Crossroads Church gathers on South Bear Creek Road in West Asheville, in a building that still carries the older name West Asheville Assembly on its signage. The congregation has grown and changed since those early days, but the heart of the church remains the same: Love God, Love People. Senior Pastor Mike Brown, who has led the church since 1984, preaches in a conversational style rooted in his mountain heritage, and the church describes itself as a family that believes in stepping outside its walls to show the love of Jesus to the city and the world.
The church belongs to the Assemblies of God fellowship. Pastor Mike and his wife Debbie attended Rhema Bible Training College and are licensed Assemblies of God ministers, and Crossroads points to the Assemblies of God Statement of Fundamental Truths as a summary of its doctrine. The church exists to help people find hope and purpose through the salvation of Jesus Christ and obedience to the word of God.
A Blended Sunday Gathering
Crossroads meets for one main worship service each Sunday at 11:00 am, and the congregation describes its music as a blended worship service. The goal is to focus hearts and minds around God's word and love for others. Services are held in the Sanctuary on the South Bear Creek Road campus.
For families with children, the morning actually begins earlier. Adult and teen Sunday school classes meet at 9:30 am, and Crossroads Kids programming is offered during both the 9:30 am and 11:00 am hours for children from age 3 through eighth grade. Arriving 15 to 20 minutes ahead of time gives families room for childcare check-in and a stop at the church's coffee shop before heading into the service.
Services are livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, and a sermon archive is available so that members who are traveling or homebound can still gather virtually.
Pastor Mike and Debbie Brown
Senior Pastor Mike Brown first walked through the doors of Crossroads as a young man of 24 in 1984, when the church was still known as West Asheville Assembly. He and his wife Debbie met in high school, and both of them sensed a call to full-time ministry even before they were married. Together they have served in ministry since 1982, and Pastor Mike has been at Crossroads ever since his arrival in 1984.
Pastor Mike's preaching style is practical, energetic, inspirational, and insightful, with messages that are often conversational, illustrative, and humorous. His heart is to love God's people as a shepherd and to lead each person into God's highest purpose for their lives. He attended Mars Hill College, Rhema Bible Training Center, and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and was recently awarded a doctorate from Gordon-Conwell in family and marriage counseling.
The Browns have two grown children: Matthew, who lives in Asheville, and Lindsey and her husband Cole, who live in San Francisco.
What Crossroads Believes
Six values shape the life of the church together. First, proclaiming the Gospel by presenting Jesus Christ as Lord in a way that is relevant to today's needs. Second, teaching the Word, treating the Bible as the divinely inspired Word of God and the standard for faith and conduct. Third, promoting evangelism through dynamic personal witness, community outreach, and global missions. Fourth, modeling stewardship of time, talent, and money as gifts from God's hand. Fifth, praying effectively and fervently, both personally and as a congregation. Sixth, restoring people through God's love, encouraging people to yield to the Holy Spirit and bringing God's love and restorative power to those who have been spiritually wounded.
For a fuller doctrinal statement, Crossroads aligns with the Assemblies of God Statement of Fundamental Truths.
Crossroads Kids
The children's ministry is led by Children's Pastor Gail Atkinson, whose heart is to reach every boy and girl possible with the salvation message of Jesus Christ. The ministry aims to train children to be skillful in the Word of God, anointed and empowered by the Holy Spirit, helping them find and develop their call and purpose in the Body of Christ. The church's conviction is that there is nothing more important than laying a strong and firm foundation of biblical and spiritual truth in a child's life, and that every child should always feel unconditionally loved, accepted, and welcomed.
Crossroads Kids programming is offered to all children from age 3 through eighth grade and runs during both the 9:30 am and 11:00 am Sunday services. The program is described as action-packed and features lively praise and worship, puppets, comedy, illustrated object lessons, scripture memorization, games, and age-appropriate teaching. A separate Preschool and Kindergarten class is designed for energetic 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds, with interactive Bible stories and activities that adapt to each child's learning style.
