[1]ORLANDO – 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.
Greater Trinity Baptist Fellowship was one of dozens of Southern Baptist churches participating in Crossover Orlando – a series of evangelistic outreach events across Central Florida in conjunction with the 2026 Southern Baptist Convention.
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.
“Many 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,” White said.
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.
The church serves a community where many families face ongoing financial challenges – people like Dreka Mitchell, who came to Saturday’s giveaway event with her two daughters.
“Living is hard, especially as a single parent. You can’t make it on one job,” Mitchell said, and expressed gratefulness for the church’s kindness.
Church member Angelia Barnes said the outreach reflects a simple goal of care and presence.
White said he’s seen the level of compassion among his congregation grow as they serve.
“It has been hugely a discipleship venture, and to see the Lord working in this arena is just a blessing,” he said.
“It is showing that we care about them … that they have someone in the community that they can go to for help,” Barnes said. “We want to show them love and show that we’re your neighbors and we’re here for you.”
Loretta Cooper said that kind of ministry requires patience and faithfulness.
“It’s like He tells us. You plant the seed and I water it … that’s all we are doing is planting the seed,” she said.
The other bridge under construction involves strengthening relationships between Greater Trinity and the broader mission of the Southern Baptist Convention through partnerships like Crossover.
“We have 110 churches in the Greater Orlando Baptist Association, and they are one of our few African American churches,” said Associational Mission Strategist Joel Breidenbaugh.
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.
“When African American congregations come on board, they can have greater resources and greater impact because of our Convention size,” Breidenbaugh said.
Greater Trinity celebrated its 17th anniversary as a church plant on Saturday. The decision to affiliate with the Southern Baptist Convention happened more recently.
“We have been a member of the Southern Baptists on paper, but never a member like today,” White said.
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.
“I couldn’t sleep well last night just with anticipation as to what this can do,” he said the day of Crossover.
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.
“Crossover is actually a new word for our vocabulary,” he said, adding that the experience helped his congregation understand the SBC is more than an annual meeting. It is a shared mission.
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’s 17-year history.
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.
“Anytime we do Crossover, it typically crosses over all sorts of ethnic boundaries in terms of who all gets involved,” he said. “It’s one of the most cooperative things we do. Southern Baptists coming together to try to proclaim the Gospel.”
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.
The church helped nearly 100 Orlando residents.
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