An Expanded History


1928

February 5 - Joint Sunday morning business meeting of Provident Heights and Brook Avenue Baptist churches to formally consolidate the two churches into one, taking the name of Calvary Baptist Church; two-week revival begins; 1000 members

February 6 - Women’s Auxiliaries meet and merge

April 1 - A. J. Holt of Mart called to be pastor of newly formed church; first pulpit committee had 19 members

November - Church budget for 1929 is $19,985.00


1930

December - Lottie Moon Christmas Offering goal is $250


1931

April – 874 in Sunday School for pastor’s 3rd anniversary


1935

June - New plan of giving—tithing— presented to membership for 3-month trial (“Tithe Plan is being implemented by Baptists throughout the South”)


1937

June - New, two-story brick educational building built (now bldg. B); auditorium remodeled; baptistry moved from in floor to above choir area

October - Deacons begin visiting church members who are “negligent” in church attendance


1940

September – Angel Martinez leads 8-day Young People’s Revival

November - Fluorescent lights installed in auditorium


1941

May - Wednesday night supper - 10¢ a plate

September – Boiler converted from coal to gas


1942

September - Church buys $1000 War Bond


1943

November – Service flag purchased honoring those in military service


1944

May – Calvary’s monthly wartime allotment of sugar is 15 lbs; coffee 12 lbs.


1946

September - Church runs buses to Baylor to pickup students on Sunday


1947

New nursery building open house; called Babyland; 1st separate nursery in Central Texas


1948

March - Auditorium air conditioned [1st in Waco]

June – Baptist Standard sent to every home in the church


1950

December - Mission giving to all causes totals 41% of 1950 budget


1952

January - $37,000 given in tub offering for new sanctuary

November – Church borrows $100,000 for new auditorium

December 14 – Groundbreaking for new sanctuary


1953

May - Deacons meeting canceled for evening of the 11th due to tornado in downtown Waco

May – Pipe organ approved for new sanctuary for $35,000

December – Church budget for 1954 of $100,000 approved


1954

Jan 24 - First worship service in new sanctuary; this building remodeled three times since then

December – First New Year’s Eve Watchnight service in new Fellowship Hall


1955

March - All educational buildings air conditioned


1957

May – New 24’x40’ auditorium started for Calvary’s East Waco Mission


1958

July - Nursery added to and air conditioned

May 31 – Dr. A. J. Holt retires as pastor after 30 years


1959

January - Watson house and property at 1801 Bosque purchased for $30,000 for a youth center

March - 904 in Sunday School; 387 in Training Union


1960

April - Kyle M. Yates is interim pastor

June - Deacon of the Week plan implemented


1963

February – 1963 budget of $109,957 is oversubscribed with 803 pledge cards turned in; 445 sign as tithers


1964

October - Property Committee charged with looking into installing restrooms on main floor of the church; (actually happened in 1990)

December - 64 deacons at Calvary


1965

September - Fellowship Hall designated a fallout shelter

November 18 - First issue of The Calvary Tower published


1966

May - Daniel Vestal preaches youth-led revival services


1968

February - Bill Glass is speaker at Baptist Men’s breakfast

June - Church holds 3 Vacation Bible Schools in Laredo


1969

March – Pastor Emeritus Dr. A. J. Holt dies


1970

August – Spanish Sunday School and worship services begin; Herman Martinez is associate pastor


1971

October – Major remodeling voted on – nursery, sanctuary, adult class areas, and fellowship hall


1972

July – Dr. Bob Patterson called as interim pastor


1974

February - The Palermo Brothers and Evie Tornquist are in concert

May - Deacon-Family Ministry program implemented

May - 170 preschoolers and children participate in regular Wednesday Club Program activities


1975

June - Stained glass baptistry window dedicated

July – Joel Gregory leads Adult Vacation Bible School


1976

March – Electric chair lift installed to Fellowship Hall


1977

May – Sheldon Curry in concert

September - Top of tower split by lightening (cut stones replaced)


1978

February – Calvary celebrates its 50th anniversary

December - 1st “Hanging of the Green” service


1979

June – Church cook Ida Munson honored for 25 years of service to Calvary

November - 1st Waco “Singalong Messiah” at Calvary

November - Church adopts 1980 budget of $250,000


1980

March - 400 youth attend Calvary Chapel service featuring praise group “Glad”

November 2 - 1450 in Sunday School for “Mighty Things Sunday” with Dale Evans





1981

October - Ann Kiemel leads seminars for women

November - Grant Teaff teaches Senior Adult SS


1982

June – 366 enrolled in all church VBS

August - Joel Gregory preaches as supply pastor

September - Kurt Kaiser in concert


1983

September – Tape ministry for Sunday morning worship begins


1984

June - All church mission trip to Brownsville and Matamoros for VBS (5 schools)


1985

February - Grant Teaff speaks at Men’s Prayer Breakfast


1986

March – Robert Sloan is speaker for Mid-Winter Bible Conference

September - $13,570.00 given to Mary Hill Davis Offering for State Missions

September - Twila Paris in concert; Neal Jeffrey leads in revival


1987

September - Billy Crockett in concert


1988

February – Calvary celebrates its 60th anniversary

December – 557 in Sunday School


1989

January - “Making All Things New” renovation plans voted on

January - 185 in College Sunday School

March - $578,000 pledged for “Making All Things New”

