THE CROSS CHURCH

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH WYLIE IS NOW THE CROSS CHURCH

PRESENTED BY THE CROSS CHURCH.

THE CROSS CHURCH has been impacting Wylie,surrounding towns, and places around the world for nearly 152 years. It began in 1870 when a small group of rural residents started a church called The Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church of Nickelville. The church became The Missionary Baptist Church of Wylie at the turn of the century, moving from Nickelville to its present location. Relocating to be near the railroad depot enabled the church to reach and serve more people in this emerging community of Collin County. The name was updated again in 1942 to become The First Baptist Church of Wylie, and in April 2022, First Baptist Church of Wylie became The Cross Church. While much has changed across the decades, from attire, to worship style, building improvements, location, and even name updates, the mission of The Cross Church remains the same – removing barriers to spread God’s fame by making disciples of all people.

The congregation believes God gave the church a new name because He is expanding their assignment. “In the last 17 years, this church has shifted from serving almost exclusively Wylie to becoming a regional church. People from at least four counties and over 30 cities attend worship services here every weekend,” said Dr. Kris Segrest (“Pastor Kris”), lead pastor of The Cross Church. “In fact, nearly half of the people who attend the church live in cities other than Wylie.” Perhaps most notable in the name update is the removal of the “Baptist” identifier. Pastor Kris said the decision to remove Baptist from the church name was made after reviewing research as well as direct feedback from church members and visitors who indicated negative connotations associated with the Baptist label, especially among non-churchgoers, kept themselves and/or people they invited from visiting the church.

Dr. Kris Segrest (“Pastor Kris”)

However, it is important to be clear that The Cross Church is not moving away from its Baptist roots. “We are not changing our doctrine,” Pastor Kris said. “Nor are we becoming a non-denominational church. But we have come to realize that denominations are man-made institutions and have become a barrier to some who might otherwise visit the church.” Pastor Kris said the church is not leaving the Southern Baptist Convention, and it will continue to invest in impactful mission efforts such as the Southern Baptist Convention’s Cooperative Program.

As the church launches into a new era of spreading God’s fame through The Cross Church, the updated name will be introduced to members and guests through a process of updating signage, publications, and other media. During the transition, you may see First Baptist Church Wylie or The Cross Church, or some combination of both names, across different elements for some time.

In addition to changing its name, the church will also be updating the front of its main building to better reflect the style of the church and to represent more clearly what the church is all about. “I often joke that our church building is like a mullet,” Pastor Kris said. “Business in the front and party in the back. But in all seriousness, our building is confusing when it comes to inviting people to experience who we really are on the inside.”

Pastor Kris went on to say that another deterrent to people coming to the church is the church’s architecture. The church has learned that architecture resembling institutions, like court houses, is intimidating and discourages some from entering the front door. “We heard words like ‘judgmental,’ and ‘dated,’ when we asked what people thought when they saw the front of the building,” said Pastor Kris. “Some even said it looked like an old church that isn’t open anymore. We want to make sure that people know the church is open and they are welcome here.”

Not only will the renovated front door better reflect what The Cross Church is all about, but it is also the next phase of a master plan that was considered and approved in 2016 after the steeple of the church was damaged by the hailstorm. Church leadership together with staff and church members who attended workshops assisted in the decision to incorporate a cross in the new design. The current target date for completing the building project is by the end of 2022.

“The Bible instructs us to boast in nothing except the cross of Jesus Christ,” Pastor Kris pointed out. “And so, our name and our building will now both prominently reflect that which we have been instructed to hold above all else. We hope that more people will now come and see who we are as a church and be introduced to Jesus.”

“We understand that over the 150-plus years that this church has been here,” Pastor Kris stated, “there have been people before us who have worked hard, faithfully served, and sacrificed to make sure that the church remained to serve this community and reach people for Christ. So, we recognize and are grateful to those who came before us. However, we also recognize that the best way to honor the past is to secure our future. We believe that what we’re doing here and now will ensure that this church remains a cornerstone of not just Wylie but all of Collin County and beyond to serve and reach people regardless of denomination or geography for generations not yet known.” •

Contemporary: Saturdays at 6 p.m. Sundays at 9:30 & 11 a.m.

Traditional: Sundays at 9:30 & 11 a.m. Spanish: Sundays at 11 a.m.

100 North First Street

Wylie, Texas 75098

972.442.2261

THECROSS.COM