Church History

Win the Lost at Any Cost!

The Holy Spirit gave our Church’s founder, the late Dr. James A. Drysdale, a burden for lost souls and a vision for establishing a “Spiritual Hospital”, a place where Christians of varying denominations, despite their differences, could come together and worship, focusing on what they have in common---their love of God and their love one for the other. The Spirit also impressed on Dr. Drysdale the necessity of establishing a compassionate Church, a Church that would strive to assure that all who entered its doors would leave in better condition than when they arrived! In 1972, after much fasting and prayer, Dr. Drysdale was obedient to these divine leadings of the Holy Spirit and he founded our Church by the name given to him by the Spirit, The Cathedral at the Crossroads Church. After renting for seven years at the Mizpah Temple Church on New Halls Ferry Road, God then moved upon the congregation to purchase this present building. The late Dr. Drysdale, and his late wife, First Lady Darlene Drysdale, were very effective during the tenure of their ministry. Especially successful were they in teaching us to be strong in our belief, teaching us how to stand and know Christ, teaching us how to be filled with the Holy Spirit for guidance, and especially, by example, showing us how to live Holy. Dr. Drysdale also, because of his Holy Ghost inspired teaching, laid a strong foundation for several past members to go on to become Pastors of area Churches. In 1999 the Drysdale’s retired and moved to Florida. Rev. William McClendon, Asst. Pastor, answered the call as Pastor to shepherd our congregation until his health failed in 2000. In 2000,

Rev. Carol L. Scott, Asst. Pastor, stepped up to the altar and picked up the baton to continue the vision as Interim Pastor until 2007. After seven successful and productive years as Interim Pastor, the Lord impressed upon Rev. Scott that it was time to pass the baton again. She and the congregation prayed that the Lord would send us a Pastor led by the Holy Spirit, a Pastor to effectively preach and teach the Gospel, a Pastor with a vision and one with leadership and organizational skills to promote growth in our Church. He should be a “people’s person,” committed to outreach, as well as sharing in the full-time administration, leadership, and nurturing of our ministry. Our prayers came to life when Rev. Erick F. Bland answered the call in 2007 to shepherd our congregation and direct us by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. So far during his tenure, Rev. Bland has been instrumental in increasing our membership through his enlightened teaching and preaching. He also established a Deacon's & Deaconess' Board, a Mother's Board, and helped reorganize our Sunday School Department.

First Lady LaVerne Bland has organized periodic Clothing Give-A-Ways, produced and directed the annual Women of the Bible presentations, and she has instructed members and others in the art of ASL (American Sign Language). Both Pastor Bland and First Lady LaVerne Bland together, have guided the congregation to engage in more fellowshipping and worshiping opportunities with other Churches.

Just as our Church founder, Dr. James Drysdale acted upon his God given vision, so our current Pastor, Rev. Erick F. Bland, also has a Holy Ghost inspired vision---a vision to use the lessons learned from our Church’s blessed past, to assure, with God’s help, that The Cathedral at the Crossroads Church enjoy an even more blessed and soul winning future! The legacy of the “Spiritual Hospital” lives on, and there are great things ahead for us, as we work TOGETHER for Jesus, until He comes again!