The History of Crossroads United Methodist Church

Crossroads United Methodist Church is the combined history of two old churches on the West Side of Columbus.
Gift Street United Methodist Church founded in 1840 and Burgess Avenue United Methodist Church founded in 1916.

Burgess Avenue United Methodist Church

Burgess Avenue began in December 1915 when land was purchased at the corner of Burgess and Sullivant Avenue.

By August 1916 a small frame church was erected on the site.


By 1920 the church had grown and the small white chapel was moved and ground was broken for beginnings of the current brick structure.

In 1942 the lot to the west was purchased and the parsonage was built next to the church. The beautiful pipe organ was purchased and installed in 1948 (Today the organ is being used by Parkview United Methodist Church).



On July 1, 1956 the ground was broken for the expansion of the church and a new Sanctuary was added to the original building. This was the last change to the building as it stands today.

Gift Street (Brookshire) United Methodist Church

Gift Street Church began in 1840 as a society on the Franklinton Circuit. They met in the home of Jacob Grubb on Green Street. Between 1840 and 1855 the Church met in an old Court House which was later used for a school at the site of what was then West Broad Street and Sandusky.

In 1856 Heath Chapel was built on West Broad Street about a block east of Gift Street.
While preparing to build a new church, a temporary tabernacle was constructed at the corner of Broad and Mill Streets in 1888.

In 1889, property was purchased on Gift Street and the following year a new Church building was completed.


With the growth of the southwest Columbus following World War II, and the commercialization of the Gift Street neighborhood, the congregation decided to relocate. Selling the Gift street church, the congregation worshipped at the West Mound Street School. A year later the Church was renamed Brookshire and moved to the new Binns Elementary School.

Land was purchased at the foot of Hague Avenue in the new Brookshire addition. A small structure was built on the corner of the property in 1959 to serve both as a church and as a parsonage.


The Fellowship Hall was added as well as a remodeled Sanctuary in 1974.
The Education wing was added in 1991.



In August 2001 the Brookshire and Burgess Avenue congregations joined together as one church.

After reviewing many suggestions the name Crossroads was selected for the newly merged church.

The Crossroads sanctuary was expanded again in 2009 to make room for God's children.

Parking is available on the South and North side of the church. Come join us for worship!