May – Tower hit by lightening; chapel organ damaged by water


1990

May - Calvary receives Keep Waco Beautiful award for landscaping in “Making All Things New” campaign

May – Newly designed cross logo makes first appearance on worship bulletin

July – Dr. Winfred Moore called as interim pastor

August – Denominational Affairs Committee appointed to evaluate Calvary’s financial relationship with the SBC

October - Calvary members build Habitat for Humanity house in 2 weeks

October - Church honors Ervin Warren for 50 years as church organist


1991

August - Lightning strikes the tower; sanctuary roof and balcony and main floor damaged

September – Church invites Dr. Herbert Reynolds to address all Waco Baptists concerning Baylor, the BGCT, and broader Baptist issues

December - Lightning again strikes tower sending portions of it through the sanctuary ceiling


1992

March – “Foundation for the Future” campaign kicks off to retire $240,006 in debt

June - “Run for the Border” all church mission trip to Mexico

November – Long Range Masterplan Committee presents 5-year goals for Calvary

December - Foundation for the Future pledges for debt retirement reach $240,000

December - Giving to the budget for the month is $51,844


1993

April - Spanish Mission officially established again

October - 463 in Sunday School for high attendance Sunday

August – Worship services held at downtown Hippodrome Theater due to air conditioning unit explosion

October – Knape House renovated for youth activities


1994

May - Promise Keepers wake-up call rally meets at Calvary

Aug 28 - Church begins two morning worship services (8:15 and 10:50)


1995

April - Church returns to one morning worship service

May – Central air and heat added to Knape House

December - 1848 lbs. of food collected by Sunday School classes for Calvary food pantry


1996

January – Meals on Wheels at Calvary has served 4,446 meals since being formed in 1995

February – Missions Development Council formed

June - Youth dessert auction raises over $2200 for programs and activities

September - S.H.A.R.E. kicks off on Sunday evenings (service, home groups, alternatives, relationships, extras)

November - $23,676 given for “Prove the Lord” tithe offering


1997

June – Bill Treadwell hired to be facilitator of revisioning process

June - Mission trip to work in Appalachian Outreach

July – Brad Creed becomes interim pastor

September - Calvary adopts its new dream statement and begins revisioning process


1998

January - Church gets an e-mail address

March - Sunday evening worship only on 4th Sundays; discipleship groups meet on other Sundays

May - Rev. Julie Pennington-Russell called as 10th pastor of Calvary (begins Aug)

June - Revisioning Committee proposes changes in administrative structure of church

October - Daniel Vestal preaches

October - New look Calvary Tower produced


1999

March - Budget for 1999-2000 set at $526.000

March - James Dunn preaches in morning worship

July - Mission trip to Nava, Mexico

September - Sunday School revisioning takes place

December - Fran Porter retires as Minister to Senior Adults and Minister of Pastoral Care


2000

February – “What If” Sunday brings in $29,000 in offering

May – Church census/survey taken

June – 2nd Nava Mission Trip held

August – Calvary English Classes ministry begun

October – New members classes begin


2001

January – Update on Revisioning Plan presented; ministry team structure outlined

March – Beginning of church fiscal year changed to October 1; six-month budget adopted

June – Global Missions Offering for 2001-02 set at $19,000


2002

January – Demolition of the Activities Center and exterior work on Knape House approved

February - Randall Bradley called as part time minister of music

April - Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual adopted

September – First regular annual ministry conference held


2003

January – Phase II Renovation Plan presented and approved; includes Knape House renovations, asbestos abatement, landscaping, painting and carpeting, pagers, parking improvements, phone updates, and playground changes

May – Church by-laws approved

July – Creation of Build Team and Finance Team to begin planning for Phase III Renovation


2004

January – Volunteer position of ministry associate for neighborhood outreach created

May – Build Team makes presentation of preliminary master plan, renovations, and new construction

September – Child and youth protection policy for the church approved


2005

January – Church votes to renovate existing buildings, add new parking, and build new children’s building

January – RSI Church Services Group hired to create and conduct fund raising campaign; named Beyond Belief Campaign

May – $1.5 million pledged in Beyond Belief campaign


2006

January – North Waco Family and Community Ministries, Inc. created as a non-profit entity to allow outside groups to give and support a children’s education building; five-member board selected

September – Build Team presents plans for renovation and new construction

October – Knape House slated for demolition; new office complex to be built

November – CBF Global Missions goal for Calvary set at $3000


2007

February – Discernment Team and Prayer Team created to study and lead congregation in what it means to be a member of Calvary

May – Julie Pennington-Russell announces resignation

August – Hulitt Gloer elected as interim preacher

September – Wednesday night suppers resume after absence of several years

November – CBC Website Task Force created to redevelop church website


2008

January – Planning meeting for summer mission trip to Nava, Mexico

January – Annual Women’s Retreat

January – Celebrate Recovery program begins

February 10 – Calvary celebrates its 80th anniversary