Our Pastors
Bill Kittrell | Mike Plewniak | Jeff Hodgson | Craig Cooper | Walt Alexander
Bill has served as Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Church of Knoxville since its inception in April, 1990. Although he grew up in West Virginia, he returned with his family in 1980 to the family farm and East Tennessee where he graduated from the University of Tennessee with a B.S. degree in Forestry in 1983. For more than twenty years Bill has served in occupational ministry, first leading a campus ministry. This ministry later provided the nucleus for Cornerstone Church of Knoxville, of which he became senior pastor. His responsibilities include general oversight of the church, training and care for the pastoral team, Sunday morning teachings, and directing our evangelistic efforts at the University of Tennessee through its campus outreach, Volunteers for Christ. Bill married his high school sweetheart, Cheri, and they have four children, Will, Daniel, Lauren, and Brient, and two grandchildren, Laurel and Bill.
Mike became a member of Cornerstone Church of Knoxville in 1997. He graduated from the Sovereign Grace Pastors College in May, 2004. He oversees the campus ministry, Volunteers for Christ (VFC). As a student at the University of Tennessee, he discovered Cornerstone Church of Knoxville through VFC. He graduated from UT in 2000, with a major in Business (Logistics and Transportation) and joined the Volunteers for Christ Ministry Staff. His responsibilities include coordinating the campus ministry's weekly meetings and other events, offering ministerial direction to students and other staff members, leading bible studies, and performing numerous administrative duties. He and his wife Elizabeth live in Knoxville and have five children: Ezekiel, Lillian, Knox, Freeman and Tess.
Jeff has been a member of Cornerstone Church of Knoxville since the spring of 2002. He graduated from the Sovereign Grace Pastors College in May, 2007. Jeff received a bachelor's degree in Anthropology from the University of Tennessee in 1986 and a master's degree in Operations Management from the University of Arkansas in 1996. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1988 to 1997, then flew as an airline pilot until 2006. As one of Jeff's main duties he oversees care group leaders. Jeff married his high school sweetheart, Melissa, in 1987. He and Melissa are natives of Farragut and grew up here in East TN. They have two children, Ashley and Henry.
Walt has been a member of Cornerstone Church of Knoxville since the spring of 2002. He graduated from the Sovereign Grace Pastors College in June, 2008. As student at the University of Tennessee, he discovered Cornerstone Church through Volunteers for Christ (VFC). After graduating, he had the joy of serving for three years as a campus intern for VFC, prior to attending the Pastors College. He serves the church by overseeing the music ministry, the Care Group ministry, VFC, and tending to various administrative duties. He married Kim in 2007. They welcomed their first child, son Rev, in September of 2010.
Craig became a member of Cornerstone Church of Knoxville in 1995. As a student at the University of Tennessee, he was introduced to Cornerstone Church of Knoxville through VFC where he heard the gospel and became a Christian. Craig graduated from UT in 1998, with a major in Speech Communications. He then attended and graduated from the Sovereign Grace Pastors College in May, 1999. He oversees the Care Group ministry, leadership development programs, our parent-teen ministry, and regularly speaks at the Sunday meetings. He and his wife Laura live in Knoxville and have four children, Karis, Joshua, Charlotte and Penelope.
