History of Our Church

Pastor Bobby and Wanda Alger met in 1986 in a local church and were married in 1988. A year later, they enrolled at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Wanda added to her undergraduate degree in music a masters degree in Church Music. Bobby has a farming background, worked as a manufacturing company representative for a number of years before completing a Master of Divinity at ORU. Upon completion of their degrees, they were called by their church in Virginia to come and pastor and lead worship. Wanda currently has over 25 years experience of worship leading, working with choirs, and recording in the studio.

After a six-year pastorate at a local church in Broadway, Bobby and Wanda sensed a stirring to exploring church planting. During the season of searching for the place, God spoke to them about moving to a “crossroads area”. The name “crossroads” kept surfacing in prayer times as well as from others who were praying for them in our journey. Upon visiting Winchester and reading the history of this town, it was noted that Winchester is a “strategic crossroads area”. That statement, along with previous prayer and understandings, led the Algers to believe Winchester was the place God was calling them.

In July of 1998, they moved to Winchester and began the ministry from their house. Structured as a cell church, with small groups as well as large group gatherings, Crossroads began with a core group of about 15 people, including several households who moved to Winchester to plant the church with them. After outgrowing the Alger home, we met in a local church on Sunday nights for a period of time, before moving to Saturday nights to accommodate more space. The church continued to meet and multiply the small groups during that time. In September of 1999, Crossroads began leasing the cafetorium at Daniel Morgan Middle School for Sunday worship and a year later acquired office space and weekly meeting rooms under the Red Apple Deli on Berryville Avenue. In February of 2006, Crossroads moved the church and office spaces to 1107 Berryville Avenue beside of Gold’s Gym while at the same time began renovations on a building within the same shopping center. Two years later, Crossroads moved into their newly renovated building located at 1147 Berryville Avenue where they are currently still meeting today.

The call to start Crossroads Community Church was not just to be a local church, but to connect with the larger body of Christ and to build relationships with our pastors, churches, and ministries throughout the region. This vision was brought to a new level in 2001 when the first annual Pastoral Prayer Summit was held with 17 pastors in attendance. Presently, area pastors pray together once a month and are involved in cooperative outreaches and 24/7 continuous prayer in being developed for the area. Pastors wives and women in ministry have also begun meeting once a month for prayer and mutual support.

In August of 2000, Crossroads leadership decided to pursue a partnership with DOVE Christian Fellowship International. They are a partnership of cell churches who connect around common shared values. DOVE gives apostolic oversight to Crossroads Community Church with a priority to connect with leaders monthly and be present in the congregation periodically. DOVE stands available as needed for insight, wisdom and crisis resolution for the elders of Crossroads. In addition, they provide various training seminars and workshops that build up the local church and their leadership and vision.

The present staff at Crossroads includes: one full-time pastor and one part-time office manager. God has blessed Crossroads with many quality leaders who invest their time in leading various vital ministries.