God has her. 

Hayes Thielman, Fellows Ministry Coordinator

Hayes was a Raleigh Fellow in 2018, and after a few years in Orlando, he returned to Apostles on staff as one of the Student Ministry leaders. He helps place fellows in student ministry groups, as well as teach a few classes during the year. Hayes can also be found leading the Young Adults Ministry at Apostles which has been a great chance for fellows to meet others their age at church. So many fellow alumni have stuck around too, so young adult ministry just keeps growing!

Hayes now lives in Raleigh with his wife Emily, and he loves to cheer for Alabama even though he went to Wheaton College.

Head over to the Testimonials page to hear more from Hayes and about when he was a Raleigh Fellow!!

Taylor Irvin

Originally from Greensboro, NC, Taylor was a Raleigh Fellow in 2017-2018 after graduating from UNC Chapel Hill. He met his wife in the program and stayed involved until moving to Greenville, NC for graduate school. The Irvins, feeling called back to Apostles Raleigh, returned to town where Taylor now works as a Physician Assistant in Family Medicine. He enjoys spending time with family outside, whether at the lake, beach, or a local park. He loves all Tar Heels sports, running, biking, and keeping up with the latest Star Wars and Marvel releases.

MEG BAch

Meg has been involved with the Raleighs Fellows Program as a Committee Member and Mentor since 2016 and considers the program to be an incredible opportunity to give back and to be a part of the Apostles community. Having the chance to be involved in the lives of young adults seeking a deeper relationship with Christ and in doing so, impacting those around them, is a true joy. Meg is a native New Yorker (without the characteristic accent!) and has made North Carolina her home since 1985 when she attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to pursue her Masters Degree in Exercise Physiology. Meg currently works as a Wellbeing Specialist for IBM, designing and delivering wellbeing programs for US based employees. In her leisure time, Meg enjoys cooking, gardening, do-it-yourself projects and just about anything done outdoors.

Carryl davis

Born and raised on the coast in Wilmington, NC, Carryl moved to Raleigh to join the Fellows program after graduating from Furman University (Go Dins!). During her year as a Fellow, Carryl saw the value in its ability to truly help her "start well," in the transition from life as a college student to a young adult who was working and supporting herself. Carryl earned her MPA with a focus in Non-Profit Management from UNC-Chapel Hill (Go Heels!), and currently serves as Director of Alumni Relations and Advancement Specialist for a local independent school. In the fall of 2022, Carryl married her best friend, Andrew, and you can most often find them on long walks with their puppy Lindy, hosting friends in their home, or soaking up anytime they can get at Wrightsville Beach. 

Chris Byron committee chair

After a few years of occasional interactions with the Raleigh Fellows, Chris and his wife Pauline had the joy of a wonderful headlong dive into hosting and mentoring for the “Class of 2017”. Very rapidly Chris began to feel like a “proxy Fellow” gaining much personally from his love of and involvement with the Fellows and the program (they read such great books!). Since 2011 Chris and Pauline have enjoyed being part of the Apostles family, serving in various roles, including the prayer ministry. They have three adult children who have happily left the nest in recent years. For relaxation and fun Chris enjoys fitness classes, hiking, travel, occasional golf or tennis, and attempting to learn the latest dance steps (thanks to some patient tutoring from a fleet-footed Fellow or two). On the vocational side he does finance and tax for SAS, a software company based in the Raleigh area.

Mary Ellen Bradford

Mary Ellen Bradford is a proud alumna of Appalachian State University. After graduating, she moved to Raleigh to become a Raleigh Fellow in 2021-2022. Her passion for community engagement and a zeal for making Raleigh feel like home led her to stay, as well as her transformative experience with the Raleigh Fellows Program. Mary Ellen finds joy in the simple pleasures of life. Alongside her husband, Sam, she delights in exploring the city through long walks, playing pickleball, turning her house into a home through creative and thoughtful decor, and fostering meaningful connections by spending time with friends.

Sam Crutchfield

Upon returning from a year of overseas mission work in 1998, Sam relocated to Falls Church, VA in order to pursue the lovely and talented (and then current Fellow) Ashley Butler (Crutchfield).  During this time, he was able to see firsthand the depth and wholeness that a Fellows program affords young adults beyond what a university degree, parachurch group, or employer can offer.  Sam has the privilege of participating in several aspects of the Raleigh Fellows program from interviewing, hosting, coordinating internships, to enjoying trivia and a well-made craft beer with current and past Fellows.  His highlight is helping facilitate weekly Roundtable discussions for the Fellows to see how faith is impacting their views on culture from the watercooler to the world at large.  Sam is a UNC-Chapel Hill graduate and works for Grubb Ventures, a Raleigh-based commercial real estate development company which renovates and develops apartment, office and retail projects.  He loves to fish, hike, and laugh with his kids.  Sam does not own a pair of skinny jeans but is not afraid to break bread with men who do.

Kara Smith

Kara Smith was a Raleigh Fellow in 2011-2012. It was during the Fellows Program that she recognized her passion for middle and high school students, and she was able to work as the Assistant Director of Student Ministries at Apostles for 5 years. After spending a few years working in the corporate world for a small Raleigh business, the Lord drew her to a position with a local nonprofit, Mission Triangle. She met her now husband, Ben Smith, during her Fellows Year (that's a fun story!) They were married in 2013 and now have the joy of being parents to two adorable little girls! Kara is passionate about conversations and people and enjoys hosting friends for dinner at their house. She also enjoys yoga (she recently became a certified instructor), being by Wrightsville Beach, and starting each morning with a cup of hot coffee! 

