Cross Roads Presbyterian church in Monroeville celebrates people, community
Cross Roads Presbyterian will celebrate 50 years of worship at its Haymaker Road church in Monroeville during a special service Sunday.
The 10 a.m. service will feature a sermon by the Rev. Sheldon Sorge, general minister to the Pittsburgh presbytery — “Past, Present and Future.” That's the same title and preaching from the same Biblical passages used in the first sermon given when the building opened.
“We're trying to keep something constant from then to move into the next 50 years,” said the Rev. Rob Marrow, the church's leader for almost 10 years. “It was an exciting time in 1967 and an exciting time now.”
The pastor credits the church's staying power to the congregation's desire to stay connected to everyday people.
“The church is all about the people, and we strive to be a part of and an asset to the community,” he said.
Membership at the church is about 400, and it has a preschool and food pantry, offers teen, young adult and senior programming, and lets Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts use its space, the pastor said.
“There are a lot of people out there who have connected with Cross Roads at some point in time, whether they were a part of the congregation or part of the food pantry,” said Jim Brown, a trustee and anniversary committee member. “We're extending an invitation to anyone and everyone.”
The church's first service on Haymaker Road was conducted on March 12, 1967. The church began in 1834 on the corner of Northern Pike and Center Road in a small stone building.
That building was torn down in the 1890s, and the stone was used in the construction of the “Old Stone Church” on Stroschein Road, where services were held until 1958.
At that time, a church was built on Mosside Boulevard at the current site of the Holiday Inn. They sold the site nine years later to the hotel chain.
“Monroeville was growing rapidly and so were the property values. Holiday Inn made an offer the church wouldn't refuse,” Brown said.
The church has been active locally and abroad throughout its long history. It has been involved in international ministries, sending missionaries to the Bahamas in February and supporting a church in the Republic of Malawi in Africa.
Brown said the congregation is looking forward to celebrating its continuity at the anniversary service.
“Cross Roads' history and Monroeville history go hand-in-hand. We've been here from the beginning,” Brown said. “This is a reunion as much as an anniversary.”
Samson X Horne is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 412-871-2125 or shorne@tribweb.com.
