The members and friends of Crossroads United Methodist Church welcome you and hope you'll decide to come worship with us! We extend a special welcome to those who are single, married, divorced, gay, filthy rich, dirt poor, yo no habla Ingles. We extend a special welcome to those who are crying new-borns, skinny as a rail or could afford to lose a few pounds.
We welcome you if you can sing like Andrea Bocelli or if can’t carry a note in a bucket. You’re welcome here if you’re “just browsing,” just woke up or just got out of jail. We don’t care if you’re more Catholic than the Pope, or haven’t been in church since little Joey’s Baptism.
We extend a special welcome to those who are over 60 but not grown up yet, and to teenagers who are growing up too fast. We welcome soccer moms, NASCAR dads, starving artists, tree-huggers, latte-sippers, vegetarians, junk-food eaters. We welcome those who are in recovery or still addicted. We welcome you if you’re having problems or you’re down in the dumps or if you don’t like “organized religion,” we’ve been there too. If you blew all your offering money at the track or the new casino, you’re welcome here. We offer a special welcome to those who think the earth is flat, work too hard, don’t work, can’t spell, or because grandma is in town and wanted to go to church.
We welcome those who are inked, pierced or both. We offer a special welcome to those who could use a prayer right now, had religion shoved down your throat as a kid or got lost in traffic and wound up here by mistake. We welcome tourists, seekers and doubters, bleeding hearts … and you!
As a first time guest or visitor, please do not feel obligated to place anything in the offering plates when they are passed, your presence is gift enough for us. If you need assistance finding anything while you are here, please don’t hesitate to ask one of the greeters or ushers.
Our 10:30 am worship service is more of a blended style using both traditional liturgy and hymns as well as contemporary and emerging Christian music, liturgy and images. Dress is as casual or as formal as you're comfortable being; jeans are fine but tuxedoes and evening gowns will make the pastor look bad! Children are welcome in worship, but childcare and Sunday School is also provided during the service following the children’s moment in our nursery/childcare center down the hall. And most of all, we hope you will come back and worship with us again!
At Crossroads UMC our hope is that everyone will feel welcome, everyone will find something in worship that helps them to feel the presence of God in their lives, and that everyone will leave here knowing that they are loved by God just as they are, but that God loves us too much to leave us that way! We aren't particularly big or flashy, but we love God here, and in response to that love of God we love others through service in and with our community. There's ALWAYS a way or a place where you can serve the community or the world through Crossroads UMC.
Rev. Dr. Don Wallick was appointed to serve as pastor of Crossroads UMC beginning July 1, 2019.
Pastor Don is someone who believes, seeks to live out, and focuses preaching and teaching on two basic principles in his life of faith:
1) That Grace is primary (and with that comes love, mercy, understanding, and acceptance); and
2) That solidarity with those who are vulnerable or victimized is the natural and logical outcome of a life of Grace.
Pastor Don is married to Rev. Linda Wallick, who is partially retired. She currently serves as pastor of Croton UMC and works as a Chaplain with Ohio Health Home Hospice. They have two adult children - Faith and Joel. During the pandemic, Joel married his fiancée, Sami, and they hope to have a COVID-safe celebration
Pastors Don and Linda also baby their pets - Calvin (a five year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel), and Hobbes (a seven year old cat). They are members of the family and don’t you dare suggest otherwise!
Pastor Don has served in the West Ohio Conference since 1990 and has been in Columbus since 1999, serving at King Ave UMC (near OSU) as Associate Pastor / Campus Minister from 1999-2006 and then as Pastor of Church of the Good Shepherd (far north side of Columbus) from 2006 - 2019.
Don received a Bachelor of Science in Broadcast Journalism from Bowling Green State University in 1986, and two degrees from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio: a Master of Divinity in 1992 and Doctor of Ministry in 2008.
The Wallicks are excited to get to know the Westside (the BEST side!) and look forward to a fruitful ministry here.
You can find Pastor Don on:
Twitter: @dhwallickjr
Facebook: Don Wallick
Instagram: donwallick
And every Sunday at Crossroads UMC!
Atieno Figueroa, Church Administrator has been with Crossroads UMC since August 2017.
Atieno Ayo Figueroa is a Multi-Talented Performer born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She studied Classical Voice at LaGuardia High School for the Arts (The FAME School) and she graduated from Queensborough College for Music Production, Fine and Performing Arts. In 2005, the Lord called her to New Baptist Temple; now Recovery House of Worship under the discipleship of Senior Pastor Edwin Colon. She continues her studies in Business Management with Penn Foster College and seeks to go to Grad school for her MBA in International Business/Entrepreneurship.
She served at Central Baptist Church as Church Clerk and Membership Director before the Lord uprooted her from NYC to Columbus, OH, (by way of NJ. Atieno, and her husband Angel, feel fortunate to have received the Lord's favor as newlyweds and welcomed a beautiful daughter in March 2018. She was led to serve at Crossroads UMC as our new Office Administrator. She continues to stress the importance of discipleship, as well as, walking close with the Lord and His Church.
Zac Casperson, Music Director is a lifelong United Methodist. In 1996, he started directing his church's handbell choir and for the past sixteen years served as the music director. He attended The Ohio State University for both a bachelor's and master's degree in early childhood education. He is entering his fifteenth year teaching fourth grade in the Groveport Madison Local School District. He and his wife, April, have been married for fourteen years and welcomed their first child in September.
April Casperson, Deacon in Residence is passionate about theological education, vocational discernment, and the organizations that recruit, educate and equip leaders for thoughtful, intentional ministry. April serves as Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Methodist Theological School in Ohio and is an ordained deacon in the West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Crossroads United Methodist Church came about as the result of a successful joining of two area churches.
Brookshire United Methodist Church traced is roots back to a society that met in the small home of Mr. John Grubb. This church is thought to be the first Methodist organization on the west bank of the Scioto River. Over the next 103 years, the relocated several times and one time held a membership of 650 people. Eventually a small sanctuary was built on land purchased at the south end of Hague Avenue.
The dedication of Burgess Avenue United Brethren Church was held on August 27, 1916. This successful church eventually came to own four plots of land on the corner of Burgess and Sullivant Avenues. However, by the late 1990's attendance here, as in many churches, had fallen.
A series of meetings between the two churches resulted in a merger, giving birth to a single strong church in the area. On September 8, 2001, the newly created Crossroads United Methodist Church began its ministry under the then leadership of the Reverends Ray Wiblin and Barb Salyers.
Most recently, the members of New Horizons UMC merged in with Crossroads as well. And we are grateful they are with us!
Crossroads UMC is a vibrant and active church, engaged in many different areas of community outreach and ministry on the Hilltop and and Greater Westside areas of Columbus, OH. The full history of the ancestral churches that came together to become Crossroads UMC is maintained at the church, where we also play host to the Greater Hilltop Historical Society meetings.
Regardless of one's age, race, life-story, or standpoint, each unique individual is welcomed within our church. No matter where a branch of the United Methodist Church may be located, the underlying structure remains the same, which we refer to as "connectionalism." We strive to weave the fabric between our disciples through our appointed-clergy system, mission-based outreach practices, and united giving.
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you." (Acts 28:19-20)
Derived from this "Great Commission," our church's mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We uphold this all-encompassing objective through four basic principles: welcoming, worshiping, nurturing, and sending.
This page provides a brief overview of our purpose of action within the United Methodist Church. Please visit the Main UMC Website for more details on our mission, our faith, our people, and our world.