The late Apostle Bill McKinney and his wife, Bishop Shirley McKinney, are the founders of Christian Fellowship Center church. In 1962, Bill McKinney, a Cleveland, OH native, married Shirley Ann Brown of Talladega, Alabama. Giving their lives to God they, each, began to submit their wills to the teachings of Christ; and, began to mature in their faith and spiritual understandings based on Biblical
principals taught them through the leadership of their late Pastors - James and Rachelle Beatty - leaders who had a heart for missions ministry. By 1972 The McKinney’s acknowledged and accepted their own call to ministry, stepped out in faith and voyaged, as missionaries to Haiti, daring to believe God to supply every need for them and their six children. Little did they know, to this point, that this and many other experiences were designed to position them for something even greater - their call to the pastorate. Desiring to obey the voice of the Lord, they started a ministry in their home. Established in June 1979, the McKinneys, shortly thereafter, moved the ministry to its first building located on E. 118th St. in Cleveland, OH; and, this ministry came to be called Christian Fellowship Center or CFC. Just four years later, in the year 1983, Christian Fellowship Center moved to its second location at E. 158th and Euclid Ave., sharing a building with an Episcopal Church. Then, this prophetic Word from the Lord was proclaimed over our leaders: “Every place where upon the soles of your feet shall tread, shall be yours...” In essence, it declared a day would come when the members of CFC would move no more! In January 1987, this promise came to pass. Apostle Bill and Pastor Shirely McKinney, along with the Christian Fellowship Center church family, was blessed to purchase Christian Fellowship Center’s third and current location at 14713 Lakeshore Blvd. in Cleveland. With Lake Erie as its backdrop CFC has come to be, affectionately, known as “The Church or The Quake on the Lake”. After battling an illness and the unfortunate passing of Apostle Bill McKinney in November 2007, the ministry was succeeded by, his faithful wife of 45 years, the well equipped Bishop Shirley McKinney. Continuing upon the well laid foundation and legacy of faith teachings started with her husband, Bishop Shirley was instrumental in walking, not only herself, but the entire membership body through this tremendous transition in leadership into the next phase to which the Lord was calling the house of CFC. Having served over 35 years in ministry, establishing a people sound in the Word of God with a strong core of parishioners - committed members of more than 20 years - Bishop Shirley, following the leading of the Holy Spirit, set in place her successor in ministry. In December of 2013, Pastor Rachelle Jones, the fourth child of Apostle Bill and Bishop Shirley’s seven biological children; and a Rhema Bible Training Center graduate, was instituted as the current Senior Pastor of Christian Fellowship Center with Bishop Shirley serving as overseer of the ministry. Hailing, undoubtedly, from a rich spiritual inheritance, Pastor Jones, who possesses a genuine heart for the people of God, works diligently to preserve the honorable legacy established by her parents and founders of Christian Fellowship Center to represent God and lead His people with purpose and integrity.
