Through the years, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and devoted leaders, many lives have been influenced to carry on the work of kingdom building. A smallgroup of faithful Christians saw the need to fellowship and worship God together. From this small group, Cross Road Baptist Church was organized in 1868. Four years later in 1872, the first edifice was built near the railroad tracks off Red
River Road. The first known pastor was Rev. Under his talented and spiritual leadership the church was a beacon, shining in the community. People walked several miles to gather at Cross Road for worship services. In 1931 the church was destroyed by fire. Worship services were held in the old Red River School for two years. In 1932, the property on which the present edifice stands was purchased for $350. The property consist of five acres of land located on Eden Terrace Extension. The deacons serving as trustees for the transaction were, Moses Hope Sr., Paul Williams Sr., William T. Burns, James Price, W.W. Miller, Anderson Nash, and W.B. In 1933, under the strong leadership of Rev. Sanders and the cooperation and hard work of the members, the previous structure was built. Five years after the completion of the church, a cement baptismal pool was built on the church ground. Until the pool was built, new converts were baptized in a creek nearby down the road. During the pastorate of Rev. Sanders, the church thrived tremendously. He believed in equipping the whole man. Cross Road was a strong supporter of Friendship Jr. College, a legacy that has been handed down through the years. We dare not forsake our mission to support education. Cross Road has been blessed to have other God-fearing pastors in the persons of Rev. Garvin, Rev. J.H. Bailey, and Rev. E.D. Bell (who served for a very short time). Rev. J.E. Boulware was called to Cross Road the first Sunday in November, 1967. He had the londest tenure as pastor. His longevity attest to his contributions to Cross Road. He continued the legacy handed down to him. Under his leadership the church family continued to grow spiritually and financially. In 2003 Cross Road was a church in transition. Boulware, who served Cross Road for thirty-five years, resigned. God sent us an interim pastor, Rev. Dwayne C. Brown. Under his leadership we continued to grow spiritually. In May 2005, Rev. Maurice Watts was extended the call to pastor Cross Road Baptist Church. On July 3, 2005, Rev. Watts was installed as the pastor. In the spring of 2006. Cross Road once again embarked upon a building project. The ravages of time took a toll on the previous structure, but God has seen fit to equip us with men and women of vision in our trustees and deacons. At the present time we have engaged in building a new edifice to house this part of the body of Christ at Cross Road. Phase one of the project is our education and fellowship wing. We have been able to monitor the progress of the building thus far and are pleased with what we, through God's amazing grace, have accomplished. This new facility has many more class rooms for Sunday School classes. and a large fellowship hall. On Sunday, March 25, 2007 we held dedication services for our new education and fellowship building. We are very pleased with the roomy class rooms, beautiful bathrooms, and the fellowship hall. On Sunday, May 20, 2007 disaster struck the church. There was a terrible accident at the church. A young man driving a truck lost control and hit the sanctuary. Due to God's grace there was no one in the building and although the yound man's injuries were not real serious, the church did not fare as well. The damages were so sever that they could not be repaired. The church decided that the sanctuary at Cross Road Baptist Church, which was built in 1933, would have to be torn down. We were so grateful to God that he had already provided a place for us to continue our services. We are housed in the new education and fellowship building which has now been transitioned into Cross Road Baptist Church. We look forward to the day when we will build a new sanctuary. As we go forward, preparing to be the church that God is looking for, we are reminded of the scripture that says "Let us not grow weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not." ~ Galatians 6:9
