How it all began...
Christian Fellowship was in the heart of God from eternity past.
In 2007 God began to deposit the vision for Christian Fellowship into the heart of Rex Johnson—Founding Pastor—who was on a mission trip to Kenya at the time. The vision and directive from God was “plant a church where people can freely worship without any man-made hindrance.” Which was what Pastor Rex was personally experiencing in Kenya.
Upon returning from Kenya, Pastor Rex began to implement the vision God had given him, despite not having the exact direction to begin. It was a journey of faith that involved trusting God to direct as steps were taken. Christian Fellowship was built and founded upon prayer as Pastor Rex along with a few others earnestly
sought God for direction on a weekly basis. The prayer meetings quickly grew to 30-40 people. Outgrowing the homes that held the meetings.
Out of those prayer meetings it was decided that a church should form—resulting in the formation of Christian Fellowship (CFI). The first official meeting took place at the rented Blue and Gray Community Center with 130 people in attendance. The service was followed with a meal a time of togetherness. God was bringing the vision to fruition and there was excitement among those He was calling.
The following day, Pastor Rex noticed the Fitzgerald Underwear Factory was unoccupied. This 8,000 square foot building with office space seemed perfect to accommodate Christian Fellowship’s continued growth. This large facility was secured for only $500 month, repairs were quickly made, and seventy-five chairs
were placed inside for the Sunday service. God blessed and Christian Fellowship continued to grow rapidly.
This growth led to seeking land to construct a permanent home. God guided Pastor Rex to thirty-six acres of land that would eventually become home to Christian Fellowship. Pastor Rex vividly remembers when he stepped on that plot of land for the first time. It was a feeling of standing on “Holy Ground.” It was God’s confirmation and in 2008 the land was secured and paid-off.
In 2007 God began to deposit the vision for Christian Fellowship into the heart of Rex Johnson—Founding Pastor—who was on a mission trip to Kenya at the time. The vision and directive from God was “plant a church where people can freely worship without any man-made hindrance.” Which was what Pastor Rex was personally experiencing in Kenya.
Upon returning from Kenya, Pastor Rex began to implement the vision God had given him, despite not having the exact direction to begin. It was a journey of faith that involved trusting God to direct as steps were taken. Christian Fellowship was built and founded upon prayer as Pastor Rex along with a few others earnestly
sought God for direction on a weekly basis. The prayer meetings quickly grew to 30-40 people. Outgrowing the homes that held the meetings.
Out of those prayer meetings it was decided that a church should form—resulting in the formation of Christian Fellowship (CFI). The first official meeting took place at the rented Blue and Gray Community Center with 130 people in attendance. The service was followed with a meal a time of togetherness. God was bringing the vision to fruition and there was excitement among those He was calling.
The following day, Pastor Rex noticed the Fitzgerald Underwear Factory was unoccupied. This 8,000 square foot building with office space seemed perfect to accommodate Christian Fellowship’s continued growth. This large facility was secured for only $500 month, repairs were quickly made, and seventy-five chairs
were placed inside for the Sunday service. God blessed and Christian Fellowship continued to grow rapidly.
This growth led to seeking land to construct a permanent home. God guided Pastor Rex to thirty-six acres of land that would eventually become home to Christian Fellowship. Pastor Rex vividly remembers when he stepped on that plot of land for the first time. It was a feeling of standing on “Holy Ground.” It was God’s confirmation and in 2008 the land was secured and paid-off.
Where we are headed...
In 2010, steps were taken to construct a new facility upon the acquired land. God blessed this undertaking and aligned all the right people and the finances needed to see the facility completed. Construction crews were in place and in 2010, Christian Fellowship was constructed and completed on the “Holy Ground” that God had provided. The eighteen-thousand square foot facility was beautiful and could hold 500 people for its services. Many gathered for a workday during the churches construction and wrote Scriptures on all the walls and studs. It can be said that Christian Fellowship was built upon prayer and God’s Word. The only thing needed was the completion of the parking lot. A close friend to Pastor Rex was moved to finance the completion of the parking lot from his own resources. The eighty-thousand-dollar parking lot was completed, and the facility built and furnished. The vision God gave Pastor Rex in Kenya was becoming reality. Faith was becoming sight.
God continued to carry His Vision. The church was filling with people and the excitement was felt by all who entered. Extra facilities were added and by God’s grace, each one was paid for with cash along the way. Along the way, the church had incurred $640,000 in debt, which was paid-off in just over six years. The church celebrated all that God had done with a “note-burning.”
Christian Fellowship began to grow and was a blessing to many throughout the communities it served. Its history is nothing short of miraculous and is attributed to God’s faithfulness over the years.
We are forever thankful to Pastor Rex Johnson and his willingness to follow God to bring about His vision for Christian Fellowship.
“And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” – Philippians 1:6
God continued to carry His Vision. The church was filling with people and the excitement was felt by all who entered. Extra facilities were added and by God’s grace, each one was paid for with cash along the way. Along the way, the church had incurred $640,000 in debt, which was paid-off in just over six years. The church celebrated all that God had done with a “note-burning.”
Christian Fellowship began to grow and was a blessing to many throughout the communities it served. Its history is nothing short of miraculous and is attributed to God’s faithfulness over the years.
We are forever thankful to Pastor Rex Johnson and his willingness to follow God to bring about His vision for Christian Fellowship.
“And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” – Philippians 1:6
