LEADERSHIP

PASTORS

PHIL THOMPSON

Phil Thompson has lived in the Greenville area since 2003 and was affirmed as a pastor at Christ Fellowship Cherrydale in 2020, prior to being commissioned for work in the Eastside area. Phil currently serves as director of digital strategy for the North American Mission Board. He previously served for seven years with The Gospel Coalition, building and launching, among other resources, The Carson Center for Theological Renewal. Phil holds a PhD in Biblical Studies from Columbia Biblical Seminary. He has been married to Laurel since 2008 and has four daughters: Lane, Kately, Harper, and Darcy. During his extensive leisure time, Phil enjoys hanging out for coffee, hiking, reading biographies, and traveling.

Read articles by Phil at The Gospel Coalition, Themelios, New Churches, Send Network, and Logos.

PHIL THOMPSON

RODNEY BRADFORD

Rodney began serving CFE as pastor in November 2023 and is responsible for small groups, pastoral care, and counseling. He grew up in Greenville and met his wife Kathy while they were students at Gardner-Webb University (Boiling Springs, NC) in a British Novels class. They have been married since 1994 and are parents of four adult children—Emma, Elijah, Evan, and Kate—and grandparents of Juniper Lee. Kathy teaches English at Southside High School in Greenville and is passionate about mentoring and discipling women.

Rodney holds a Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and has served congregations in the Carolinas, Indiana, and Georgia. Prior to serving CFE, he had a decade long career in landscaping and was a part of the Pastor Team at Christ Fellowship Cherrydale. He enjoys the beach, good ice cream, reading memoirs, cooking pancakes, and watching British crime shows with Kathy.

PHIL THOMPSON

JOSH SMITH

Josh and Adrienne grew up together and were high school sweethearts—marrying in the spring of 2008. They joined Christ Fellowship Eastside in April 2023 after years of faithfully serving together in the local church. Josh currently serves Christ Fellowship Eastside by overseeing the finances of the church. He also enjoys hosting a small group, serving in children's ministry, and leading a men’s Bible study.

Josh holds a Masters in Theology and enjoys spending time with his wife and three daughters—Mackenzie, Eliana, and Harper—drinking good coffee, and grilling out whenever he gets the chance.

STAFF

ZACHARY MERRILL

Music Worship Leader

Zachary serves as worship leader, developing the worship team with a heart for helping the church engage meaningfully in corporate worship. Zachary graduated from Bob Jones University in 2018 with degrees in Business Administration and Christian Ministries. He married his wife, Sarah, in 2019, and they welcomed their son, Patrick, in 2025. Outside of church, Zachary enjoys playing and watching sports—especially cheering on New England teams—spending time with friends, walking their dog Piper, visiting local coffee shops, and listening to worship music.

LENA WILLIAMSON

Director of Counseling and Admin

Lena began serving Christ Fellowship Eastside as Director of Counseling in 2023 and oversees the Counseling Ministry, Women’s Ministry, and Administrative Support. She and her husband Nick moved to the Greenville area in 2022 after his retirement from the Navy. Over their 20+ years as a military family, they navigated multiple moves including several overseas and homeschooled their two sons, Christian and Caleb, through it all.

Lena holds a Master of Arts in Behavioral Science from Bastyr University and a Master of Arts in Christian Counseling from Southern California Seminary. She has served in women’s ministry leadership both in Southern California and abroad, and spent twelve years in private practice as a therapist before transitioning to full-time ministry within the local church.

She enjoys slow mornings, strong coffee, meaningful conversation, and travel. Most weekends you’ll find her with family, deep in a good book, or mentoring women one-on-one.