About Us
The Altar is a non-denominational Bible teaching Church based out of Coeur D’Alene Idaho. We welcome anyone to come and join us just as they are. Like Jesus, we invite all to come and be changed by the power of the Holy Spirit and conformed into the image of Jesus. We welcome all and condemn none, but we do teach what the Bible calls sin, and are adamant that Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved from our sins.
During Sunday morning services, we have nursery, child care, and Sunday School for grades K-6. We have a coffee shop, and also offer free coffee for people to enjoy and fellowship with one another. We love to worship God in song and enjoy both traditional hymns and modern worship music.
The Altar Church is closely affiliated to the Good Samaritan Drug and Alcohol rehab, and most Sundays we hear testimonies from those who have graduated the program.
We look forward to having you fellowship and worship the Lord with us!
To receive text messages from us on what’s happening, text the word altar to 84576, or click here
Pastoral Staff
-Senior Pastor Tim Remington-
Tim was born in Riverside, California and moved to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho in 1968. After Graduation from Coeur d’Alene High School in the late 70’s, he moved back to California where he met and married Cindy.
In 1984 he became a Pastor in Loma Linda, California. Tim and Cindy also ran a coffee house called the “Supreme Bean Coffee House” for years and served the streets of San Bernardino. It was there they became interested in street ministry and the people that are typically ignored; those who have problems with drugs, alcohol, and perversion.In 1985 they began taking people into their home to help them. That has since grown into their Mentor Home Ministry and Good Samaritan Rehabilitation. The street ministry days, from San Bernardino to L.A., taught Tim more about drugs and alcohol than all the education he ever had. Since that time he received his degree in counseling. To Tim however, the degree is much less meaningful than actually leading an addict to Jesus.
Now his life consists of Victim Offender Mediation, Family Mediation, Drug and Alcohol Counseling, Critical counseling, Idaho Character Council, executive member of the Community Christian Coalition, and Director of Good Samaritan Rehabilitation drug and alcohol residential facilities. In addition he is the Senior Pastor of The Altar Church in Coeur D?Alene which he and Cindy began 18+ years ago in the Silver Valley.
Tim and Cindy have been blessed with four children, and over three hundred people have lived as a part of their family in their home.
“My love is my family and my Lord.”
“My passion is to worship.”
“My desire is to show the joy of the Lord to others in all that I do.”
“Changing our community one soul at a time.”
Pastor Tim
Pastor Tim can be reached at pastortim@altarcda.com
-Associate Pastor Kurt Neely-
Kurt was born in 1958 in Spokane, WA and a few months later the Neely family, Ray and Bea, moved to Coeur d’Alene to raise their three boys, Kevin, Kurt and Kale. The boys were raised in a Christian home and attended the Church of God
on Lincoln Way and Emma in Coeur d’Alene for most of their school years but in 1968 a new family joined the Church, their name was Remington. Little did they know that many years later Tim Remington and Kurt would cross paths again and be joined by the Lord in ministry together at The Altar Church.
In 1976 Kurt moved to Plains, Montana to live with his Saintly Grandmother Irene and to play basketball his senior year of High School. He graduated second in his class of a whopping 50 students. After working in the woods as a choker setter with his cousins for the summer, Kurt decided, it would be wise to use the scholarship he had won and attend college. (He is really not as dumb as he looks!) With that decision, he enrolled at Montana State University in the fall of 1977 and graduated four years later, Summa Cum Laud, with a degree in Business Management, as he wanted to follow in his father’s and uncles footsteps as a successful businessman.
In 1984, Kurt met a beautiful young lady named Dolly DuBois and fell in love but it took five years for him to convince Dolly that she was in love too. Kurt’s persistence paid off and they were wed in the fall of 1989. Although Kurt and Dolly loved each other and had many happy times and adventures together they were not seeking the Lord in their lives and were content to attend church occasionally and live a kind of pseudo Christianity. They moved to Santa Monica California in 1991 to work for a Persian Developer and during that time the Lord began to work on them very firmly and deeply. They returned to Coeur d’Alene in 1993 and began attending a new church on the Rathdrum Prairie called New Life Community Church. Under Pastor Bruce Miles powerful preaching, conviction came and Kurt began to realize that the powerless Christianity he was living was not what Jesus had purchased for him on that Cross. In May of 1996, right before their first child, Shay was born; Kurt was compelled to attend a Promise Keepers Event in the Seattle Kingdom. There the Lord Jesus radically and miraculously saved him and delivered him from a life of secret sin and bitterness.
Immediately, the Lord began to heal Kurt and groom him for ministry, first as a leader in Men’s Ministry at New Life Community Church and then after Pastor Bruce’s passing as a “leader in training” at Word of Life Community Church in Newman Lake, WA under the mentorship of Pastor Carl Hampsch. During those years God was not only building Kurt and Dolly’s faith and ministry but He was also building their family as it continued to grow to five beautiful, healthy children, Shay, Seraphine (Sary), Seth, Greta and Shiloh. Three girls and two boys, what an amazing joy and blessing!
