Elder - Pastor of Mission and Missional Living
Originally from Pennsylvania, Alex and Kate Chatman’s love story began in college, culminating in their marriage shortly after graduating from Slippery Rock University in September 1988. Just a few months later, in December, Alex proudly became a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. Their journey took them from the Basic School to Flight School in Pensacola, Florida, where Alex earned his wings in May 1991, marking the start of a remarkable adventure. Over twenty-four years of service, they navigated through six duty stations, all while raising two incredible sons—one who has followed in his father's footsteps as a Marine, and the other making his mark as a government employee in the DC area. After retiring as an Active Duty Marine in December 2012, Alex transitioned to a role as a government civilian. Now, after eleven fulfilling years in this capacity, Alex retired once again, this time to fully embrace his passion for ministry. Since 2007, Alex and Kate have been dedicated members of Pillar Church in Dumfries, where they have served in various roles, including Elder, Chief Financial Officer, and Youth Pastor. Alex and Kate have fully embraced what God has placed before them and are excited to actively follow the Lord’s leading in our community. We desire to know Jesus and make Him known here locally and throughout the world.
Elder - Pastor of Preaching and Vision
Noah and Mahala Clifton have been married since 2023, the same year they moved from Northern Virginia to Crestview to help plant Pillar Church. Noah is a second-generation church planter, having grown up watching his parents help plant many churches, primarily in the Washington, DC area. That experience gave him a deep love for the local church and a strong desire to see the Great Commission fulfilled through it. Noah gave his life to Christ at 17 and felt called into ministry soon after. He holds a BA in Pastoral Ministry from Judson College and is currently pursuing his MDiv from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Noah and Mahala were sent out by Pillar Church of Dumfries, where Noah served on staff and completed a Church Planting Residency. Mahala serves as Pillar Church’s Worship Leader, while Noah serves as the Pastor of Preaching and Vision. Noah has a passion for God’s Word, desires to make it clear to everyone, and to call people to live in light of the truths of the Bible! They are both deeply passionate about seeing the Gospel advance through the U.S. Military. With family members who have served, they love being able to care for military service members and their families through the Praetorian Project. They are so excited to walk alongside the families of Pillar Church and Crestview!
Deacon of Church Finances
Mrs. Williamson began her career in the public accounting arena in 1986 while completing her education at Troy State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Master of Science in Management with an Accounting emphasis. During her public accounting career, Mrs. Williamson specialized in income tax preparation, business startup and consulting, and retirement plan consulting and planning. Additionally, Mrs. Williamson formerly served as an adjunct faculty member of Troy State University teaching Accounting Principles, Income Tax and various other business classes. Mrs. Williamson has been a member of Pillar Church from its inception and has been serving as the Deacon of Finance since Nov 2025. She is a valued member of our Church and community.
Pillar Church is led by Elders – The biblical qualifications for the office of Elder are found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9 and 1 Peter 5:1-4. No elder holds more authority over another; our pastors are equal in authority but may be specialized in function. Pillar Church maintains a plurality of elders, exemplifying the biblical model for church leadership as described in the New Testament.
One of the most common questions people ask about a church is “who pastors the church?” The best answer for our church is “our church is led by our elder team!” If you have any questions, you can reach out to our elder team! Email: [email protected]
Pillar Church is served by Deacons – Deacons serve our church by directing the various ministries at Pillar Church and caring for the needs of the congregation. Deacons and Elders are not the same. Elders lead the church, and Deacons serve the church. Some churches are “Deacon-led” which is where the Deacons serve as the leaders of the church. We believe that the “Deacon-led” model does not follow the example we have in the New Testament. The biblical qualifications for the office of Deacon are found in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. The Deacons has one responsibility, to serve the church.
Staff: Salaried staff is called at Pillar Church’s discretion according to ministry needs. Staff members are hired to accomplish specific tasks related to the ministry of the church. Staff members are eligible for church leadership positions just as any other member.