ABOUT US

Our Team

Steve & Kelley Gardner

Lead Pastor

In 2004, Pastor Steve and Kelley felt the call of God to move from their pastorate of 14 years in Milwaukee, WI and plant CTR Church. Founded upon the vision of Matthew 16, Christ the Rock Church is now celebrating 14 years of successful ministry.

In 33 years of ministry, Pastor Steve and Kelley have served in various positions, specializing in Pastoral restoration and ministry development. Pastor Steve studied at Northwest Bible College, the Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and most recently, at the Pentecostal Theological Seminary. Kelly studied at Lee University and Northwest Bible College.

Pastor Steve and Kelley recently celebrated the addition of a new title, Grandparents, with the birth of their grandson, Emmanuel, Jr.

In addition to their Pastoral responsibilities, Pastor Steve also heads up Reclamation Ministries, a ministry dedicated to the purpose of leading people in the Last Days outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and in the renewal of the leadership of the Body of Christ! To find out more about Reclamation Ministries, please visit that website by CLICKING HERE!

Andy & Amber Cruze

Associate Pastor

Bio Coming Soon

John & Rebecca Nolan

Worship Pastor & Finance Education Minister

Pastor John and Rebecca have been with CTR Church since July 2007. Serving in various positions, Pastor John now leads the Worship and Finance ministries. Pastor John and Rebecca both studied at Lee University.

Pastor John passionately teaches financial education and partners with numerous non-profit organizations. As a certified financial counselor, he offers individual and group classes on budgeting, credit building and retirement planning. As the Worship Pastor, John leads the congregation every Sunday.

Jerry & Diane Webster

Evangelism & Outreach Pastor

Bio Coming Soon

Mario Viera Rodriguez & Ruth Agosto

Hispanic Ministries Pastor

Bio Coming Soon

Katelynn Doan

Children's Director

Bio Coming Soon

Rob & Leah Rupnow

Youth Pastor

Bio Coming Soon

What We Believe

In the verbal inspiration of the Bible.

In one God eternally existing in three persons; namely, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

That Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of the Father, conceived of the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary. That Jesus was crucified, buried, and raised from the dead. That He ascended to heaven and is today at the right hand of the Father as the Intercessor.

That all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and that repentance is commanded of God for all and necessary for forgiveness of sins.

That justification, regeneration, and the new birth are wrought by faith in the blood of Jesus Christ.

In sanctification subsequent to the new birth, through faith in the blood of Christ; through the Word, and by the Holy Ghost.

Holiness to be God’s standard of living for His people.

In the baptism with the Holy Ghost subsequent to a clean heart.

In speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance and that it is the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

In water baptism by immersion, and all who repent should be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Divine healing is provided for all in the atonement.

In the Lord’s Supper and washing of the saints’ feet.

In the premillennial second coming of Jesus. First, to resurrect the righteous dead and to catch away the living saints to Him in the air. Second, to reign on the earth a thousand years.

In the bodily resurrection; eternal life for the righteous, and eternal punishment for the wicked.

Vision Statement:

Christ the Rock Church of God is a church that is formulated and exists upon the foundation of Jesus Christ as described in Matthew 16:13-19. Our church is made up of Followers of Jesus, who are committed to advancing the Kingdom of God, and living life in such a manner so as to honor the Lord Jesus Christ!

Mission Statement:

Because the life of a Follower of Jesus is a formative process, the following “keys” will be how we will fulfill the Vision the Lord has given us:

Through the centrality of the Lordship of Jesus Christ!
Through the preaching and teaching of the Word of God in an unadulterated context!
Through the enablement, power, and anointing of the Holy Spirit!
Through the identification and development of each individual’s Spiritual Giftings!
Through the genuine heartfelt Praise and Worship of Christ!
Through outreach, recovery, and supportive Ministerial endeavors!
Through Fellowship opportunities to promote a “Familial” relationship!
Through Ministry Endeavors that are directed towards various groups!
Through seeking Genuine Revival by seeking the Glory of the Lord Jesus Christ to be more deeply manifested in our lives: Personal, in our Family, in our Church, in our Communities, and in our Nation!
Through seeking and facilitating the Last Days outpouring of the Holy Spirit and His enablement, as prophesied in Joel 2:28-29, fulfilled in Acts 2:4, and available for each of Christ’s Followers today for the proclamation and validation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Through the utilization of various “Media” and Media Ministries!
Through seeking the unity of the body of Christ by bringing together Followers of Jesus from various denominational backgrounds for the purpose of combined worship, fellowship, networking, and ministry!

With these items in place, we seek to fulfill the vision the Lord has given us, and to become that Church Jesus described in Matthew 16 as a “Christ-Exalting; Holy Spirit-Empowered force; “that the gates of hell cannot resist” for the city of Knoxville and its surrounding communities!

History

Christ the Rock Church of God began September 12, 2004 in the living room of our Pastors, Steve and Kelley Gardner. Shortly thereafter, we moved into the Disabled American Veteran's building in Fountain City. In 2006, the Lord blessed us with a new building!

In 2006, we moved into our new and current building at 4306 Washington Pike in Knoxville Tennessee! Since that time, we have been seeking ways to reach our community with the love and power of the Lord Jesus Christ and His message!