Christian Fellowship of Toledo stands on Pilliod Road in Holland, Ohio, and its motto says plainly what the congregation is known for: "To Know Christ and to Make Him Known." The church describes itself as a Bible-believing, independent, New Testament style congregation that holds to historic evangelical doctrine, and it keeps that identity in ordinary Sunday rhythms: Communion at 8:30 a.m., worship at 9:30, fellowship at 10:45, and Sunday School for every age at 11:15.
Glorifying God by Making and Maturing Disciples
Christian Fellowship defines its mission as glorifying God by making and maturing disciples of Jesus Christ through faithful, Scripture-driven teaching, worship, fellowship, prayer, care for all, discipleship, evangelism, missions, and every-member ministry shaped by the pattern of the New Testament church. That pattern comes from Acts 2:42-47, and the church reads it part by part: the apostles' teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, prayer, care and stewardship of possessions, and evangelism as the Lord added people to the church day by day.
The same conviction appears as eight core values: prayer, praise and worship with remembrance, care for all, fellowship, expository preaching and teaching, discipleship, evangelism, and missions. Beneath them the church names three essentials: grace-dependence, because grace is necessary for God to get the glory, Scripture-driven ministry grounded not in human wisdom but in "the word of his grace," and humility, needed for dependence on grace, submission to Scripture, and biblical unity. Everything rests on the foundation of Jesus Christ. The church puts its structure in a single line: "Christ is the head of this local church," and his instructions are found in his Word and taught by the Holy Spirit through gifted men.
A Sunday Built Around the Word and the Table
A Sunday at Christian Fellowship is built from several short gatherings rather than one long service. At 8:30 a.m. the church holds Remembrance, a communion service. Worship follows at 9:30 a.m., and that is the gathering that is also livestreamed. A fellowship time comes at 10:45 a.m., and Sunday School for all ages begins at 11:15 a.m. The elders share preaching responsibilities in a regular rotation, and the church prizes expository teaching, so messages work through biblical text rather than a theme.
Families can take part without splitting up. Nursery and toddler care are available during the main service, and Children's Church meets during the service as well, with age-appropriate teaching and singing in the church basement. The 11:15 Sunday School classes are grouped by age so children can ask questions, see how Scripture fits together, and build friendships.
Those who cannot attend in person can watch the 9:30 service on the church's Boxcast channel, with the livestream running Sunday from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Eastern. Messages are kept in an archive with video and audio downloads through SermonAudio. The church office at 6711 Pilliod Rd. is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the church phone number is (419) 866-1332.
From a Backyard in 1950 to Pilliod Road
Christian Fellowship traces its roots to 1950, when a small group of believers separated from a denomination that no longer taught that the Bible was preeminent. They met first in the backyard of Waldo Yeager, then purchased the old Academy of Medicine building at 15th and Monroe Streets in Toledo, and chose the name Christian Fellowship of Toledo.
Monroe Street and Auburn
In 1979 the congregation bought 4.6 acres of land on Pilliod Road, believing it might become a future home for the church. By 1982 the downtown area was changing, businesses were buying surrounding properties, and the congregation had no residential neighbors and no parking, so it voted to purchase the old Seventh Day Adventist property at Auburn and North Cove Boulevard instead. The Monroe Street property was sold to Gump Cadillac.
Growth in 1982 and 1983 brought a new idea. On October 2, 1983, families interested in forming an extension group met, and 52 signed cards saying they wanted a new fellowship. The elders blessed the plan if two of their own would shepherd it, and Harold Vernier and Herb Houck agreed. An organizational meeting on October 3 voted to incorporate, and because the group would meet at the Southwest YMCA on Holland-Sylvania Road, the name chosen was Christian Fellowship of Toledo, South. The first meeting there on November 20, 1983, drew 66 adults and children, and the church remembers a spirit of love and thanksgiving in that room.
