{"id":348969,"date":"2026-07-22T20:05:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T20:05:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/348969\/"},"modified":"2026-07-22T20:05:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T20:05:08","slug":"crossover-shows-the-value-of-cooperation-for-one-orlando-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/348969\/","title":{"rendered":"Crossover shows the value of cooperation for one Orlando church"},"content":{"rendered":"

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ORLANDO \u2013 As the shepherd of a predominantly Black church in West Orlando, being a part of Crossover 2026 was about building bridges, said Pastor Alvin White.<\/p>\n

\"\"Brandon Elrod (left), public relations consultant for the North American Mission Board, visits with Pastor Alvin White (right) and Andrew Plooard, associate pastor of Greater Trinity, during the church\u2019s Crossover community outreach event Saturday, June 6. Photo by Robin Cornetet<\/p>\n

Greater Trinity Baptist Fellowship was one of dozens of Southern Baptist churches participating in Crossover Orlando \u2013 a series of evangelistic outreach events across Central Florida in conjunction with the 2026 Southern Baptist Convention.<\/p>\n

One bridge links the church to its community; one to its sister churches in the SBC. Near the foundation of one bridge lay the bricks of discipleship where White has shown new believers at Greater Trinity what it looks like to follow Christ.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany of the people you see serving at this event were not churched 17 years ago and have only come to Christ in the past 12 to 13 years. They are still learning what church is all about,\u201d White said.<\/p>\n

On Saturday morning, June 6, being the church for members at Greater Trinity meant rising early to set up canopies, organize tables and sort boxes of giveaway items for the community. The items included an assortment of donated goods such as windshield wipers, comforters, diapers, kiddie pools and ceiling fans. Through additional partnerships, guests could also receive dental checkups and participate in a blood drive.<\/p>\n

\"\"About 100 people attended a Crossover community outreach event on Saturday, June 6, at Greater Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in West Orlando. The church gave out free household items, clothing and more. Photo by Robin Cornetet<\/p>\n

The church serves a community where many families face ongoing financial challenges \u2013 people like Dreka Mitchell, who came to Saturday\u2019s giveaway event with her two daughters.<\/p>\n

\u201cLiving is hard, especially as a single parent. You can\u2019t make it on one job,\u201d Mitchell said, and expressed gratefulness for the church\u2019s kindness.<\/p>\n

Church member Angelia Barnes said the outreach reflects a simple goal of care and presence.<\/p>\n

White said he\u2019s seen the level of compassion among his congregation grow as they serve.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has been hugely a discipleship venture, and to see the Lord working in this arena is just a blessing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is showing that we care about them \u2026 that they have someone in the community that they can go to for help,\u201d Barnes said. \u201cWe want to show them love and show that we\u2019re your neighbors and we\u2019re here for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"A woman selects new clothing items made available by Greater Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in West Orlando during the church\u2019s Crossover outreach event June 6. Photo by Robin Cornetet<\/p>\n

Loretta Cooper said that kind of ministry requires patience and faithfulness.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like He tells us. You plant the seed and I water it \u2026 that\u2019s all we are doing is planting the seed,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The other bridge under construction involves strengthening relationships between Greater Trinity and the broader mission of the Southern Baptist Convention through partnerships like Crossover.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have 110 churches in the Greater Orlando Baptist Association, and they are one of our few African American churches,\u201d said Associational Mission Strategist Joel Breidenbaugh.<\/p>\n

Over recent years, Breidenbaugh said greater emphasis has been placed on planting ethnic churches, and he knows of only one Black church plant scheduled for launch next year. GOBA serves about two dozen Haitian and Hispanic churches.<\/p>\n

\"\"Alvin White (right), pastor of Greater Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in West Orlando, donates blood during the church\u2019s Crossover community outreach event on Saturday, June 6. Assisting him is phlebotomist Nick Battle of Kissimmee. Photo by Robin Cornetet<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen African American congregations come on board, they can have greater resources and greater impact because of our Convention size,\u201d Breidenbaugh said.<\/p>\n

Greater Trinity celebrated its 17th anniversary as a church plant on Saturday. The decision to affiliate with the Southern Baptist Convention happened more recently.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have been a member of the Southern Baptists on paper, but never a member like today,\u201d White said.<\/p>\n

By serving alongside other Southern Baptist churches, Greater Trinity is beginning to see its role in a larger, cooperative effort to reach the city, he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t sleep well last night just with anticipation as to what this can do,\u201d he said the day of Crossover.<\/p>\n

Becoming part of the SBC was not without difficulty. White said several members were unhappy when the church aligned with the denomination, but he remained committed to a shared theological foundation.<\/p>\n

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\u201cCrossover is actually a new word for our vocabulary,\u201d he said, adding that the experience helped his congregation understand the SBC is more than an annual meeting. It is a shared mission.<\/p>\n

That connection was evident throughout the day. While White was donating blood, Crossover volunteers were inside the church praying with visitors, a moment he said had never happened in the church\u2019s 17-year history.<\/p>\n

Brandon Elrod, of the North American Mission Board, said Crossover is one of the most visible expressions of Southern Baptist cooperation tied to the annual meeting.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnytime we do Crossover, it typically crosses over all sorts of ethnic boundaries in terms of who all gets involved,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the most cooperative things we do. Southern Baptists coming together to try to proclaim the Gospel.\u201d<\/p>\n

Greater Trinity partnered with Faith Development Corporation, an Orlando-based organization that helps facilitate community outreach efforts, including the distribution of essential items to families in need.<\/p>\n

The church helped nearly 100 Orlando residents.<\/p>\n

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