Chestnut Ridge Church is a nondenominational, evangelical

megachurch A megachurch is a church with an unusually large membership that also offers a variety of educational and social activities, usually Protestant or Evangelical. The Hartford Institute for Religion Research defines a megachurch as any Protestant C ...

Morgantown, West Virginia Morgantown is a city in and the county seat of Monongalia County, West Virginia, Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States, situated along the Monongahela River. The largest city in North-Central West Virginia, Morgantown is best known as th ...

. The church spawned two sister churches: South Ridge Church, in

Fairmont, West Virginia Fairmont is a city in and county seat of Marion County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 18,313 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Fairmont Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Marion County, a ...

and River Ridge in

Charleston, West Virginia Charleston is the capital and List of cities in West Virginia, most populous city of West Virginia. Located at the confluence of the Elk River (West Virginia), Elk and Kanawha River, Kanawha rivers, the city had a population of 48,864 at the 20 ...

History

The church was founded in 1985 by Tim Haring. Chestnut Ridge Church,
A Brief History of Chestnut Ridge Church
chestnutridgechurch.com, USA, 2019 In 2007, ''The Dominion Post'' named the church one of the 100 most influential organizations in West Virginia because of its size, impact on the community and its new $12 million facility built in 2006.Top 100: #69, Chestnut Ridge Church, by Cassie Shaner (April 1, 2007)
accessed May 29, 2007.Chestnut Ridge Church to expand with $10 million construction project by Justin McLaughlin (April 4, 2005)
, accessed May 29, 2007. CRC's senior pastor, Tim Haring, was named as number 21 on the paper's list.Top 100: #21, Tim Haring, by Rhonda Gregory (April 7, 2007)
accessed May 29, 2007.

Deep Water Media

In 2006, CRC launched a production company and released its first album under the label Deep Water Records. The album was called Vertical by J. Nicholson. Deep Water Media produced a 10-show touring production across the East Coast to launch Vertical.J Nicholson is a singer on a mission, by Michelle Wolford (June 8, 2006)
accessed May 29, 2007.Singing is J Nicholson's Passion, by Debra Minor Wilson
, accessed May 29, 2007.

The Passion

Each Easter, the church produces a completely original rock-opera that tells the story of Christ. In 2006, Deep Water Media took over production of the Passion. In 2007, the production moved to the church's new venue at Cheat Lake after thirteen years at

Morgantown High School Morgantown High School is a public high school in Morgantown, West Virginia, United States. It is one of three secondary schools in the Monongalia County School District. Athletic teams compete as the Morgantown Mohigans in the West Virginia Seco ...

.The Passion Opens at MHS by Katie McDowell (April 6, 2006)
accessed May 29, 2007. In its new home, the show attracted a record audience of nearly 7,000 over a three-day run. Over the years, more than 25,000 people have seen the show.Church to present the Passion (April 2, 2006)
, accessed May 29, 2007. In January 2010, it was announced that the 15-year run of The Passion would not be continued, in order to re-focus the resources used to produce The Passion in other areas.

References

External links

Chestnut Ridge Church

J Nicholson Worship
{{Megachurches Evangelical churches in West Virginia Evangelical megachurches in the United States Buildings and structures in Monongalia County, West Virginia