It was March in 1889, when nine baptized believers in Christ met to consider the possibility of forming a local church. Under the leadership Rev. Albert M. Lowery they organized Calvary Baptist Church. In 1895, during the tenure of Rev. Dr. George Edmund Morris, our 5th pastor, a new church building was erected. In 1914, during the pastorate of Rev. Samuel S. Crockett, the Church purchased a parsonage on the corner of Willow Street and Evergreen Avenue (now Martin Luther King Avenue). During the pastorate of the Rev. James Coleman, our 10th pastor, an Official Building Committee was formed. Land for a new parsonage was purchased in 1955 and construction of the new home was completed in 1959.
Rev. Jerry Matthew Carter, Jr., our 14th pastor, continues the legacy of our church buildings being much more than places for the congregation to gather for worship on Sundays. Both Calvary and community gather in our spaces for programs and progress during the week. In 1996, our physical facilities were expanded to include an educational wing with numerous classrooms, a fully-equipped commercial kitchen, a 250-seating capacity fellowship hall and administrative offices. We were blessed to pay off all indebtedness and cancel our mortgage on December 14, 2001! In 2014, our youth ministry expanded its reach when we cut the ribbon on The SPOT (Some Place for Our Teens) directly across the street from the church at 13 Martin Luther King Avenue.
This 125th Anniversary season is time of looking backward and looking forward. The challenge to our church as we minister in this present age is to be ever in touch with the mood and mindset of our world as we reflect the image of the kingdom of God through the expansion of people, programs and place.