Crossroads names Phil Heller new lead pastor months after Patrick Garcia firing

By Samuel Smith, Deputy Managing Editor Friday, April 26, 2019

Crossroads Christian Church in Indiana has named a new lead pastor months after the ousting of the megachurch’s former Pastor Patrick Garcia and the departure of other pastors who established a new church.

Phil Heller has been named the new lead pastor of the nondenominational church near Evansville, the church announced Thursday via Facebook.

Heller was recommended by a lead pastor search team and was affirmed by church elders. A vote of affirmation among church members is upcoming. Heller will begin preaching at the church this weekend and will continue with the congregation’s “Jesus People” series.

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Heller served for over a decade as the executive pastor at White River Christian Church in Noblesville, about three hours north of Evansville. 

He previously served on staff at Crossroads as the student ministries pastor and high school pastor between 1996–2002. He has a bachelor's degree in specialized ministries from Kentucky Christian University and is near completing a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Indiana Wesleyan University.

“We became convinced that his previous experience with us gives him a completely unique passion and love for our church family,” the church expressed in its Facebook post. “At the same time, we recognized that Phil’s leadership qualities and preaching capacity grew to an exceptional level as the executive pastor, for 13 years, at White River Christian Church, a large church in Noblesville, Indiana. He has been uniquely prepared to be the lead pastor at Crossroads.”

The church said the decision was made after thousands of hours were spent reviewing resumes and sermons as well as conducting several rounds of interviews

The church’s statement outlines what is required in the lead pastor’s role. 

“This person serves with genuine humility, is committed to seeing the Gospel reach people and transform our community and the world, and leads from a Kingdom mindset,” the statement explains. “In addition to preaching capability, our goal was to find someone who is accessible, relational, hard-working and has a shepherd’s heart.”

According to Heller’s biography page, he grew up in a pastor’s family and also married a pastor’s daughter.

“God’s call to ministry came early in his life and he loves being part of what God is doing in the world,” the website explains.

In August, Garcia was let go by Crossroads elders and accused of being an inexperienced leader who wanted “complete control.” 

In the days after, hundreds called for his reinstatement.

In the wake of Garcia’s departure, other Crossroads ministry leaders resigned. Former leaders who were either ousted or resigned from Crossroads launched a new church called The Hills in Evansville last September.

"We are not doing this out of hate, we are not doing this out of hurt or emotion but out of a strong conviction that we were called to Evansville and that calling has not changed," church’s Executive Pastor Darryl Marin explained at the time.

In October, Garcia was named lead pastor at The Hills.

Garcia told The Christian Post at the time that “philosophical differences” were really at the “heart” of his ousting from Crossroads.

“When you see Paul and Barnabas parting ways in Scripture, the Gospel continued to advance because Paul could be who he was and Barnabas could be who he was,” Garcia explained.  

“Barnabas was very much an encourager. He was someone who was maybe more emotionally driven and was more sensitive to the people's needs. Whereas Paul, he had some of that but his focus and purpose was different and that was an aggressive mission to turn the world upside down for Jesus Christ.”