A Building in a Cornfield
As numbers grew, the YMCA facilities became inadequate for Sunday School, Children's Church, and nursery. The board looked for more than a year without peace, then learned that the North Fellowship might sell its Pilliod Road land. A loan from the Stewards Foundation, a nonprofit Christian organization that lends to evangelical assemblies at a low interest rate, made the purchase possible. On July 28, 1985 the congregation approved buying the land and preparing a building plan, and on December 22, 1985 it approved a $115,000 mortgage. A groundbreaking dedication was held in the cornfield on a chilly Sunday, April 13, 1986, and construction began that month. The first worship service and dedication in the new building took place on December 7, 1986, with elders Harold Vernier, Herb Houck, Don Bickford, and Lou Vasaturo and eight deacons serving on the combined board. Church members helped with whatever work the contract allowed.
New Families and Shared Shepherding
In 1992, about ten families joined after meeting with the elders and explaining that the Lord was leading them away from a Plymouth Brethren assembly on McCord Road in Toledo. Their knowledge of the Word and willingness to be used enriched the church, several men later joined the elders board, and many women taught children and other ministries. More families arrived in 1993 when Christian Fellowship North closed and sold its building, and its remaining elders asked to join the congregation. On December 3, 1995 the congregation voted for a building expansion to its present size.
Full-time leadership came and went. Paul Sapp joined as full-time elder and ministry director in October 1989 after coming from Emmaus Bible College, and Allen Faubion followed him. Terry Priestap held the office of full-time elder and ministry director from 2002 through 2011 and retired in 2012. Daniel Kain moved with his wife Shannon and their three children from the Seattle area in the spring of 2011 and served as full-time elder until February 2017. After that, the church entered a season of elder-led leadership marked by shared shepherding and accountability, with the elders collectively overseeing doctrine, teaching, and spiritual direction and sharing the pulpit through a regular rotation.
What Christian Fellowship Holds
The congregation describes its beliefs as a summary of historic evangelical doctrine rooted in Scripture. It confesses faith in the triune God, one and the same in substance, equal in power and glory: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. On Jesus Christ, it holds that he was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, fully God and fully man, that his death was sacrificial and substitutionary, that he rose physically from the dead, and that he ascended bodily into heaven. It looks for his personal and imminent coming to receive his church and his premillennial return to set up his kingdom on earth.
Salvation is by grace alone through faith in Christ, because all people by nature are sinners separated from God. The Holy Spirit personally abides in every believer forever. The Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, the one rule of doctrine and duty and the only inspired, inerrant, and infallible guide for life. There is one church of God, embracing all who are united to Christ by divine grace and saving faith. The church also holds to the bodily resurrection of the just and unjust, everlasting bliss for the saved, and everlasting suffering for the lost. Baptism and the Lord's Supper are the two ordinances, and both are encouraged for all Christians.
The Bad News and the Good News
Christian Fellowship teaches the way of salvation plainly. All have sinned, breaking God's law, and that sin earns a death sentence in God's court. Keeping the law cannot save, because the law merely brings awareness of sin, and works are never good enough for anyone, Jew or Gentile. The good news is that God provided his own righteousness, which is applied freely. He sent his son to take away sins, taking the punishment on himself, suffering and dying on the cross, and rising from the dead on the third day. If a person confesses that Jesus is Lord and believes in his heart that God raised him from the dead, that person is saved.
The church stresses that salvation is a gift that cannot be earned, lost, or merited, and that faith itself is a gift. Those who believe are sealed with the Holy Spirit, are born again, and begin to walk by the Spirit. The church urges new believers to join a local church where they can be spiritually nourished and grow toward the fullness of Christ, and to be identified with Christ in water baptism.
Shared Shepherding and an Every-Person Ministry
Christian Fellowship has no single head pastor at the top of its structure. The elders collectively oversee the doctrine, teaching, and spiritual direction of the church and share preaching responsibilities through a regular rotation, a model the congregation describes as shared shepherding and accountability. The current elders are Scott Bernhard, Ken Kutz, Tom Borck, John Dudley, and Dick Altman. Deacons Scott McNay, Chris Ray, and John Diehl assist with visitation, caring for those in need, and supporting the practical and mercy ministries of the church.
