Crosspoint celebrates 75 years

Elmwood

Crosspoint Community Church, in the heart of the Munroe East neighbourhood, celebrated its 75th anniversary with a celebratory dinner on Sept. 27.

Established in 1950, Crosspoint is a non-denominational Christian congregation affiliated with the Church of God movement originating in Anderson, In. It aims to help strengthen the community in Munroe East. The congregation has been in its current location since 1960.

“The church started out in a few different locations in Winnipeg… they moved around a little bit in those early days. Until they decided to purchase the property that we are in today, which is at the corner of Marsden and Munroe. The committee of the church founding members actually helped to build that facility,” congregation member Garry Krushel said.

One of those founding members was Henry Dormer, who was 21 years old at the time and is still a member of the church 75 years later, at age 96.

In a video prepared by Crosspoint Community Church, Dormer said he started off as a member of a German Church of God congregation. When the pastor there resigned, he took 10 worshippers, including Dormer and some of his relatives, to start an English-speaking Church.

“I was always involved in some way or another,” Dormer said. “I was a Sunday School teacher; we met with children as well as adults. We had activities all the time in the church.”

Since 1960, the church facility has undergone numerous expansions and renovations. Munroe East used to be known as Sherwood Park, so the Church was previously named Sherwood Park Church of God. When the neighbourhood name fell out of use, the church rebranded to its current name of Crosspoint Community Church in 2010.

Pastor Shane Brothers said the Church is very involved in the community and operates a school breakfast program in partnership with St. Saviour’s Anglican Church at Sherwood School on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The congregation is also a Manitoba Harvest agent and operates a food bank every Tuesday evening from 6:30-7:45 pm for those who have pre-registered with Manitoba Harvest.

Brothers said the food bank has gotten attention and support from Munroe East residents who are not congregation members.

“It’s been a really great thing because they see what’s happening and know what we’re doing and they will bring over food supplies and cash in order to assist those that we’re helping,” Brothers said.