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By Kris Harrell

Greenville Advocate’s Hero of the Week is Abbie Ballew, a community and church leader in Greenville.

Ballew is a State Farm Insurance agent with an agency in Greenville. Additionally, she volunteers with Southside Baptist Church.

“My husband Brad and I joined Southside 20 years ago,” Ballew said. “We started in the nursery, and I just jumped in to help where it was needed.
“God gifted me with the love of teaching and a love for kids, so it is my job to use those gifts to glorify Him.”

At Southside, Ballew leads Krew Worship, the church’s children program, once a month and a women’s bible study class Wednesday nights. 

Additionally, Ballew works with Southside’s vacation bible school every summer and organizes the church’s Easter egg hunt for the community. 

Aaron Miller, the assistant and student pastor for Southside Baptist Church, said that Ballew has been volunteering with the church since he arrived seven years ago. 

“She’s got a great, outgoing personality, and she’s just a huge part of the community with her job as well,” Miller said. “she’s a great asset not [just] to the church, but to the community.
A lot of what she does, she does for the community, she does for Greenville, their whole family, and she continues to do that. She just has a love for Greenville, in the local community, in every way that she serves and gives back.”

Additionally, Ballew has volunteered with the local Kiwanis club and has served as the Greenville club’s president. Kiwanis is a global service organization whose goal is to help the children of the community, with the local organization focusing on Greenville and Butler County.

As president of the local club, Ballew helped with the mission of the organization, helping with events throughout the community. 

“I have the joy and privilege to continue to coach in our community, and being around the youth that are our future is so important,” Ballew said. “The doctors and lawyers and small business owners that come back to our small town are heroes. Without their support, Greenville would not be the wonderful place that I am proud to live and raise my family, so thank you to all of you.” 

Looking forward, Ballew is organizing the 10th annual My Cancer Hero 5k. The date of the run is to be determined; however, Greenville residents and community members are encouraged to attend to honor those lost to cancer, current cancer patients and survivors. The race is normally held in the middle- to late-Spring. 

“I started this to honor my dad who had passed away from cancer, but it has become so much more,” Ballew said. “We would love for everyone to be a part as we celebrate a decade of running for our Heroes.”