history of crossroads church
1892 Church founded on October 25 with nine members.
Name - "First
Christian Church of South Riverside"
Located in a small building on
Howard & 5th Streets in Corona.
Led by Reverend Wright & sister Iola
as singer. Mrs. McCarty led singing with tuning fork. Boxes w/planks served
as benches; small table was pulpit.
1893 Church has 80 members and a full-time pastor - Rev. H. Elliot
Ward. First Baptism at Glen Ivy Hot Springs. Church outgrew facility.
1894 New church at 9th and Victoria in Corona.
1904 Church outgrew facility. Rev. Adams solicited funds for new property
and church building.
1908 New church at 9th and Main In Corona.
1910 Church outgrew facility. Remodeled the church to enlarge.
1920 Converted upstairs balcony into classrooms for Sunday School.
1930 Church holds evangelistic meetings for two weeks and potlucks
in the park. Results in surge in attendance
1932 Name change to "1st Christian Church, Corona." Church
has largest men's class in city with 100 members.
1935 Church continues to grow. More ushers are needed to serve communion.
Church
sends missionary to Korea
1939 Fellowship hall and classrooms added.
1940 War is coming. Pastor Howard Stansberry signs up to be army chaplain
and men young men join the armed forces. Many couples move away to work in war
plants and factories.
1945 War is over and church resumes growth.
1946 Church buys lot at south of facility for expansion and parking
lot.
1947 New building addition adding more class rooms, a new fellowship
hall, and expanded parking.
1950 Church continues to grow and begins search for larger property.
1959 Pastor Ted Smith arrives
Phone Number 737-4664
1963 Purchased grove at Rancho and Main. Built Auditorium, classrooms,
fellowship hall and parking lot.
1964 New sanctuary at Rancho & Main, dedicated w/ Pastor Ted Smith.
Dedication: "God, make the doors of this house of worship
wide enough to receive all who need human love, fellowship and the Father's
care; and narrow enough to shut out envy, pride and hate. Make its threshold
smooth that it may be no stumbling block to childhood, or to those who are
weak or starved in spirit, but make it rugged and strong enough to challenge
our minds and hearts to serve Christ, our Lord. God, make the door of this
church the gateway to peace."
We dedicate this building to the unfinished task which a host of noble
souls who, laboring before us, have now passed into our hands."
1965 Pre-school proposed
1970 Pastor Tim Coop arrives
1979 School opened at the corner of Rancho and Main Streets with preschool
and quickly expanded to include elementary and intermediate schools.
1980 Name change to get rid of denominational stigma. New name reflects
meeting people at the "crossroads of their lives." New name is...
Crossroads
Christian Church.
1981 Growth continues. Church has to go off campus for Easter service.
1983 Property at Kellogg and Ontario Purchased
1993 Pastor Barry McMurtrie arrives.
1994 In the summer of 1994, Crossroads sold it's building on Rancho
and Main, and moved into a tent on new property - 38 acres at Kellogg and Ontario.
Despite the rivers of water flowing through the services on rainy days, and
the blistering heat in the summer, the congregation remarkably doubled in size.
The phenomenal growth silenced the critics and brought a sense of excitement
and enthusiasm to what the Lord was doing. Through all the excitement, there
was still a sense that the adventure was just beginning.
1995 Education and office buildings completed.
1996 In the spring of 1996, Crossroads moved into a new, state of
the art, auditorium. Though the facilities changed, the passion and vision for
reaching the lost only intensified. With Pastor Barry's willingness to try just
about anything to connect with the outsider, Crossroads became one of the most
innovative churches in Southern California, offering some of the most dynamic
and creative services in the nation. Crossroads truly became ‘a church anyone
could come to.' Once again, the congregation doubled in size.
1997 Growth continues, and members are encouraged to rise to the challenge
of building a 3,000 plus seat auditorium.
1999 As the church grew, Crossroads encouraged becoming a ‘church
within a church' with an emphasis on Small Groups. Over 200 groups with over
2500 members were started.
2000 The new millennium found Crossroads again rewriting the book
on how church is done with the Future Now campaign which led to the building
of the Londen Institute on the church campus. The Institute trains those who
are called to ministry and offers theology courses on a regular basis. The campaign
also included a proposed courtyard and full service restaurant.
2002 The Londen Institute for Evangelism opens.
2003 Opening of the Candlewalk courtyard and the Third Place Café.
2004 Inaugural class of Londen Institute graduates. Crossroads begins
a Get in the Game building campaign to meet the future needs of the rapidly
growing congregation.
2005 Opening of 3000 seat worship center & chapel.
2007 Pastor Chuck Booher arrives.
Crossroads Mission Statement
Crossroads exists to create a Passionate Commitment to Christ, His Cause and His Community.
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