Dear Cross City Family,

About 15 years ago, we launched a new ministry to reach the many Spanish-speaking people around us. Three years ago, Chuy Avila joined our team as pastor of Cross City Español, and I’ve loved serving with him. When we brought him on, we knew he was in the later years of his ministry, and he informed me a few weeks ago that he plans to step into retirement starting on July 31. Below is a letter sharing his heart and his plans for what’s next.

Church Family,

Life offers you stages, and each stage brings its own blessings. In my 42 years of ministry, I have experienced many blessings, but nothing compares to my time here at Cross City. My wife and I have served for three years leading Cross City Español, and it has been a time of great experiences and blessings.

After spending some time in prayer, we have decided to take our retirement early. Our children, grandchildren, and relatives are in Tennessee, and we are missing out on enjoying our grandchildren and seeing them grow up. It has been an extremely difficult decision because Cross City has been very special for us. What we’ve enjoyed the most is watching the members grow, mature, and assume ministerial leadership. After three years, I retire with the satisfaction of knowing that God used us to develop the church and prepare it for growth. We will truly miss this family, but we leave with the conviction that Jesus Christ is the Lord of the Church, and we were a part of transforming our community with the power of the gospel.

Pastor Chuy Avila

Chuy has been a consistent, strategic, and innovative leader, and it’s been an honor to have him on the team. One of his strongest skills is leadership development, and he’s built a team that can help move us forward. Because of his leadership, I’m confident we’ll remain effective as we search for the next Pastor. Join me in thanking God for Chuy and in praying that the Lord will lead us to the next leader for this crucial ministry.

John Meador
Lead Pastor