Families are encouraged to arrive a few minutes early for childcare check-in and to grab a cup of coffee at the church's coffee shop.
One Youth
The youth ministry at Crossroads is called One Youth, and it meets on Thursdays at 6:00 pm. The group's name reflects three words that shape its ministry: Love, Worship, and Serve. Pastor Jared Allen and a team of skilled volunteers lead the high-energy gatherings, where students hear the message of Jesus while building relationships with one another.
One Youth is built around three priorities: loving God, loving people, and doing life together. The aim is to help students realize how amazing Jesus is, to create a life-giving and fun atmosphere, and to build community. Students can expect to hear clearly what it means to follow Jesus, surrounded by friends and adult volunteers who care about them.
Small Groups, Classes, and Bible Studies
Real change happens in the context of relationship. Crossroads offers connect groups, classes, and prayer groups for people of all ages, interests, and stages of life. Groups meet on a regular basis so that members can connect with others who share their interests or who have experience in an area where they would like coaching. They are also a place where the church prays, cares for one another, and notices when someone is missing.
A weekly rhythm of Bible studies and prayer gatherings fills out the calendar beyond Sunday morning:
- Read to Lead Bible Study, Tuesday mornings at 7:00 am
- Walking with Jesus Bible Study, Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am in Room 109
- New Testament Bible Study on Ephesians, Thursday evenings at 7:00 pm in Room 110
- Intercessory Prayer in the Sanctuary, Thursday evenings at 6:00 pm
- First Fruits Prayer, an online-only prayer gathering, Saturday mornings at 9:00 am
- Girl's Ministries and Royal Rangers for children, Thursday evenings at 6:30 pm
Thrive Women's Group meets monthly on Monday evenings at 6:30 pm, a Young Adults gathering meets in Room 107 on Monday evenings at 6:30 pm, and the men's breakfast gathers monthly on Saturday mornings at 9:00 am. Intercessors Prayer also meets on the first Sunday evening of each month.
Missions Around the World
Crossroads supports over 55 missionaries around the world who are sharing the Gospel of Jesus through every available means. The missions ministry is built on the conviction that the church's reach should extend well beyond its own city, and the church invites its members to pray for, give to, and connect with the missionaries it partners with.
Reaching the Local Community
Locally, the church's outreach ministry is best known for its Feed the Hungry program, which takes place on the 2nd and 5th Saturdays of every month. Members of the congregation come together to prepare nourishing meals with care and compassion, and the meals are then personally delivered to homeless individuals in Asheville. The program is more than a food ministry; it is also a way to build relationships and to share warmth, kindness, and a sense of community with neighbors who are often overlooked.
Crossroads has also been active in Hurricane Helene recovery work following the storm's impact on Western North Carolina. Volunteers from Crossroads Assembly, along with many others from the wider community, have poured out time, energy, and donations to help restore the church's own building and property, and to support distribution, relief, and rebuilding efforts across the region.
Sister Churches
Crossroads counts two sister churches among its closest ministry partners. Destiny Church and Genesis AVL Church in the Asheville area share values and a working relationship with the Crossroads leadership, and visitors who are looking for a similar congregation in another part of the region are often pointed to one of these partner churches.
Getting Connected
The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, and the office is reachable by phone at 828-254-5519 or by email at info@crossroadsag.org. Visitors who want to stop by in person will find the church at 20 South Bear Creek Road in Asheville, North Carolina.
The Realm Connect app, available for both iPhone and Android, is the easiest way to stay in touch with the church community. Through the app, members can register for events, follow the church calendar, give, and connect with one another. Giving is also available online through Realm and by texting CCGIVE and any amount to 73256.
Crossroads maintains an active presence on Facebook, X, YouTube, and Instagram, where Sunday services are livestreamed and sermon archives are posted. The church's online materials are available in English, with machine translations of its pages in several other languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Ukrainian, and Romanian.