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Rimes McElveen
Executive Director
» Send E-mailRimes is a native of Gainesville, GA where he finished Lakeview Academy in 1992. After finishing Furman University in 1996 with a BA in Political Science and Urban Studies he worked for a travel camp based in Clayton, GA and for Bell South in Greenville, SC before entering Duke University’s Divinity School and earning a Masters of Divinity. While at Duke, Rimes met his wife, Kathryn, who also finished Duke with an MDiv degree in 2000. Shortly thereafter Rimes and Kathryn married and began working for Hinton Rural Life Center a United Methodist Mission Agency. In 2001 Rimes and Kathryn began serving as pastors of United Methodist churches in northern Georgia and North Carolina. Rimes served as Sr. Pastor of Bethelview UMC in Cumming, GA and Bethpage UMC in Kannapolis, NC before joining MCF as the Executive Director in July of 2007.
Rimes was ordained to Christian ministry in the summer of 2001 by First Baptist Church, Gainesville, GA, and after serving in United Methodist churches for several years became a member of the Order of Elders in the United Methodist Church. Kathryn was ordained an Elder in the United Methodist Church in the summer of 2006 and they are both members of the Western North Carolina Conference. As Executive Director of MCF, Rimes is serving in an “Extension Ministry” under Episcopal appointment. Kathryn has become a certified coach and is a Ministry Associate with The Columbia Partnership, a coaching, training, and consulting group based in Columbia, SC. Kathryn coaches people in a variety of personal and professional capacities and is a coach trainer for Valwood Christian Leadership Coaching based in Hickory, NC.
In January of 2004 Rimes and Kathryn had their first son, Luke, and then in December of 2006 they welcomed their second son, Samuel into their family. The McElveen’s are enjoying making their home in Greenville and are thrilled about their partnership with Mere Christianity Forum serving Furman students, the Furman community, and the greater Greenville community.
Amy Canosa
Assistant Director
» Send E-mailAmy was born in Bradenton, FL but spent most of her life growing up in the Piedmont of North Carolina. After graduating from Campbell University in 2003 with a BS in Psychology and a double major in Religion, she worked two years as the Baptist Campus Ministry Intern for the Baptist Student Union at UNC-Chapel Hill. Her two years working in collegiate ministry led her to Duke Divinity School where she received an MDiv degree in 2008. While at Duke, Amy had opportunities to serve with many different non-profit agencies and churches, including the Alliance of AIDS Services-Carolina, Alliance Medical Ministry, MissionsConnect International Camps, and Hope Fellowship Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC.
During her last year at Duke, she began meeting regularly with a group of college students at UNC-Chapel Hill who felt disconnected from the religious life at UNC and wanted to create space for theological exploration and identity reflection. This little group developed into a full-fledged university recognized campus ministry called the Cooperative Student Fellowship, and Amy served as a part-time campus minister for three years. Alongside her campus ministry job, she also completed four units of Clinical Pastoral Education at UNC Hospital, serving as a Surgery/Trauma chaplain.
Amy plans to be ordained by the Baptist community in the near future and senses a vocational call to collegiate ministry. She is also passionate about offering hospitality and seeking peace, justice, and reconciliation for all. She is excited by the work and ministry of MCF and hopes to put her love of cooking/baking to good use at Vista House and in the Greenville community.
Lindsey Jones
Ministry Intern
» Send E-mailLindsey Jones moved from Georgia to South Carolina to attend College of Charleston in 2002. She received her B.A. in English in 2005 and married her husband Brian two weeks after graduation. After living in Charlotte for one year, Brian and Lindsey moved back to Charleston for Brian to attend a dental residency in pediatrics and for Lindsey to obtain her Masters in English.
After graduating two years later, they moved to Greenville, Brian’s hometown, and Lindsey taught American and British Literature and Writing at Clemson University for three semesters before returning to graduate school to obtain her Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing with a concentration in Creative Nonfiction. Lindsey’s MFA is a low-residency program through Seattle Pacific University and is affiliated with Image: A Journal of the Arts and Religion and the Glen Workshop, an innovative program for “artists, writers, and wayfarers.”
Since 2007, Lindsey has assisted Brian with his start-up pediatric dental practice in Greenville including interior design, hiring, and marketing. She currently serves as the Director of Human Resources and Marketing at Upstate Pediatric Dentistry. Lindsey heard about Mere Christianity Forum from her sister, who attended Furman, and is excited to support MCF’s vision as the Ministry Intern.