Our History

In addition to a rich heritage as part of the Christian & Missionary Alliance, CFCF also has its own unique story beginning more than 25 years ago...

It all started in the Akron, Ohio home of Ken and Luci Cochrane back in the fall of 1979.  Wanting to reach out to their neighbors, Luci initially invited several ladies over for a small group Bible study.  By the grace of God and with the help of some friends from Chapel Hill C&MA Church, what began as just a few women meeting in the Cochrane home slowly and steadily grew into a larger couples' study.  Throughout the next couple of years, this group continued to grow as members invited others, including several from nearby Canal Fulton, to join in on what God was doing--men and women were trusting in Christ as their Savior, and they were finding a place to grow in their faith as they enjoyed solid, biblical teaching and the warmth of genuine Christian fellowship.

By February of 1983, the group was sensing the need to plant a bible-based, evangelical church in Canal Fulton (where the study had moved a few months earlier).  Meeting first in a local bank, and then in a karate center, the group continued to grow despite its somewhat limited facilities (at one point, the church nursery consisted of four carpet squares in a ladies restroom, and the children's Sunday School class had to meet in a hallway with children sitting single-file behind TV trays!).

On March 1, 1985, the group formally joined the C&MA and held its first official church service in the local Grange hall under the name "Canal Fulton Christian Fellowship."  God continued to bless the growing ministry of CFCF over the next number of years:  In 1987, the young congregation of around 100 people purchased the current four-acre lot at 2021 South Locust Street; and in March of 1994, a congregation of around 200 met for the first time in a newly-constructed church building (pictured above).

Today, CFCF continues much in the same way it began: seeking to reach out and share the love of God and the good news of Jesus Christ with those who so desperately need it; and solid, biblically-based teaching and preaching help men, women, and children grow in their faith as they enjoy genuine fellowship with one another.  Thankful for all the ways that God has so graciously blessed us over the years, we eagerly look forward to what He has in store in the future--to God alone be the glory!