A few miracles and a lot of faith brought John Cross (79) though the fire. 
by Bob Bonebrake (76) 

Through the eyes of the world, 1982 was a time of tremendous loss and disaster for John Cross and his young family. Through the eyes of the Spirit, it was clearly the beginning of great triumph and victory--a testimony to the value of integrity in the Christian life. 

The year started with promise. John and his wife, Patrice, had just returned to Lewis, Kan., where John planned to go to work for Cross Manufacturing, Inc., a company his father founded in 1949. John met Patrice at ORU, where he was preparing for a career in the family business. He earned a B.S. in management in 1979, spent a year doing on-the-job training at Cross, and went on to earn an MBA at Arizona State University. Things looked good. Life looked easy. But there were surprises in store. 

"The day I got home [in 1982], I was greeted with the news that after more than 30 years in business, Dad's company was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy," John remembered. "It was quite a shock. I knew things weren't going well, but I thought we were going to be able to avoid bankruptcy." 

The surprises continued. Less than two months later, it was decided that despite his youth--John was only 24 at the time--he was the person to lead Cross Manufacturing through its financial troubles. He was put in charge of the company, and as its new president, he began the difficult task of putting the business back together. 

Realizing that he could not turn the company around under his own strength and knowledge, John dedicated Cross Manufacturing to God, committing its future to Him. "I wanted to establish a new beginning for Cross Manufacturing under God's management," John said. "Two days after I became president, I called a management meeting and told the other managers that I was committed to rebuilding the company on a foundation of faith in God and by applying biblical principles. I shared with them Psalm 127:1, 'Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.' We made up our minds to let God rebuild this house. We recognized that if God had a purpose for Cross Manufacturing, it would be under His direction and His power that it would survive." 

But it wasn't going to be an easy task. Cross Manufacturing was a large company with far-flung operations. At its peak the firm had 800 employees. A changing business environment pushed the company into an overextended position as revenues plummeted by two-thirds. A nervous lender called in a vital line of credit, even though the company hadn't defaulted on its loan. John began the difficult and emotional task of negotiating with creditors. He and the other managers tried to keep the negotiations on a positive note, assuring creditors that they fully intended to pay every dollar owed. In fact, they were attempting to arrange a payout of 110 percent of the amount owed over a five-year period for those who would stay with them during the difficult times. 

But some of the creditors had no faith in plans to save the company. They began pressing for an immediate settlement. The final bankruptcy plan called for all creditors to have the option of the five-year, 110-percent payout proposed by Cross or an immediate payment of 30 cents on the dollar. 

"We knew that even though the Lord was in this, it still wasn't going to be easy," John said. "We knew it was a maturing time that we wouldn't like while we were going through it, but it was an important learning process for us." 

Patrice was one of the first to see that some extraordinary steps were going to be necessary. She convinced John that it was time to "sow a seed" out of the Cross need. "We were losing $250,000 a month at the time," John said. "I knew she was right, but it was a hard thing to do. We prepared several gifts for Christian ministries we believed in." 

One of the gifts went to ORU. John contacted one of his former professors, Dr. R. Henry Migliore, then dean of the business school, to ask him to personally deliver the check to Oral Roberts. 

"I received a substantial check from John," Dr. Migliore said, "but I wasn't sure how I was going to get it to President Roberts. Things were busy and I wasn't sure I would be able to get in to see the president. I stuck the check in my jacket pocket, hoping I could figure out a way to deliver it. That day, President Roberts came to a faculty meeting we were having, and I was able to talk with him. I gave him the check and he prayed over it. The timing came together so perfectly. It was one of those little miracles." 

God allowed John and Patrice a brief glimpse of the victory that was in their future. The very month after the seed was planted, Cross Manufacturing had its first profitable month in more than a year. But the full victory didn't come until 1987, when the red ink stopped flowing for good. Years later, when financial strength was restored, John and his management team had an opportunity to make a dramatic statement about God's call to His people to live lives of integrity. 