In 2004, Kurt was licensed as a Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and began serving as Associate Pastor at Word of Life. Kurt has followed in the footsteps of his Grandfather Reverend Lee Carney and has been a working pastor or a “tent making pastor” like the Apostle Paul. He has operated a variety of businesses throughout his working life but has most recently settled into Administrating an openly Christian Assisted Living Facility and In-Home Care business in Hayden, where Kurt serves as a Pastor to 32 residents, their families and 80 plus employees.
In 2005, the Lord renewed a childhood friendship in that He brought an old family friend back into Kurt’s life, Pastor Tim and Cindy Remington and their family. Soon it was apparent that the Lord was moving the Neely family into a completely different type of Church and eventually ministry. Jesus said in John 5:19, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” In other words, Jesus was constantly looking to see where His Father was working and then He would join Him in that work. It didn’t take them long to realize that God was working in mighty and miraculous ways at The Altar Church and its sister ministry Good Samaritan Rehabilitation and that Father God was calling them to join Him in that work.
At that time, Kurt and Dolly felt compelled of the Lord to resign their position at Word of Life and begin attending with his family at this “rogue” church that was at that time meeting at the Coeur d’Alene Inn. They had no expectations for leadership or ministry but God had a different plan and quickly moved Kurt into counseling ministry, deaconship and then Associate Pastor. In the six years that Kurt has been serving at the Altar, the Lord has done some amazing and miraculous things in both the Church and the Rehabilitation ministries. Kurt and his family are simply honored, humbled and thrilled to have a very small part to play in what God is doing here at The Altar Church.
I am constantly in awe of the redemptive power of Jesus Christ to take a life ravaged by sin and redeem it for His Glory and Service. If he can take a life like mine that was lived selfishly and sinfully for thirty-eight painful years and redeem the time, transform it, bless it, direct it, and use it for His purposes, then no life is beyond his loving grasp, one soul at a time!
Associate Pastor Kurt Neely
Kurt Neely can be contacted at pastorkurt@altarcda.com
-Outreach Pastor John Padula-
John was born in Coeur d ‘Alene Idaho in 1978. After getting kicked out of his 2nd school in 7th grade, he chose a lifestyle of drugs and violence. John was constantly in and out of jail, and absolutely hopeless.
After 17 years of meth addiction, 21 years bound by pornography, and 6 years of prison, John repented of his life of sin and was washed in the Precious Blood of the Lamb!
John has been married to his beautiful wife, Amanda, for 5 years. John was told by the Dr’s.’s that he would never have children, but God said different! John and Amanda have 3 precious children, Arianna, Bella, and Ezekiel.
John has been a Deacon at the Altar, the director of Set Apart Discipleship, and the Outreach Pastor at the Altar .
John Padula~2 Corinthians 5:17
John can be contacted pastorjohn@altarcda.com
-Administrative Pastor Danny Cleave-
Danny was born in 1979 and was raised right here in beautiful Coeur D’ Alene, Idaho. He was raised by a wonderful single mom along with his three brothers.
He graduated from Coeur d’Alene High School in 1997, and then attended classes at North Idaho College. In 2002 he married April Cleave and spent five years with her and their two children Keaunna and Kolby. In 2007 the Lord called April home where she is now by His side.
Danny grew up in the Nazarene Church under Paul Barber, and Dr Ronald Hunter. He attended services there until around 2006 when God called him to attend the Altar Church. In 2009, after taking a break from ministry, he helped start “Risen Youth“, an Altar Church youth ministry.
Danny has been working full-time on staff since since February 2010, first as the Youth Pastor and now as the Administrative Pastor , and has a passion for missions abroad. Danny and his wife Carissa preach the Gospel and help start churches in Malawi and Tanzania. He continues to reside in Coeur D’ Alene with his wife Carissa Cleave and their 5 children. Danny received his education first through the Holy Spirit, and then he attended Global University through the Assemblies of God, and Messenger College where he received his degree.
A mans heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps~Provers 16:9
Danny can be reached at pastordanny@altarcda.com
Sunday Services
The Altar Church in the Media
Eli Shukron Interview With Pastor Tim Part I
Eli Shukron Interview With Pastor Tim Part II
Eli Shukron Interview With Pastor Tim Part III
“The most loving and Spiritual Church I’ve been to in a very long time. The People as well as the Minister and his Team were so loving, kind, gracious and sharing. Thanks be to God that they are all here in the World right now.”
“I’ve been a CHRISTian 40 years and have never found a Church that felt like home! A place where all are warmly welcomed yet are not spoken to through a “worldly filter.” Pastor Tim Remington does NOT mince words when it comes to the word of God but does so in a living, genuine way!”
“No matter how many times I may fall, no matter how far I may wander this is ALWAYS my home I ALWAYS have a safe loving place to come back to where I’m welcomed with loving hearts and open arms.”
“A very grown up fellowship! Serious ministry outreach with Good Samaritan. Effective outreach in the community!”
“It was the love of the men at this church that helped sustain me through the loss of my mother last year. I have had many ups and downs since then and Pastor Tim and others have been a blessing in ways that are hard to put in to words. We are blessed to have Tim Remington’s love and dedication to our community.”
“Have a wonderful experience every time I come with my family.”