In 1908 Crosspointe Church was born as Salem Congregational Church, a German language only church established by Volga Germans who had originally moved to Russia but who then fled Russian persecution to America and settled in the Fresno area as grape farmers. They established their church as part of the German Congregational Church, in association with five other German churches in the Central Valley. They named it Salem after the Hebrew word for peace. 

Salem was originally located on the Southeast corner of North Ave and Thompson Ave in Sanger. In 1917 a new sanctuary was built at a new location just up the road and around the corner. Eventually the church was transitioned into English language services in 1945. In 1969 the church changed denominations from German Congregational to Evangelical Free and became known as Salem Evangelical Free Church, or Salem Free. Then in 2010, the church voted to change their name from Salem to Crosspointe. 

Today Crosspointe still meets in the same sanctuary built by those German grape farmers way back in 1917. And some of Crosspointe's members are direct descendants of those same founding families. Crosspointe has deep roots not only in the Sanger community, but in the rich history of the German farmers who originally settled here over a century ago. The grape leaf in the Crosspointe logo is in recognition of that history, and in gratitude for the legacy we inherit from them.

Title Picture
May 1, 1938
Yearly convention taken at Salem Church under Rev. August Claus