Nearly a year ago, Randy Norris was driving with his son through the Ross Bridge residential development just north of Interstate 459 in Hoover when God gave him a vision. “I feel like God just whispered in my ear all morning long saying, ‘This is an area that needs a church,’” he said. The Church at Ross Bridge — which Norris now serves as pastor — was birthed out of his vision and the desire of Bessemer Baptist Association to reach the quickly developing area.
Ross Bridge has almost 2,000 residences being built in its first phase of development, according to Ed Cruce, director of missions for Bessemer Association. The Church at Ross Bridge, which held its first service Sept. 17 at Bessemer Academy, will provide a church for these new residents in their immediate area.
“This is an exciting project for us,” Cruce said. “This [church] start has already seen some successes.”
When Norris resigned from Union Hill Baptist Church, Bessemer, in Mud Creek Baptist Association, in May, he, his wife and their three children began meeting with four families on Wednesday nights at the Bessemer Association office.
This summer, the group — which became the church — baptized three of its members at Tannehill State Park in McCalla. It now numbers about 100 members. The Church at Ross Bridge has received support from its sister churches, as well as the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions and North American Mission Board, Norris said.
The church will be led in worship by Dwayne Moore, who formerly served as associate pastor for discipleship and evangelism at Brindlee Mountain Baptist Church, Laceys Spring, in Marshall Baptist Association. It will meet at the academy until it can find a place to meet within the Ross Bridge community, Norris said. For more information, visit the church’s Web site www.thechurchatrossbridge.org or call Bessemer Association at 205-428-2451.
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