Crossroads Worship Centre
is here today because our
Pastor (Russell Hylton)
got lost here in Newark!
Back in 1993, when the Hylton’s were pastoring in Mt. Vernon, if you wanted to shop at a real mall, you had to leave town!
Pastor Russ had been to the mall in Heath, but somehow got off on Main Street exit and went winding around W. Main Street over by 11 Street. He says as he went around the “curves”, something overcame him and he began to weep. All of a sudden, he had this overwhelming love and compassion for this area and he knew he needed to come here to pastor and minister to the people.
There were a series of events that happened but he ended up approaching the Ohio District Council of the Assemblies of God who gave him the go-ahead to move his family to Newark. He began to hold a Bible study in a family’s home. In September of 1994, the first service was held under the old Blockbuster's then located in a strip mall on the east side of Rt 79. One of the families who came to those first services has a funny version of those early days. This couple was looking for a church, and so the husband tells his wife- "you go find it and that is where we will settle".
Our first services were held under a strip mall shopping center- but as the above mentioned husband told his wife, “it wasn’t bad enough that she finds a 'store front church', but this one is in the basement, and in the back!” But God blessed those early days, and people were added to this fledgling little group.
Our Pastor has often said, “The Gospel light draws many funny bugs”, and this was certainly true, but that is true of a Pentecostal church- new or established. Many people came to “check us out”, some stayed and others moved on. A nucleus was formed and God began to build another part of His church here in Licking County.
When we were about 2 years old, a man approached one of the church leaders in the parking lot before service and gave him a slip of paper saying “we’ve got a church for sale.” It seemed strange to Pastor Russ, but after speaking to this gentleman, he and his son, Garrett went out to look at the church on Sunday afternoon. As they drove onto the property, which was on Buena Vista Ave, Garrett said, “this is it!” But he was really just concerned with the fact that the metal building on the property had a gymnasium in it!
A wonderful deal was made with Soul’s Harbor Apostolic Church that day and Crossroads Worship Centre became the new owners of this property. Many improvements have been made on these 4 acres over the years and today there are many folks in Newark, Ohio who are serving the Lord because Russ Hylton got lost on Main Street.
