Long before the conception
of CrossVision in 1998, God had planted
a deep desire in the heart of Joe Lively, Mike Hymer,
Thomas Ivey and Glen Pierce. Their heart’s desire was
to take the experience that they had acquired over
several years of active involvement in short term
missions; their relationships with missionaries, pastors
and churches in other countries; and most of all, the
methods that Jesus Christ exemplified in Scripture and
form a ministry to churches and those desiring to do
short term missions.
CrossVision
incorporated in 1999 as a 501 C 3 nonprofit
organization to carry out the vision God had given to
these men.
In 2001
the founding director of CrossVision, Joe Lively,
stepped into the presence of our Heavenly Father. Even
though God had taken Joe home, the
vision God had for CrossVision lived on as Glen Pierce,
Mike Hymer and Dan Ross held their first CrossVision
mission training session with leaders from St. Andrews
Baptist Church in Panama City, Florida.
That December, one of
Joe’s and Cross Vision’s dreams became a reality as 38
people went on the first Family Christmas
mission trip to Acuna, Mexico
Over the next several
years CrossVision continued to grow, training 25-75
short term mission team leaders per year, partnering
alongside 4-6 new churches per year, and assisting in
12-16 mission trips per year.
In 2005, God had grown
CrossVision in such a powerful way it was time for a
full time ministry director. In
response to God’s call Glen Pierce
accepted that role.
Furthermore, in 2006 God
had grown the Christmas Family mission trip to such an
extent CrossVision relocated the family team
to work with Primera Iglesia Bautista in Piedras Negras,
Mexico.
2007 CrossVision had
expanded its works in Mexico leading to Glen Pierce
spending more than 22 weeks in Mexico developing new
works, training leaders and teams, and guiding partner
churches on short term missions.
Furthermore, in 2007 God
opened the door for CrossVision to partner Mexican and
American churches to begin planting new works in
the Black Heart of Mexico, an area of more than
six million people where virtually no new works had been
developed over the previous ten years.
This year of expansion
culminated in the formation of a sister
organization, CrossVision de Mexico, directed by Luis
Martinez.
By the end of 2008 the
CrossVision Christmas family mission team spread
across three cities and had over 350 team
members.
In October of 2009 God
planted a new work in the hearts of the directors of
CrossVision. This entailed expanding the vision of
reaching the Black Heart of Mexico through a church
planters training facility. This vision has developed
into the Barnabas project.
In association with
Primera Iglesia Bautista, CrossVision de Mexico and the
members of the Christmas family mission team CrossVision
constructed a five thousand square foot
dormitory and training facility for the Barnabas
project.
In January of 2010
CrossVision joined the Fellowship of Baptist
World Ministries, an association of mission
ministries working together to reach the world for
Christ.
2010 proved to be a
challenging year. The escalating violence in
Mexico brought about a decline in churches
willing to go and serve. However, the devastation
turned into people of desperation and the need for
workers was even greater than before. Adding to the
desperation the aftermath of Hurricane Alex left
hundreds of thousands of Mexican citizens displaced.
This allowed for CrossVision to join forces
with CrossVision de Mexico, International Mission board
(SBC) Disaster relief (SBCT) and First Baptist Church of
Del Rio, Texas, to face challenges and meet the needs of
people God had called us to serve.
By 2011 the Black Heart
work was firmly established and we had seen new works
planted in three of the six states. Once again in
October God opened another divine opportunity for
CrossVision to take a greater step of faith and join
with a Pastor Omar Rodriguez of Roca Fuerte Church and a
group of Baptist churches in Guadalajara, MX in a work
to reach the unreached peoples known as the Huichol
Indians. Planting the Gospel in a people who had no
concept of God, creation or sin leading to death and a
need for a savior has just begun. This work has carried
us as well as associated churches far deeper than we
could go in our own strength.
Today CrossVision
continues to assist churches in developing
transformational discipleship mission ministries, train
team leaders, provide crucial spiritual preparation
materials and guide them in sending short term
missionaries all over the world.