subject: Jay Ahlemann Began One Of The Fastest Growing Churches In Northern Virginia [print this page] In February of 1977, Pastor Jay Ahlemann began Christian Fellowship Church, an interdenominational church, which first met in Woodburn Elementary School until June of 1977 when the congregation moved into Luther Jackson School in Fairfax County. He has played a significant role in the growth and expansion of numerous churches. He believes that God has given him the ability to raise the importance of church in peoples lives. He has an extensive portfolio of pastoral experience and he is responsible for the rise in attendance at many churches. He is a true devotee of God and he strives to enlighten people and work toward the welfare of his community.
James Ahlemann pastored in the denomination of the Church of the Nazarene for 12 years, after which he started a brand new non-denominational church in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. God gave him a vision to begin this new church in February of 1977, for which he resigned from the Calvary Church of the Nazarene in Arlington, Virginia where he had served as the Senior Pastor. He made consistent efforts and with the grace of God, he began the Christian Fellowship Church on February 27, 1977. The congregation of Christian Fellowship Church moved into their new church building the last Sunday of February of 1980, the Third Anniversary of the church.
James Ahlemann and his congregation conducted their first service in Jefferson Theater on Graham Road in Falls Church, Virginia. It was quite challenging for him because he had no salary and no source of income (having just resigned). All that he had was his life savings, amounting to $3,000. He had the responsibility of his family, including his wife Pat and two children, Greg, age 6, and Ashley, age 2. At the age of 31, he began knocking on doors to find families for their new church, inviting them to come to their services. His wife supported him throughout, and she went back to teaching school at the Fairfax Christian School. She also drove a school bus and would leave early in the morning with their children, and then come home late in the afternoon.
James Ahlemann pastored Christian Fellowship Church for 26 years seeing it grow to be a church of 5,000 people with an average Sunday attendance of 3,000. Desiring a new challenge, much to the disappointment of the people of Christian Fellowship Church, he resigned as Senior Pastor to accept the position of Senior Pastor of the First Church of the Nazarene in Pasadena, California.
