CrossPointe Nazarene Church is located on Macon Road, a major thoroughfare through Columbus, Georgia. The church was established in 1934 making it 76 years old. It had its beginnings in south Columbus and was appropriately named Southside Nazarene Church. Later it relocated near the center of the city and was renamed Downtown Church of the Nazarene. In the early 1970's a new church was constructed on Macon Road where the present facility is. It was known as Macon Road Nazarene Church until five or six years ago when it was renamed CrossPointe Church of the Nazarene.
One of its early pastors was Arelia Moore, one of the few female Nazarene pastors of that time. Some of the other more notable pastors of the church were Robert Huff, Hilton Gillespie, Carl Pratt Sr., Eugene Wiseman and the present pastor, Eugene Boyette.
CrossPointe had between 200 and 300 people attending in the 70's and early 80's. There was a steady decline that followed as the church endured several pastoral changes. Recently, the church has experience some significant growth for which we give God glory. We have two associate pastors, the author of this paper being one.
Our church was home to two evangelizing sisters in its early days, Nettie and Leila Miller. We have produced several preachers from among our lay people.
It's hard to determine the identity or perception of local residents to the three Nazarene churches in our community. Columbus has a very large number of churches to serve its nearly 200,000 residents. CrossPointe Nazarene Church is just one of hundreds of churches in Columbus. Therefore, our impact on the community is minimal. All three of the local Nazarene churches are relatively small. Though small in numbers our people are very loyal to scriptural truth and, though hesitant to proclaim ourselves followers of anyone but Christ himself, we do strongly support the teachings of early Methodist founder, John Wesley.
Our effort to spread the message of holiness and Christ-like living in our community is probably hampered by the local misperceptions of what 'holiness', 'sanctification', and 'Pentecostal' mean. There are several groups in our area that associate speaking in tongues and extreme emotionalism or legalism with those terms. CrossPointe Nazarene Church is very receptive to the preaching of holiness and sanctification but we are trying earnestly to instill within our people the reality that holiness is not just something to be heard or believed. It is something to be lived and demonstrated. We are involving our people in missions, workdays, abortion prevention and many other opportunities where holiness can be demonstrated by expressions of love. We are in agreement with John Wesley when he said of holiness, "It is 'perfect love'. This is the essence of it." 1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."
Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
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