Janet Whited

Janet moved to Raleigh after graduation from UNC-Chapel Hill (Go Heels!). She and her husband, Jim, raised three sons, who are now married with children. Janet spent many years as a CPA specializing in taxes until she retired in 2018. She now spends her time volunteering in various ministries, playing with grandchildren, reading, hiking and working out. Janet and Jim have been blessed by being involved with the Raleigh Fellows for several years as host parents and mentors. She became a member of the Fellows Committee in 2018, handling Fellows’ financial support.

Jennifer Kromhout

Jennifer has lived in Raleigh since the spring of 1998. Soon after becoming a follower of Jesus Christ she and her family started attending Apostles. Jennifer has been drawn to support the Fellows program since its inception at Apostles because she so admires the young adults who come to the program who are already committed to following Christ at such an early age. She has been a mentor, has hosted Fellows in her home along with her husband Mike and now serves on the Fellows Committee. Jennifer even has started attending some of the classes the Fellows take both as a way got get to know each class better but also to learn more about what they are learning. She has worked various different jobs over the years including running her own business for a time. Jennifer is involved in many different ways at church and is always excited to meet new people and learn about their story. Jennifer and Mike have two children who are in their twenties now. She loves to read, hang out in any type of water, be it pool, lake or ocean, spending time with friends and going for walks. 

Laura Love

Laura grew up as a military child, living all over the United States and internationally in Europe and Asia. After graduating from Vanderbilt University with a BA in Communications and Theatre, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue law and entertainment. Her work and life circumstances compelled her to ask significant philosophical questions about suffering, purpose and what makes for a good life. The journey to answering these questions led her to the person of Christ and the gospel of Christianity, in which she found truth about herself and her life experiences. She worked in pastoral ministry for three years before attending Fuller Theological Seminary for her Masters of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy. After working in private practice in Los Angeles for seven years, her family relocated to Raleigh, North Carolina. She now serves the needs of communities in both Raleigh and Los Angeles as a licensed psychotherapist. When she’s not seeing clients, she enjoys family dance parties with her husband and three kids. She also loves yoga, running and reading/writing poetry. 

Edward Dixon, Ph.D.

Edward is the Program Director of the Center for Christianity and Scholarship, a Christian study Center in Durham, NC. He earned his Ph.D. in New Testament at Emory University, writing his dissertation on Paul's way of teaching moral reasoning. He earned his B.A. in Public Policy from Duke University and an M.A. in Religion from Yale Divinity School. He is author of “Descending Spirit and Descending Gods: A ‘Greek’ Interpretation of the Spirit’s Descent as a Dove in Mark 1:10,” Journal of Biblical Literature 128 (2009). He has taught the spring semester of the Theology class (New Testament) for the last two years. 

Mary Vandel Young

Growing up on the wide-open plains of Cheyenne, Wyoming, Mary Vandel Young met Christ when she was 15. Mary later graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education in 1990. She completed a Master of Divinity Degree in 2003 from Fuller Theological Seminary. Throughout her professional life, Mary taught in international schools and also served on Young Life staff in Kauala Lumpur, Malaysia; Lima, Peru; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Raleigh, North Carolina.

Serving alongside JourneyMates founders Jennifer Ennis and Sally Breedlove since 2007, and Executive Director since 2012, Mary's vocational passion revolves around her role in JourneyMates. Mary also serves as a mentor and spiritual director to individuals, and has taught a graduate course in Christian Spiritual Formation through the Raleigh Fellows since 2009.

Mary now lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, and attends Apostles, with her husband, Dr. Jason Young, a psychologist, and their teenage sons, Luke and Tobias.

Jason Young

Jason has been working as a psychotherapist since 1997, and has worked in private practice in Raleigh since 2005. His therapeutic approach is rooted in a relational understanding of psychodynamic theory. He has extensive experience, academically and clinically, in the integration of Psychology and Theology. Jason also does psychological assessments for children, adolescents, and adults focusing on issues of personality, diagnostic clarification, intelligence, achievement, academically gifted, and learning disorders. 

Jason has served as a teacher for the Raleigh Fellows since 2010. He and his beautiful wife Mary have two sons Luke and Tobias, who share his deep passion for the NC State Wolfpack. 

In Loving Memory of our Founding Director

Ray Seigler

May 29, 1954 - January 12, 2018

Ray's life is characterized by his steadfast dedication to his family, friends, and ministry. After helping plant Apostles, Ray dedicated his time and energy to starting the Raleigh Fellows program. Under his leadership, a small committee hosted the first class of Raleigh Fellows in 2008. After serving as the Director for the first two years, he continued serving the Fellows as a World View teacher for years to come.

Countless friends remember his spiritual leadership, careful listening, quick encouragement, and presence in their lives during times when it mattered most. While he lived a life of humble leadership, it was his remarkable attention to individual lives that left the largest impact on his community. His greatest joy in life was investing in family and friends. Ray's attitude in life can be marked by one of his favorite quotes: "Let your whole life say thank-you."