Written by: Anaya Parker
As a local Seventh-day Adventist church popular with Southern Adventist University students, Crosswalk Chattanooga, celebrated its sixth anniversary, at the end of October. According to the Crosswalk website, the multi-campus church started in Redlands, California, with Chattanooga being one of 12 locations.
“We always have kind of a theme that [the anniversary] centers around, and this year our theme is ‘Always on Time,’” said Shastin Rains, the experience director at Crosswalk Chattanooga. “He [Jesus] showed up in the past. He’s showing up now. We know He’s going to show up in the future. And He will always be on time, even if it’s not on our timetable.”
“We came back home and just felt a nudge and started talking with others in our community.”
According to Brooks Pruehs, the team chair at Crosswalk, the congregation started with a small group feeling restless in the church that they were attending. Some visited the Crosswalk campus in California, led by Pastor Tim Gillespie. Inspired by his church, which was exploding, they wanted to start a satellite campus.
“We came back home and just felt a nudge and started talking with others in our community,” said Pruehs. “Just one by one people were like, ‘Yes, we need to do that.’ And so that’s really kind of how it started.”
Meeting in living rooms in January of 2018, the small group began watching sermons from the Redlands church. When 50-60 people were interested, the group took steps to become an official Adventist congregation. After a bit of persuasion, organizers met with Ed Wright, then president of the Georgia-Cumberland Conference, who agreed that the conference would be open if they felt called to start this church, Pruehs said.
For its first pop-up service, in June of 2018, the group met in the Ooltewah Elementary School gym. According to Pruehs, approximately 225 people attended the first service, and Pastor Gillespie, from Redlands, flew to Tennessee to join them. They continued to hold monthly pop-up services and began meeting weekly on the first weekend of November.
Pruehs said the congregation grew, meeting in different local venues. Because weekly attendance exceeded the occupancy allowed by fire codes, they launched two services in the fall of 2019. But then came COVID-19, which temporarily closed the facility the church was using. They continued their outreach ministries and leadership team meetings and watched past live-streamed services from the CrossWalk church in Redlands. Several months later, they began services in an outdoor venue before moving, in September of 2021, to a Hixson church for monthly services.
“It was an absolute miracle to raise $2 million in 15 days. I mean, we never thought that would happen.”
In the fall of 2022, Crosswalk, still growing, did not yet have a pastor. They found a church in the Chattanooga area that they wanted to buy, but the conference was reluctant to make an offer because Crosswalk was so new. Eventually, Crosswalk was given 15 days to match the Georgia-Cumberland Conference offer and raise $2 million. Crosswalk was able to raise the money and bought the church, according to an Accent article.
“The cool thing about this was … [that] we had about 225 unique givers, [and] our college student engagement was really high,” said Pruehs. “There was a ton of college students that were giving $50, $100, $500. We had one student that gave a $1,000, you know. And that was a super cool thing to see that God was really moving on the hearts of our community, and it was an absolute miracle to raise $2 million in 15 days. I mean, we never thought that would happen.”
According to Pruehs, shortly afterward, Pastor Dave Ferguson, who was the pastor of the university church for several years, became the lead pastor.
Under Ferguson, baptisms and attendance have risen exponentially, with an estimated 50 baptisms in the last year.
According to Pruehs, since purchasing the building two years ago, Crosswalk has continued to grow. He said under Ferguson, baptisms and attendance have risen exponentially, with an estimated 50 baptisms in the last year.
“When Dave came in, we were a community of about 500 people, and now it’s anywhere from 1,000 to 1,200 on the big weekends,” said Pruehs.
Pruehs estimates that 300 to 400 Southern students attend Crosswalk, and 30 to 40 are actively serving in the services, lobby or children’s services. Garrett Arner, a freshman political science major who attends Crosswalk, enjoys the song service, welcoming atmosphere, relaxed dress code, coffee and mingling in the lobby.
“I think it is inclusive branding, which I do appreciate, but sometimes it does seem almost a little too relaxed to where it doesn’t feel like an SDA church that much,” said Arner. “Overall, though, I think this new style of church is good for those exploring Adventism or those who are seeking something else besides the more traditional-style churches in the area.”
Ryan Williamson, a freshman nursing major, said, “I think I’ve been impacted the most by the music at Crosswalk. Seeing the band members’ passion and genuine love for worshiping that is exuded is incredible and extremely impactful, helping me to feel God’s presence.”
This past weekend, members celebrated the congregation’s sixth anniversary, telling their stories, recalling the miracles and casting a vision for the future.
Pruehs said Crosswalk helps keep young adults connected to the church.
“We have tremendous engagement from our Southern students,” he said.
“It’s so impressive; so many college students are involved, which is great, because a lot of young people are leaving the church quicker than we can count them, and so we’re just trying to keep them engaged as long as we can.”
This past weekend, members celebrated the congregation’s sixth anniversary, telling their stories, recalling the miracles and casting a vision for the future.
“We want to create this authentic space of belonging,” said Rains,“a place [where] people from all different backgrounds and walks could come and feel acceptance. So [that’s] our goal, and at the center of all of that is Jesus.”
