| Baptists have always been pioneers, wherever people are you will usually find a Southern Baptist presence. Early in the 1880's Rev. W. C. Busby was walking in West Hannibal and happened upon a group of Southern Baptists with no Southern Baptist Church in the area to attend. So things were put in motion for a "Baptist Chapel" to be located in "West Hannibal". For years a Sunday School was conducted at the newly formed Bethel Baptist Chapel. Then on October 4, 1887, Calvary Baptist Church was born. The church began with 32 charter members and the first building was located on the corner of Hope and Locust streets. |  |
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In 1893, the church purchased some land and built a temporary building at Hope and Willow. In 1898, the church voted to build a new building and from 1899 until the building was completed in 1912, the church members saved money and personally participated in the building of the sanctuary. Every evening after work the men of the church, aided by their wives, made concrete blocks for the new building. As a matter of fact, volunteer labor at Calvary Baptist Church is as old as the church is! Every facility that has been built has had church members' time, money, prayer, and personal sweat involved! |
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Calvary's history is an exciting story of evangelism and God's mighty power working in and through his people. In 1937, during the church's Golden Jubilee (50-year celebration), it was noted that the pastor, Rev. E. C. Abernathy, (1930-1937) led the church in seeing 518 people baptized. In 1934, 1,489 people attended Sunday School on Easter Sunday. The church also attained the highest average Sunday School attendance for any year (1937) of 579 people. By 1937, 1,656 people had been baptized at Calvary Baptist Church and the current membership was 793. This was an average of one new member each week since the church had begun 50 years earlier. During the pastorate of W. J. (Billy) Heriford (1948-1962), "Brother Billy" baptized 894 people! Calvary has continued to grow and see people "born again" into the kingdom of God. |
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| In 1975 the church purchased 10 acres on West Ely Rd., and on January 12th of 1981, Calvary moved into our present location. At the 100th Anniversary Celebration in 1987, it was noted that approximately 4,000 people have been lead to Christ and baptized at Calvary Baptist Church Forty-seven men have been called of God, ordained, and sent out to preach the gospel. |  |
| Today Calvary is once again writing exciting pages of history. Once again Sunday School attendance and the number of Baptisms are growing . We built another new sanctuary in 2003. Our first worship service in the new sanctuary was Jan. 4, 2004. Over 200 people have joined Calvary in the last few years, 75 of them through salvation and baptism! |  |
Our future is bright and filled with hope in God. God is continuing to show His mighty power and continuing to work through His people of Calvary Baptist Church.