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WELCOME TO CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH

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 WORSHIP SERVICE SUNDAY MORNING AT 11:00AM

 

There is ample parking available during our Sunday service both in the front of the church on Pennsylvania and Baltimore Avenues or in the parking lot behind (and left of) the church. There is also an accessible ramp at the rear entrance. 

 

Church Office Hours     410-825-3360

Monday - Friday         9am-2pm

OUR VISION

At Calvary Baptist Church we are a community of God’s people, united in love for God, who gather to worship and glorify God, in the welcoming tradition of our Baptist faith: sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as guided by the Holy Spirit, through discipleship, Christian education, and community outreach. 

WHAT WE BELIEVE

We believe in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit (Trinity). We believe that Jesus is the Son of God, was virgin born and took on human flesh. We believe that He died on the cross to pay our sin debt in full (past, present and future). We believe that He rose on the third day and has conquered death and all those who believe in Him and confess Him as Lord have been given the free gift of salvation. We believe that to be saved and justified through the saving grace of Jesus Christ one needs to be born again. We believe that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, written by men but divinely guided by God. We believe that the Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to sinful man. We believe in the Believer’s Baptism (full immersion) and the Lord’s Supper as instituted by Jesus Christ Himself. We believe that Jesus will come again to gather His church home. We believe in having a personal relationship with our Savior Jesus Christ rather than just a rule and regulation-based religion. 

OUR CHURCH HISTORY

Calvary Baptist Church has a long history in the heart of Towson. Our current location has been in use since 1914, and the building has been standing on the corner of West Pennsylvania and Baltimore Ave since 1929. However, the church body goes back all the way to 1889.

 

In December, 1889, the Reverend A. C. Dixon, pastor of the Baptist Tabernacle, held a Baptist worship service in a small room located over a blacksmith's shop in Towson. By February, 1890, a Sunday School program was being conducted in that upper room. On August 15, 1890, twelve members of that Sunday School signed the charter, founding Calvary Baptist Church.

 

The membership of the new Church grew rapidly. A Church building was constructed, and in 1892 the congregation moved into a simple frame sanctuary constructed on the present property at 120 West Pennsylvania Avenue in Towson. In 1929, that small structure was replaced by a modern sanctuary, and an educational wing was added in 1960.

 

It is important to remember that a Church is not a building of wood or stone, but a group of people called to serve God in the whole world. Through the years, Calvary Baptist Church has been blessed with many dedicated people who have given months, years, or lifetimes to further the Kingdom of God through our ministries.

CHARTER MEMBERS 

 

The Reverend William H. Hubbard

 

Mr. & Mrs. Frank K. Tyler

 

Miss Laura Merryman

 

Mr. & Mrs. John C. Watson

 

Miss Mary Watson

 

Miss Fanny Watson (Mrs. John Schaeffer)

 

Mrs. A. J. Rowe

 

Mr. Charles E. Thomas

 

Miss Agnes Stieber (Mrs. Watson)

 

Mr. John P. Leland

 

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FORMER PASTORS

 

Dr. William Sean Lee and Sarah Lee 2013-2019

 

Frederick K. Weimert 1977-2013

 

Leland Higginbotham 1955-1981

 

John Henry Day 1953-1955

 

George Arthur Clarke 1944-1953

 

Thomas G. Ellis 1942-1944

 

Archibald F. Ward, Jr. 1937-1942

 

Richard W. Wickes 1923-1936

 

John David Clarke 1912-1922

 

George Ross Wells 1909-1910

 

Benjamin B. Abbitt 1904-1908

 

William E. Robertson 1892-1903

 

William H. Hubbard 1890-1891

Church Timeline
 

1889 Dec 10 - First meeting of Towson Baptists in a room over Parlett's Blacksmith Shop

 

1890 Feb 26 - Bible School started with Mr. John P. Leland as Superintendent

 

1890 Mar 23 - Services moved to Temperance Tabernacle, corner of Virginia and Shealey Avenues

 

1890 Aug 5 - Twelve charter member organized Calvary Temperance Tabernacle

 

1891 - House on corner of Pennsylvania and Baltimore Avenue and adjoining lot purchased

 

1892 Feb 14 - Dedication of our first sanctuary, the frame church, built by C. E. Thomas

 

1914 Feb - Elizabeth Rider Stevenson donated money to buy land for church at corner of W. Pennsylvania and Baltimore Avenue

 

1928 - Parsonage moved over and work began on new church

 

1929 Jun 23 - Dedication of present sanctuary

 

1945 - Osborne-Yelllott property at 108 W Pennsylvania purchased for parsonage

 

1959 Feb - Parsonage at 108 W Pennsylvania destroyed by fire

 

1960 Jun 5 - New parsonage at 821 Trafalgar Road purchased

 

1960 Jun 5 - Dedication of Harrison Rider Memorial Sunday School Building

 

1964 Nov 6 - Burning of Sunday School Building Mortgage. Church entirely debt free

 

1981 - Parsonage at 821 Trafalgar Road sold

 

1990 - Calvary celebrated its centennial over an 18 month period

 

1990 Dec 24 - Memorial window dedicated at the annual Christmas Eve service

 

1997 - New organ purchased and dedicated

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2015 - Calvary celebrated it's 125th Anniversary

Community Outreach Timeline

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1897 Feb 16 - Govanstown Baptist, now Gregory Memorial, sponsored by Calvary and formed by Govanstown members

 

1965 - Sponsored Millie and Cesar Arce from Cuba

 

1980 - Sponsored 6 members of Dang family from Vietnam

 

1984 - Towson Calvary Daycare center opened in church facilities and ran until 2000

 

1985 - Assistance Center of Towson Churches opened in Bridgebuilders' Cabin to help the disadvantaged

 

1995 - Members of Calvary began work projects with Chesapeake Habitat for Humanities. 

 

1995 - Calvary sponsored the Agic family from Bosnia

 

1995 - Migrant Worker Health Kit project began

 

1997 - Our Daily Bread monthly cake baking mission started

 

2005 - CBC provided monthly meals to the Eastern Homeless Resource Center; Sarah's Hope, mission continued until 2013

 

2012 - CBC offered support to Akaolisa family from Burkina Faso in the process for U.S. asylum

 

2012 - Ground breaking for extension of the ACTC building

 

2015 - First Bible Give-a-Way at the Towsontown Festival

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2018 - Participated in the Christmas Shoebox program operated by Samaritan's Purse 

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2022 - Calvary opened its in-house pantry for members 

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2022 - Collaborating with local police to collect shoes for the homeless shelters 

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