"The Way of the Cross Leads Home"
This
phrase was the inspiration behind the Church name, taken from an old hymn
written in the late 1800's by Jessie Pound and Charles Gabriel. Cross Way
Baptist Church is an
independent,
fundamental Baptist Church, founded in 1987 by Pastor John Schell and his wife
Helen. The first service was held on March 7, 1987. Twenty people attended
and God has blessed with a growing membership over the past two decades.
The church began in the auditorium of a local San Carlos school before moving to
a small storefront space. In 1993,
the church had grown far
too large for the storefront, even though it now occupied over half of the
complex. God continued to bless abundantly, opening the door for the
church to
purchase
ten acres of local property that already contained a small vacant church
building. Cross Way continued God's ministry in South Fort Myers
and continued to grow, adding a new entry covering and steeple, a paved parking
lot, cleared recreational fields, and two modular buildings for offices,
classrooms and a nursery. In 2005, God continued to bless a growing
congregation and construction of a new sanctuary
and
maintenance building were undertaken. During construction, God called Pastor
David Vanaman and his wife Chris to Cross Way after serving for over twenty-five
years in the ministry in Clarkston, Michigan and Santa Maria, California. In April,
2006, God blessed again and weekly services were held in a wonderful, new
building. In March of 2007, Cross Way celebrated twenty years of God's
wondrous blessing and service in South Fort Myers.
God is still blessing at Cross Way as we approach our 25th anniversary of serving God in South Fort Myers. We would love nothing more than to include you in our next chapter of God's blessings.
