History
The History of Calvary Baptist Church
In July of 1964, after a survey by the State Convention of Baptists, a decision was made to begin a Southern Baptist work in Greenfield. The work began with a Vacation Bible School at Riley Park in Greenfield. Rev. Thomas Moncrief, pastor of First Baptist Church of Knightstown, IN, Rev. Thomas Sykes, Eastern Association area missionary, Mrs. Sykes, Rev. Henry Marion, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church of New Castle, IN, Mrs. Marion, Mrs. Elsie Lobb, and two summer missionaries were workers for the VBS. Classes were held in the shelter house and on picnic tables in the park. Thirty-five children were enrolled. The following Sunday, the first worship service was held in a storefront building on East Main Street with the family of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Lobb, the two summer missionaries and a Vacation Bible School student in attendance. The second Sunday, the Jones’ family began attending. The group became known as the Southern Baptist Chapel. The new mission began under the auspices of the First Baptist Church of Knightstown. Rev. Moncrief, the pastor at Knightstown, preached for the chapel until his resignation in the fall of 1964.
Just six weeks after the mission started, the group moved into the office of a warehouse building on Park Avenue. This was quite a blessing because the preacher’s message was often interrupted because of the noise of the heavy trucks traveling on US 40/Main Street. Tommy Conger came to pastor the Knightstown church in July 1965 and also served the chapel until his heart attack in the fall of 1966.
Having outgrown the office space, the group now secured a loan from the Home Mission Board of the SBC and purchased the old Nazarene church building at 204 E. North Street. For about a year, both the Nazarenes and the Baptists shared the building while the new Nazarene church was being built. The Baptists met early in the morning and in the evening. The Nazarene group had their services after the Baptists had met.
In November of 1966, the group had grown to approximately 30 members and called Bob Bacon of Arkansas to become their first full-time pastor. Pastor Bacon led the group to constitute into a church, and on March 3, 1968, Calvary Baptist Church came into existence with 50 charter members. With financial support from the Home Mission Board and Broadmoor Baptist Church in Jackson, MS, the church continued to grow and minister in the community. Before Bro. Bacon’s resignation in May of 1969, the group had secured a loan from the Home Mission Board and purchased a building site located at the west edge of the city limits on US 40 consisting of 3 acres. After Bro. Bacon’s resignation, Gary Sharpe came and served as interim pastor until August of 1969. Carl Riley of Bristol, TN who was pastoring in Connersville, IN, became the second full-time pastor and remained until October of 1976. Under his leadership, the church built a two story building and moved into it on Easter Sunday in April of 1973. Attendance for the first worship service in the new building was 217. Bro. Carl resigned soon after that.
In February of 1977, the church called Dale Pruett of Brownwood, TX as pastor and he remained until July 26, 1983. Under his leadership, the Cumberland mission was begun with Stan Jones going as the pastor and several families to help begin the work. The mission constituted into a church on Feb. 10, 1985 and is known as Buck Creek Baptist Church. Bro. Pruett also led the church in a “Together We Build” endeavor to make improvements on the existing property. Choir robes were purchased and the parking lot was paved. On June 11-12, 1985, after 19 years, the church sponsored a homecoming inviting all previous pastors to take part, and observed a “note burning” ceremony. The church was then debt free.
In February of 1984, Ed Richards of Decatur, AL came to pastor the church and left in August of 1985. The church then secured Dr. James Brewer as interim pastor. Dr. Brewer served as interim until February of 1986.
Wendell Bradford from Joplin, MO was called to be the pastor in February of 1986 and left in September of 1991. During Bro. Bradford’s tenure, plans were made to build a new addition and a building fund was established. Dr. James Brewer returned to be the interim pastor after Bro. Bradford’s departure.
In July 1992, Dr. J.E. Hail, Jr. moved from Henderson, KY, and came to be the pastor. In the fall of 1992, the church voted unanimously to build a 10,500 square feet educational wing that included additional restrooms, an office complex, an elevator and a multipurpose room and purchase additional property for a total cost of $435,000. A bond issue of $350,000 was used to finance the project. A ground breaking ceremony was held in the early spring of 1993, and the building was completed and dedicated in October of 1993.
The church began its weekday educational program called Noah’s Ark Daycare in August of 1994. The ministry has grown from 2 workers and a few children to a dozen workers and 80 children with a budget of $390,000 annually. The ministry touches the lives of 65-70 families each year by providing full-time daycare to preschool children.
A new mission church was started in July of 1997 in New Palestine, IN. The name of the congregation is New Faith Community Church. It is pastored by Bro. Loren Robinson.
Dr. Hail resigned as Pastor of Calvary in 2002. As the church searched for a new pastor, the pulpit was filled by various ministers from the State Convention.
In May 2003, Dr. Damon Jones left a thriving ministry as Pastor of Old Town Hill Southern Baptist Church in Muncie and began his ministry as Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church. Dr. Jones led the church until August of 2004, when he felt led to begin a new work in the Greenfield area called Acts 1:8 Baptist Church.
With the pulpit being empty, the church called Rev. Gary Hines to be their interim pastor. Rev. Hines faithfully led Calvary until the church was able to secure their next full time pastor.
Rev. Roger Kinion was called to be pastor of Calvary Baptist Church on March 20, 2005 and began serving as Senior Pastor on May 1, 2005. Under his leadership the church has been blessed with growth. The increased attendance and giving allowed Calvary to go back to having two full time staff positions and called Larry Dull to be the Music Minister in October 2007. With the staff full and the church continuing to grow Calvary then began to pray about expanding. After two years of research and planning the church broke ground on a new 18,000 square foot education and office building on April 26, 2009. This addition is scheduled to cost $1.56 million and be completed by Christmas 2009.
God has blessed the ministry of Calvary Baptist Church and He and He alone gets all the credit and all the glory for the good that has been done and will be in the future through Calvary Baptist Church.