The elders and deacons meet the qualifications set out in Acts 6:3, 1 Timothy 3:10-13, Titus 1:5-9, and 1 Peter 5:1-4, and they serve the saints under the authority of God's Word. The church also calls itself an "every-person ministry" church: because every believer has at least one spiritual gift, opportunity and encouragement are given for each person to use their gifts for the blessing of the whole body, including teaching. For pulpit preaching and teaching, there is a teaching team of those the elders judge to be gifted to teach, so opportunity is based on gifting and walk before God rather than title alone.
Care Groups Where Faith Becomes Mutual
Care Groups are the church's answer to the limits of a busy Sunday morning. In these smaller, relaxed, informal gatherings, believers worship together, pray for one another, study God's Word, and build relationships that need time. Groups are not built around a rigid schedule or a one-size-fits-all formula, but each reflects the gifts and passions of its members, so care can be offered in personal and practical ways. Members walk alongside one another through ordinary rhythms and unexpected challenges, bearing burdens and meeting spiritual and physical needs. As relationships grow, groups also look outward, seeking opportunities to bless people beyond their own circle.
CF Kids, Youth, and College & Career
CF Kids covers the years from nursery through middle school, and the aim is for children to feel safe, cared for, and excited to learn. Children's Church, led by Jamithy Sawade, meets during the main worship service; children head down to the basement partway through for age-appropriate teaching, singing, and time in God's Word at a level they can understand. Sunday School offers a relaxed, engaging environment with classes grouped by age, and nursery and toddler care let parents worship with peace of mind. Each summer, students in sixth through eighth grade can attend camp at Camp Barakel near Fairview, Michigan, a week of teaching, worship, fun, and time outdoors that many families call a highlight of the year.
The youth ministry is for grades 7 through 12 and meets once a month on the third Sunday. It is led by Cory and Eva Fritch, Mark Priestap, and Richard and Christina Altman, and it meets at the church for a monthly activity, though some gatherings are hosted in the homes of church families. A typical evening runs worship music, a devotional led by the leaders, prayer, games, and snacks. The stated aim is helping parents teach their children to handle God's Word correctly and serve the body of Christ.
College & Career exists for a growing number of young adults and meets monthly, typically on the first Sunday at 6 p.m., with gatherings rotating between the homes of two families in the church. Led by Mark and Meredith Priestap along with Caleb and Debbie Altman, each evening includes a devotional or question-and-answer discussion, fellowship, games, and a shared meal, with room for honest questions as students think biblically about college, careers, and adulthood.
Men at Breakfast, Women in the Work of Care
Men's Ministry aims to help men grow in their walk with the Lord and build strong, meaningful relationships with other men. The Men's Breakfast and Bible Study meets on the second and fourth Saturday of each month at 7:30 a.m. for careful engagement with Scripture, honest discussion, mutual encouragement, and accountability. Some men take part in Every Man a Warrior, a discipleship program designed to deepen a walk with God, apply Scripture to daily life, and learn to make disciples of others. The ministry also serves through outreach with Mosaic and the Toledo Gospel Rescue Mission, and gathers for events such as Men's Competition Night and men's retreats. Tom Borck handles questions about the Saturday study.
Women's Ministry is led by a team and is built around prayer, growth in the Word, and genuine fellowship. Regular prayer gatherings bring the needs of the church family before the Lord, and women's Bible studies encourage spiritual growth and deeper confidence in Scripture. Mentoring relationships and intentional encouragement support women in every season, with particular care for those who are hurting. Care is also practical: meals for new mothers and those facing illness, bridal and baby showers, and bereavement meals for grieving families. The ministry provides Sunday morning childcare and warm hospitality at both Sunday and Wednesday gatherings, and offers relaxed gatherings such as Coffee and Conversations, along with periodic banquets, teas, and retreats.
