Church History

The Baptist denomination first had a witness for Christ in Gravenhurst in 1884. The first service happened in August 1884, led by Reverend W. Lambert with a congregation of 8 individuals in a community that consisted mainly of those in the lumber industry. The congregation was originally called Regular Baptist Church, but in 1904, under Mr. J. Alderson, it acquired the name of Calvary Baptist Church. God has truly blessed the vision of the original 8 members. Calvary Baptist Church now has a congregation of over 200 people, including approximately 100 members.

Denominational Affiliation

Calvary Baptist Church was a member of the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec (CBOQ) for many years. In 2020, during the time of Pastor Benjamin Emery's leadership, the church left the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec over doctrinal concerns and joined the more doctrinally-aligned Fellowship of Evangelical Baptists (FEB).

Church buildings

The first church building was constructed in 1885 at a cost of $400 with 2 rows of pews. It held its first service in September of that year. The building was distinctive, having a square tower with four turrets and unique vertical lines. In 1887, a devastating fire swept through Gravenhurst, destroying most of the town; however, God spared the church building from any damage. In 1913, the original building had the roof restructured and the church widened to accommodate the growing congregation. During the remodeling, the congregation met at the Orange Lodge across the street.

In 1927, the church bought their first parsonage for $1800. It was located at 220 First Street, Gravenhurst. Its mortgage was finally paid off in 1946. It was sold in 1960 for $5,500. That same year, another parsonage was purchased at 151 Royal Street for $6,000. This parsonage was sold in 1978 for approximately $47,000.00. Since then, our pastors found their own residences and were given a housing allowance from the church.

The current church was rebuilt on the original site in 1967. It was dedicated in May 1968 during the pastorate of Rev. Stanley Osborn. The mortgage was burned under the leadership of Rev. R.B. Brown on May 30, 1976. Since then, here have been many renovations over the years including the installation of an elevator, the expansion of the stage, and changes to the interior design of the front of the sanctuary including the removal of the baptismal tank.

In 2023, during the time of Pastor Mark Hockley's leadership, the congregation had the opportunity to purchase the building at 150 Royal Street, extremely close to the present church. The deal was closed in 2023 and will be used for the church offices and small group meetings. This is indeed God's present answer to our need for more space in our current church building.

Ministries

There have been many ministry and outreach opportunities over the years at Calvary.

A Women's Mission Circle was organized in 1898, later changing its name to Ladies Aid in 1911. Starting in 1971, Ladies Coffee Hour met every Wednesday morning. They offered child care and welcomed an average of 50 to 65 women from the church as well as from the community. In 2024, the ladies ministry is called Rooted Women and gathers monthly.

Growing Together was a successful program that ran for several years in the 2010s. It served a hot meal to children and their families. After they ate, the parents went upstairs to be part of a Bible study while the children enjoyed their own program downstairs.

Other children's programs run at Calvary over the years inlcude Pioneer Girls, Boys Brigade, Awana and King’s Kids. Many volunteers have carried out a meaningful Sunday School over the years. In 2024, our childrens' space is often full and some children have to be turned away because of lack of space.

The largest community outreach was Project Turkey which began in 1994 and was held in the church basement serving a full turkey dinner to anyone in the community at no cost but donation were accepted. We served approximately 525 people in shifts. While waiting for their turn to eat, the diners were ushered upstairs where Rev. George Johnston would welcome them. Any moneys donated were given to the Salvation Army for Food certificates for the needy. All our food was donated by the town merchants.

Pastor Benjamin Emery led events for the men using martial arts and later a program called Ready Men.

In recent years, under the leadership of Pastor Mark Hockley, we have held “Trunk or Treat” each Halloween. Many church members set up tables in the sanctuary displaying their hobbies or interests. The public are invited to bring their children to see all the displays, wearing their costumes and receiving treats and some Christian literature.

Through the years, Calvary has been supporting missions such as Wycliffe Bible Translators, SIM, Calvary Church in India, and Compassion. Locally we are now supporting Christine's Place in Gravenhurst (a pregnancy crisis centre) as well as others.

Our Seniors' Ministry also includes a meal and singing and learning. It is now called New Horizons but in the 90's was called The Amazing Greys. This program attracts many from the community as well as our own church folks.