The Flood of Hope

While at GWU, Jack Eason ’91 Launched His Life’s Calling.

Jack Eason, a 1991 alumnus from Greenville, S.C., recently celebrated 30 years in the ministry he founded when he was a student at Gardner-Webb University. Originally called Crossover Ministries, the international organization has changed over the years and is now known as Crossover Cups Mission.

The name “Crossover,” was based on John 5:24: “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”

While Eason was at Gardner-Webb, he traveled to share this message with churches and youth groups. Then, he started leading worship for youth conferences, put together a band, wrote dozens of songs, and recorded albums.

One of his songs, “Everyday” was recorded by the Christian music group, Newsong, on its album, “Rescue.” Crossover assumed production of a local radio show, “The Sound of Light,” which experienced national syndication from 1996-2010. The ministry launched a similar TV show that ran from 2000-2006.

About the time the radio show ended, Eason’s ministry began to evolve again through a partnership with Mike Williams and the Cups of Cold Water Project. Williams began his ministry in the Dominican Republic (DR) in 2008. The ministry’s name is based on Matthew 10:42: “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

Now, Crossover Cup’s main focus is leading the mission in the DR. The ministry works with five villages to provide Bible and English classes and teach sewing and baking. Eason and Williams enlist teams of volunteers to travel to the DR to help with camps
for children, home visitations and food distribution.

“The DR is No. 4 in the world for human trafficking,” Eason offered. “We fight it by educating children, teaching life skills, and sharing the hope of Jesus. We want to give them all the resources they need to build a life they dream of and prevent them from having to choose sexual exploitation from the lack of other choices.”

Eason signed a publishing agreement for a new book that will be distributed nationally in 2020 through Baker Books. The book, tentatively titled “We Are Better Together,” will explore how churches can accomplish more by working collaboratively.

Reflecting on his education from Gardner-Webb, Eason noted the influence of his religion professors. He majored in Christian education and minored in psychology. “The classes I took were such a great preparation,” Eason shared …
“all of their teaching helped me form a philosophy for doing ministry.”

He applied what he learned while serving as a youth pastor for a nearby church. “Dr. Alice Cullinan’s classes were especially practical,” he affirmed, “maybe because of the subject matter or maybe because of her presentation, but they were subjects I could immediately put to work or that answered questions students and leaders in my church were asking.”

His psychology classes were also beneficial, and Dr. David Carscaddon, professor of psychology, became a good friend. “He really connected with a lot of us in his class,” Eason observed. “His genuine interest in what we were doing outside of class made me realize the staff of the school cared about us.”

In addition to support from faculty, Eason said the surrounding community also offered encouragement. “A local pastor allowed me to plug into his church, and he would meet with a few of us each week and talk about ministry things,” Eason informed. “The whole environment of Gardner-Webb was very influential in shaping my ministry and helping me hear God’s call and direction.”