During the earlier bankruptcy proceedings, several Cross creditors insisted on the immediate partial payment. While John and his team had lived up to their legal obligation, the realization that they hadn't paid all that was owed never sat well with them. And, there were business repercussions. Many important vendors and suppliers didn't forget about the unpaid debts, making things difficult for Cross. Where they previously had 30 days to pay invoices, they were now allowed only 15 days--or less. Some suppliers even refused to sell to the company. 

John and his management team decided to take a very unusual step. 

"We knew that legally we didn't have to do it," John said. "But we knew it was the right thing to do, demonstrating Cross Manufacturing's commitment to high ethical standards and integrity." 

During 1995 and 1996, more than $1.1 million in checks was prepared, and John and members of his team began making visits to former creditors, surprising them with checks for the remaining 70 cents on the dollar. 

"I got some surprised looks," John remembered. "We would ask for an appointment, but wouldn't tell them what it was all about. I would just lay an envelope on their desks and wait for the shock when they saw the check. It made quite an impression." 

One creditor's attitude quickly changed when he received a check for $350,000. That creditor later made much of the fact that Cross Manufacturing was under no legal obligation to pay the additional money, and called the payment an "incredible act of integrity." 

"There is nothing special about us or what we did," John said. "We were just working to do the right thing. We had faith in God, and perseverance. We believed that God blesses singleness of heart and focus. We believed that Cross Manufacturing wasn't and isn't our company; it's God's company. We are simply His stewards." 

Since then the victory has been completed. The company overcame incredible odds to pull itself out of financial ruin.  Migliore, who has written extensively on business and effective management, claims that only about 15 percent of businesses that go into Chapter 11 bankruptcy emerge intact. Today, Cross Manufacturing is healthier than ever. Revenues that once dropped below $12 million annually are now on track for more than $30 million this year. 

New markets have been found for Cross's hydraulic cylinders, which are used in everything from tomato harvesters to asphalt spreaders. (The firm's hydraulic technology was developed by John's father, James H. Cross, an entrepreneur who, with his brother Charles, laid a foundation for what is today Cross Manufacturing.) Uses for Cross hydraulic components continue to grow. 

While the firm had to significantly trim its staff during the tough times, it still employs a large number of loyal workers. Shortly after the bankruptcy repayment was complete, all employees received a bonus of $760 to recognize their faithfulness in helping the company recover. John and his team have also worked to be a testimony to company workers. The firm supports voluntary Bible studies in all its plants and once agreed to assist one employee interested in receiving water baptism. A "horse tank" was brought in and the baptism was performed right on the plant floor. 

Today, John and Patrice live in Overland Park, Kan., raising their three girls: Shana, 15, Michaela, 12, and Keshia, 9. They attend Full Faith Church of Love South with several other ORU alumni. 

"We were truly fighting to survive on a daily basis," John remembered. "There were many 18-hour days and times when our faith was tested. But, we just tried to be faithful and obedient to what we knew. The Lord blessed our efforts. I remember well during the really hard times when we were in court so much, our attorney told us, 'I understand what you are trying to do, but you've got to understand that it's a dog-eat-dog world. You've got to take care of yourself.' But then when the Lord would work things out for us, he would later say, 'Well, you got your miracle today.' 

"That's what we were praying for--God's favor and His miracles." 

John learned some important business lessons during the trying times. 

"This taught me to be a better businessman," he said. "I learned that, as Deuteronomy 28:12,44 tells us, debt is a curse and more debt is a greater curse. We've eliminated millions in debt and we pay our bills on time. In business you are told to delay payments as long as possible--to use the other guy's money as long as possible. I've learned that the positive reputation you gain from making payments on time is worth much more than the float that you get from paying slow. I also learned that God is looking for Christian businessmen whose hearts are completely His, in accordance with II Chronicles 16:9. I can see that He wants to use business as a platform for ministry." 

John sees business as another way to share the Gospel--an "opportunity to go into everyman's world." 

Bob Bonebrake (76) has a B.S. degree in telecommunications. He worked as a reporter and editor for the Associated Press and served as the business editor for the Tulsa World. He also worked for a time as ORU's Sports Information director. He now lives with his wife, Valerie, in San Rafael, Calif., where he works as a writer and marketing director.