The History of our Church
In 1947, among our community of farmers, fishermen, and loggers, a group of Christians began meeting together for Bible study and prayer. Though small in size, the Bible class contained a faithful nucleus of believers who had a big vision for the people of southern Calvert County - a vision to know the Lord personally through faith and salvation in Jesus Christ, to understand God’s purposes through clear biblical teaching, to obey God through service to others, and to help spread the Gospel through world missions.
By 1951, the Bible class, under the direction Mrs. Ethel Sollars, felt the Lord was leading them to formally organize a non-denominational Bible church and to acquire property on which to builfd a church building. Seven acres of wooded land at White Sands were purchased from Russell Duncan and the sanctuary of “Community Church” began to rise. Many times God graciously intervened during the construction process by providing needed finances, labor, and materials. Once, when a payment of $1,000 was owed to building contractor Alvin Yoe, a check for that exact amount was placed in the hands of the church treasurer only minutes before Mr. Yoe arrived to make the collection.
The Community Church building was dedicated in 1953, and subsequent years brought a name change to “Calvary Bible Church” and continued growth of the congregation. CBC has been a member of the Independent Fundamental Churches of America (IFCA Int'l) since 1961.
By 1999 the church had outgrown the original sanctuary and Sunday school classrooms. The new education wing and gymnasium were built to accommodate worship services, Sunday school, youth programs, and many other ministries. More important than growth in numbers was the growth of individual believers in their faith and service to the Lord Jesus Christ. CBC maintains its original vision of proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ to the local community and demonstrating His love to all.
Our church sign reads, "We Preach Christ: Crucified, Risen, and Coming Again," and that is our message and mission for the future.
