Jerry and his wife Jodi met in High School in California in 1958. Jerry was in the Navy from 1958 to 1962 and he married Jodi in 1960. Although Jerry was raised in the Episcopal Church, he began to question its teaching in his teens and early 20s. He did not believe in the biblical miracles or the precept that Jesus was the Son of God. Surely, Jesus was a great moral and spiritual leader, but not a savior or the Son of God. Over the years, his faith took root and he came to accept Jesus as his personal savior. As he puts it, "It's like a slowly cooking lobster where the pot gets warmer and warmer and the lobster never realizes he's being cooked until he is." Coming to the acceptance of Christ was such a process for him and it changed his life.
Jerry was employed by Digital Equipment Corporation and other computer telecommunication companies. He and his family spent their careers residing in California and New England. Over the years their family grew with the addition of four children, three daughters and one son. The daughters have all settled in New England while the son makes his home in California. He now has nine grandchildren.
A few years ago, Jerry and Jodi wanted a more significant impact from the church to enhance their spiritual lives. They wanted to separate themselves from the political struggles of their existing church and focus more on the teachings of the Bible. They looked for a younger, more vibrant and energetic community of Christians. Within that timeframe, they saw the sign for CrossWay and the construction of a new church. So when the church was completed, Jerry and Jodi checked it out.
CrossWay left a favorable impression for a number of reasons. They were impressed by the friendliness of the greeters. In the lobby, they were greeted by Bob Ledbetter, "who welcomed us to CrossWay and told us about Crossway in Five." It was amazing that he remembered and called us by name the following week. "Soon thereafter, we signed up for the Journey Seminar." They were also impressed by Pastor Ron's sermons which brought the message around to today's reality. And, they thoroughly enjoyed the enthusiastic praise music that "moved our hearts in song."
In January of 2009, Jerry Butler has had to deal with the adversity of losing his childhood sweetheart and wife after 49 years of marriage. Pastor Ron provided the memorial service. Jerry explains, "Pastor Ron was such a tremendous support during this trying period." "He was one of my friends who grabbed a corner of my mat (as in Mark 2:3-12) and he continues to help God heal my broken heart."
In appreciation, Jerry approached Ron and asked how he could be of service to the church. Ron has taken Jerry's unique skills into account. Jerry is now reviewing and documenting various church processes to improve our effectiveness in achieving our goals and objectives. Jerry also participates in the Career Network meetings by helping others who are seeking new jobs to document their resumes and help improve their interview skills.
While Jerry is still working in a consulting practice he is looking forward to turning more and more of his energy towards the Church. As Jerry puts it "I find much more fulfillment when I slow down the pace and enrich the content." For Jerry and many others, CrossWay can provide fertile soil for enrichment and growth.