Current Leadership

At this time, Christian Fellowship Church does not have a Lead Pastor and is being led by a board of Elders.  Weekly preaching is generally provided by one of the Elders, or a guest Pastor.  A search is ongoing for a Lead Pastor.

We are currently an Elder-led congregation.  Our elders consist of the following men:

• Phillip Zimmerman:  Phil Zimmerman was born and raised in Rhea County, Tennessee. He is the grandson of the late Paul Zimmerman who founded Christian Fellowship Church in 1947. He has worked in youth ministry and missions since graduating from New Tribes Bible Institute in 1982, serving in Kansas and Wisconsin until 1998 when he moved home to serve as a homebound missionary at Cedine Bible Mission. Phil left Cedine in 2024 and has been serving as lead elder at Christian Fellowship. He fills pulpit as needed on Sundays and also works with the youth on Wednesdays in Bible quizzing and youth ministry. Phil is married to Julie and they have six children and twenty-two grandchildren who add great joy to their lives. They live in Grandview just minutes from the church.

• Alfred Gilliam: Alfred has been a lifelong resident of Rhea County.  He started attending Christian Fellowship Church when he was just six years old and has been a faithful attendee ever since.  Alfred taught high school for Rhea and Cumberland County for a total of 35 years.  He also drove a school bus for both counties for many years.  He and his wife, Ima Joyce, live nearby the church.  Currently Alfred keeps our building, grounds and our Parish House maintained and running smoothly.

• Rick Zollinhofer: Rick and his wife Linda came here via Dallas, Texas in 1984 with a desire to service in a small rural church.  Rick has been serving faithfully in various  capacities.  For the past 36 years he has served as the church treasurer.  He currently helps plan for visiting missionaries and guest speakers for the pulpit.  Rick teaches the combined middle and high school Sunday School class. He is also involved in our Bible Quizzing program as a coach for one of the teams.  Outside the church, Rick and Linda have a small farm where they raise hay.  He is currently working in a local hospital ER as a nurse.

• Peter Montemayor:  Peter comes to Tennessee via the Seattle area of the Pacific Northwest.  He and his wife, Trisha, retired here a few years ago, where they are currently completely redoing an old home and reclaiming the land around it.  They have both become involved in the church life here. Peter has been a life-long Christian but coming here to this community has grown his faith in leaps and bounds. He is currently teaching Sunday School classes for adults and his wife works with the Youth Program.