Few articles that The Christian Chronicle published over the last year got more comments and more buzz than a report that the Mayfair Church of Christ in Oklahoma City is becoming part of Crossings Community Church, a 9,000-member multisite congregation with roots in the non-Pentecostal Church of God. Mayfair Church of Christ was once one of the "flagship" congregations in Oklahoma City, until it dwindled down to about 100 members and had to make a choice about its future. The story about Mayfair's decision to join Crossings Community Church stirred strong opinions from Christian Chronicle readers. In this episode, we interview the story's author, Cheryl Mann Bacon. We also hear from Jared Chambers, minister to the Mayfair Church of Christ, and Pastor Marty Grubbs of Crossings Community Church. And Mike O'Neal and Doug Peters of the Heritage 21 Foundation join us to talk about what congregations might do when they find themselves in circumstances similar to those of Mayfair Church of Christ. Segment One: Reporting the Mayfair Church of Christ story (Cheryl Mann Bacon) Link to Cheryl Mann Bacon’s Christian Chronicle report on the Mayfair Church of Christ becoming part of Crossings Community Church Segment Two: The story in their own words (Jared Chambers, Mayfair Church of Christ; Pastor Marty Grubbs, Crossings Community Church) Link to Crossings Community Church Link to Mayfair Church of Christ (new Crossings Community Church Mayfair) Segment Three: What to do when your congregation faces endings and new beginnings (Mike O’Neal and Doug Peters, Heritage 21 Foundation) Link to Heritage 21 Foundation Contact Heritage 21 Foundation executive director Doug Peters at doug@heritage21.org Link to Siburt Institute for Church Ministry at Abilene Christian University Link to Hope Network Ministries Link to At the Blue Hole: Elegy for a Church on the Edge by Jack Reese View the full archive of stories at christianchronicle.org Donate to The Christian Chronicle at christianchronicle.org/donate Send comments, ideas, and questions to podcast@christianchronicle.org TAGS Mayfair Church of Christ, Crossings Community Church, Crossings Community Church Mayfair, dying churches, shrinking churches, membership decline, church building, church merger, Church of God, Wesleyan, doctrine, church sale, closing churches, discernment, neighborhood, vision, outreach, evangelism, community, service, neighbors, Heritage 21 Foundation, Siburt Institute, Abilene Christian University, Hope Network Ministries, At the Blue Hole, Jack Reese, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Jared Chambers, Marty Grubbs, Doug Peters, Mike O’Neal, Cheryl Mann Bacon, Bobby Ross, Jr., BT Irwin
