In 1995 Dwayne and Wanda Wooten answered a call to ministry in the area of counseling after having been in a bankrupt marriage for 14 years and having been divorced themselves for 5 years. Seeing the devastation in their own lives and the lives of their 3 children and having worked through reconciliation and remarriage the Wooten's felt a strong burden to see God reconcile and restore other marriages.

After 2 years of growth in the counseling area and group ministry the the Wooten's felt God was leading them to start a home fellowship. With no suitable facility available a friend of the ministry allowed them to use their fellowship hall on Friday nights and in the spring of 1998 CCI Opelika was birthed with two founding couples, the Wooten's and their spiritual children, John and Ashely Marsh. The small group was at times the four of them and at times as many as 40.

On the night of May 12, 2000 after a long meeting Dwayne looked at John and said, "You know, you are really getting this and I think its time for you to teach. Why don't you start next Friday." The rest is history. Basically, those were Dwayne's last words to John and the mantle was passed. On Monday, May 15, 2000, the Lord called Dwayne home. Today the church remains under the covering of Evangel Fellowship International and Dwayne's mentor and John's spiritual grandfather, Paul Estes. Wanda is remarried to David Keller and they are active leaders in the church.