Two churches in Fultondale could soon unite into a single flock.

Members of Crosspointe Baptist Church, formerly called Gateway Baptist Church, will meet during the month of October at Fultondale First Baptist Church on Main Street.

Tommy Loden, a deacon at Fultondale First Baptist and a member of the Fultondale City Council, said that leaders in the two churches have been discussing a merger for about a month.

Crosspointe’s pastor, Sam Greene, will be preaching the services throughout October at First Baptist, where former pastor Mark Wood has resigned.

Both churches have suffered a declining membership in recent years. Attendance at First Baptist has fallen by about 50 people in the past three years, Loden said. There are currently 90-100 people at church services on Sundays.

“People just don’t go to church like they used to,” he said. “If we could get the members who ought to be there to come, we wouldn’t have enough room. We would have to meet out in the yard.”

Greene said attendance at Crosspointe has fallen to 50-60 people on Sundays. The building will seat up to 600 people on the main floor.

“That is probably the biggest auditorium in the city,” Loden said. Fultondale High School usually has graduation ceremonies in the church. Greene said he was unable to say at this point what would happen to the Crosspointe facility if the two congregations do vote to merge.

“Both churches have the same objective, and that is to preach the gospel and see souls saved and the kingdom of God advance,” Greene said.

He said that both churches are similar in doctrine but have some differences in the way they function. Crosspointe is an independent Baptist church and Fultondale is southern Baptist.

Lowery was a key figure in starting the discussions about merging the churches. Lowery visited Green after he heard about the church being for sale.

“He learned they were having problems with attendance,” Loden said. “He knew we were having the same problem.”

So the mayor brought the church leaders together.

“It just seemed very compatible to me,” Lowery said. “I just got the church leaders together and they are working out the details.”

The month of October will be a trial run to see if the congregations can become one.