Wednesday: Dinner, Quizzing, Prayer and Praise
The Wednesday rhythm at the church is simple and regular. A fellowship dinner is served at 6:00 p.m., rotating through familiar meals such as pizza, pasta, fried chicken, hot dogs or brats, and Mexican food. At 6:45 p.m. two things begin together: quiz practice for Bible quizzers, and a Prayer and Praise gathering.
Bible quizzing is a ministry for young people who want to know God's Word deeply and personally. Students memorize Scripture so that it shapes how they live, serve, and honor the Lord, and in the process build character, self-discipline, prayerfulness, and unity. Quizzing is open to students ages 11 through 12th grade, with A-level and C-level teams so participants can grow at an appropriate pace, and it is affiliated with the Great Lakes District of the Christian Missionary Alliance. Tammy Leinbach handles questions about the ministry.
Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs
The music ministry works to provide a balance of "psalms, hymns and spiritual songs" for joyful worship, and the church names Colossians 3:16 as its anchor. Music is chosen to be biblically sound, theologically rich, and suited to congregational singing, with the aim that the songs sung together would help the Word of Christ dwell richly among the congregation. The church stresses that the goal is not to perform for the church but to sing with one another, teaching, encouraging, and reminding one another of the truth. Many musicians serve, and ongoing opportunities exist for people who want to use their musical gifts.
Missions Near, Far, and on the Road
Missions is a significant and joyful emphasis at Christian Fellowship. The congregation provides regular prayerful, practical, and financial support for missionaries and ministries serving locally, nationally, and internationally, and everyone from children to adults is encouraged to pray for the spread of the gospel and for those who have not responded in faith. The church also takes part in regular missions trips that include medical and practical outreach through missions partners, with many church family members joining to serve, encourage local believers, and support long-term gospel work on the ground.
Outreach close to home runs through relationships such as Mosaic, the Toledo Gospel Rescue Mission, Bill Glass' Behind the Walls, Christian Women's Club, small group Bible studies at places of work, Vacation Bible School, Bible Study Fellowship, and one-on-one discipleship. Youth group mission trips are part of that outward pattern.
GriefShare and Care for All
Care for all is one of the church's core values, and GriefShare is one expression of it. A 13-week GriefShare group meets periodically at Christian Fellowship in the main floor conference room, led by Jean Priestap, Bill Baillie, and Barbara Falls using the GriefShare curriculum. There is no cost, and people who are grieving are warmly welcomed. The group is a safe place to understand the difficult emotions of grief, learn what to expect in the days ahead, and find helpful ways of coping with grief in its unpredictability, with support at each step.
A Transparent Heart for Giving
Christian Fellowship says it relies on joyful, voluntary generosity and practices financial transparency. It does not pass an offering plate. Tithes and offerings go into the offering box in the lobby, or contributions can be mailed to the church, and a note or a designated envelope directs support to a particular need or missionary. Contributions are acknowledged with an annual receipt, donor names and amounts are kept in strict confidence, and gifts are treated as tax deductible when no goods or services were provided in exchange.
Each year in January or February, an operating budget is presented for approval at the annual congregational business meeting. Ministry staff support, missions support, pastoral care, Sunday School, and other programs typically make up a significant share, with mortgage payments, utilities, and insurance making up the balance. Income and expense reports go to the elders and deacons each month, a copy is posted for anyone interested, and a general statement is included in the weekly bulletin. The church says it is open to all questions about the budget. Ken Falls serves as treasurer.
The Samaritan Fund is one designated way to give: those funds help unemployed people at Christian Fellowship and any believer approved by the deacons who has a need they cannot meet on their own.
Christian Fellowship of Toledo remains an independent, Bible-believing church on Pilliod Road in Holland, where the work is to know Christ and to make him known: through faithful teaching, worship that sings psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, prayer, care for all, missions, and every member using their gifts for the good of the body.