Our History

A Brief History, 1858-2021

The congregation now known as Cross Lanes United Methodist Church began in 1858 in a very rural community.  Their first building was on Big Tyler Road roughly where the late 1950’s addition to Cross Lanes Elementary School stands.  Through the years the Cross Lanes Church has been known by different names. Some name changes were occasioned by changes in the denominational name, some by changes in the actual given name of the church. It has had the current name, Cross Lanes United Methodist Church, since 1968 when the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church merged to form The United Methodist Church.

The congregation moved to its current location in July 1957. They used what is now the Fellowship Hall as a sanctuary from 1957 to 1966 when the current Sanctuary building was completed. The Education Building was completed in 1965. The “Family Life Center” (gym and associated classrooms) was completed in 2001. 

Cross Lanes United Methodist Church is organized the same way all United Methodist Churches are organized. In the United Methodist Church, and its predecessor denominations, pastors are appointed to a “Charge,” which may be a group of churches or a single church. For the first 90 years of its existence the Cross Lanes Congregation shared a pastor with 2 or 3 other congregations on one Charge.  In 1948 the Church at Cross Lanes became a single-point Charge, meaning the pastor was assigned only to the congregation at Cross Lanes.

Since at least the early 1930’s the Cross Lanes Congregation has been very involved in the greater Cross Lanes Community.  Members of the Church spearheaded the movement to secure better, more accessible telephone service in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s.  The Church has sponsored a Boy Scout Troop since 1948 and has hosted Girl Scout Troops for many years.  Cross Lanes United Methodist Church was one of the founders of Tyler Mountain/Cross Lanes Community Services, Inc in the 1980’s. Through the years the church has rented space to various community groups.

The Church invites people of all ages to learn about God. It provides opportunities for them to put faith into action through participation in programs such as mission trips, Vacation Bible School, Backpack Ministry, the Church Mouse Thrift Store, a community garden, a prayer shawl ministry, and special events.  There are units of United Methodist Men and United Methodist Women.  Music has long been an important part of worship at Cross Lanes.

As community needs change, Cross Lanes UMC has been flexible to adapt existing programs and to develop new programs to meet new challenges. The congregation strives to share God’s love with the local community.  At the same time the Cross Lanes Congregation has always been “connected” to a world-wide denomination, now known as The United Methodist Church. 

Our local church is a member of the West Virginia Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. The Bishop assigned to West Virginia confers with the local Staff Parish Relations Committee and with the Conference/District Superintendent to appoint a pastor to serve the congregation. The appointment is made each year and a pastor typically stays several years. Through participation in the activities of the Conference and world-wide United Methodism, Cross Lanes UMC helps spread the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

Compiled by J Charles Riecks and Alice Riecks, March 11, 2021