MILLINGTON, Tenn. — The Crosspointe Baptist Church has grown from 200 to 1,700 in six years, according to Baptist Press.

The church recently outgrew a new $10 million facility opened in August of last year. They offer three Sunday School times and two morning worship services to accommodate the crowds.

"It's phenomenal," said Jason Dupree, who joined the church in 1976. "Nobody wants to miss church because they're afraid they'll miss something."

Another member, Jimmy Ray, joined Crosspointe four years ago.

"We have someone who's saved every church service we have," Ray said. "It kind of makes you hungry."

While calling Steve Flockhart one of the greatest pastors in America, Dupree noted, "But he's not that good. It's God."

But staff members also see Flockhart's passion for evangelism as a key ingredient in the explosive growth of the suburban Memphis congregation.

As a member of the pastor search committee, Dupree watched with interest as Flockhart witnessed to their restaurant server when they took the candidate to dinner. That practice continues today, Dupree said.

"I've never gone anywhere where he didn't spend time witnessing," said Dupree.

"If I called my pastor right now and said I have a buddy in the hospital who isn't saved, he would go with me to make sure."

Flockhart said he was a 20-year-old mess who had been into drugs, alcohol and in jail when he went to hear evangelist Freddie Gage preach at a revival sponsored by Longleaf Baptist Church in Wilmington, N.C.

The Sunday after accepting Jesus as his Savior and Lord, Flockhart was baptized at Longleaf by Johnny Hunt, now pastor of First Baptist Church of Woodstock, Ga.

"My personal driving passion is I know what it is to be lost," said Flockhart, now 39. "I know what it means to be lost and I know what it means to be found. I want to take as many people to heaven as possible."

Then working as a grocery store stock clerk, five months after his conversion Flockhart became Longleaf Baptist's part-time associate pastor of evangelism.

The personable pastor points to several factors for Crosspointe's growth: God, a strong emphasis on evangelism, prayer, and an active visitation program.