Fairview Baptist Church had been part of Hillsborough for decades, but by 2022, its future was uncertain. Across town, Crosslink Church Mebane sensed God calling them to plant again. Humility and a willingness to prioritize God’s kingdom would reach hundreds in their community.

In less than 18 months, Crosslink Church Hillsborough has baptized more than 40 people, grown to more than 400 in Sunday attendance, and transformed a community outreach ministry that now serves about 150 people every month. 

“King’s Closet has been a big part of being able to meet real needs of people in our community,” said Crosslink pastor Jacob Griffin.

The King’s Closet started as a ministry to provide clothes to individuals and families in need. It has done that – and built gospel connections, encouraging recipients to see their spiritual need and know the hope found in Jesus.

Over the last year, relationships built through King’s Closet have led to multiple baptisms. Now, people who once were served by the ministry are giving back, volunteering their own time to meet their neighbors’ needs. 

But the legacy of King’s Closet began long before Crosslink was planted in Hillsborough. For 15 years, dedicated members of Fairview Baptist Church sustained its operations. Fairview was an established presence in Hillsborough for decades. But it faced familiar challenges as members aged, adult children moved away, and engagement declined during the COVID-19 pandemic. By 2022, Sunday attendance had dwindled to about 20 people.

In a nearby town, Crosslink Mebane, a church planted 20 years ago, sensed God calling them to plant again. Some members were commuting long distances to Mebane, making it a challenge to find practical ways to be involved. The growing area of Hillsborough needed more gospel churches.

They sent Griffin, a church planting resident, along with a team of 125 to plant Crosslink Church Hillsborough. The church plant began meeting at Fairview’s facility in April 2025.

Fairview was undergoing a revitalization process, working with consultants and coaches from North Carolina Baptists’ revitalization team. The church had opened their campus as meeting spaces to community groups like Girl Scouts and a women’s A.A. 

When Crosslink started gathering at their facility at 9 a.m. on Sundays, some members offered to stay to assist with Fairview’s sound system and record their 11 a.m. service.

Soon, with counsel from consultants, the partnership between the two churches prompted discussions about a potential merger. 

Reaching a community together

Mark Gray serves as a legacy consultant with North Carolina Baptists’ church revitalization ministry. He met regularly with Fairview leaders and walked them through assessments and pathways toward church health. 

“Each of these two churches brought something significant to the table,” Gray said. “Fairview had a sizable worship center and facility underutilized. The new Crosslink Hillsborough brought fresh vision, energy and additional volunteers to the missionary task at hand.”

As expected in most merger conversations, some Fairview members expressed concerns around the possibility that Fairview’s history and legacy would be erased. 

But those concerns eased as both churches had gracious, one-on-one conversations, as Fairview members were encouraged and invited to lead, and as both churches witnessed God at work. 

“Crosslink Hillsborough was privileged to utilize shared space for their small groups at Fairview Church, which provided an opportunity to build trust and relationships with one another,” said Gray.

“The members that remained at Fairview were very committed to the community around their church who needed the gospel. Rather than looking only at their past as in a rearview mirror, the dedicated members were willing to look forward through a larger windshield to the preferred future that God had in mind.”

Josh Cox, Crosslink’s executive pastor, credited Griffin’s “patience and deference” toward Fairview as a “breath of fresh air.”

Griffin yielded to Fairview’s interim leadership and took care not to rush or sway decisions. He “showed loving respect for the remaining dedicated members of Fairview Baptist Church, honoring their rich legacy which had begun in the 1950s,” said Gray. 

Crosslink Mebane’s investment was also crucial to the process. By sending Griffin alongside a launch team of 125 committed members, they provided support for a unified vision and the capacity to breathe life into it. They also contributed established ministries: a finance team, elder leadership, a children’s ministry and a worship team.

But it was a baptism service that proved to be pivotal in the agreement to merge. In June 2025, Crosslink had their first baptism Sunday. A 19-year-old, a married couple in their 20s, and an 83-year-old woman came forward to follow Jesus. 

“If you reach people, if the gospel is central to what you’re doing, people can overcome a whole lot of obstacles when they see people getting baptized,” said Cox.

In August, the two churches started having joint services. They officially merged in January 2026. 

“What Jesus is doing here has nothing to do with Fairview Baptist Church or Crosslink Church Hillsborough. It has to do with His kingdom,” Griffin said. “We both felt that way, so I think that’s why we were able to put our differences aside and make Jesus the priority.”

One of Fairview’s leaders called it “simple God math.” After serving on pastor search committees and helping lead Fairview through revitalization, he now serves as a deacon with Crosslink. Another member who was part of Fairview now leads the Crosslink’s hospitality ministry, and is organizing a team to serve public schools as they prepare for another school year this fall. 

What once was a group of three volunteers serving 40 people through King’s Closet is now a team of 12 serving 150. Having more people involved has freed volunteers up to engage people in conversation and pray with them instead of focusing on sorting donations. 

The deacon who stayed from Fairview said it amazes him to look across the congregation and see young adults with their Bibles open, taking notes – and to see almost 100 children in the kids ministry, when they previously had to close it because it wasn’t needed.

“You get all these different stories of how God created this tapestry of things that just fit together,” he said.

Across North Carolina, many churches face similar challenges that can be opportunities for partnership and gospel advancement. Through N.C. Baptists’ revitalization ministry, pastors and church leaders can assess their current reality, envision a future of making disciples and work toward reaching their communities with the gospel. Learn more at ncbaptist.org/revitalize.

By Liz Tablazon, N.C. Baptist Contributing Writer