ChurchHistory - Calvary Baptist Church

Our History

Our shared history with local Baptists can be traced back to 1715 when early settlers met in local homes. Our own congregation, the third congregation of Baptists in the Hopewell area, had its start in 1871 when a group meeting in the home of Eleanor Cutter Leigh on Blackwell Avenue organized as the Calvary Baptist Church.

Our main church building was dedicated in December 1872. An addition to the back of the sanctuary was added in 1923. This currently houses our Memorial Library, kitchen and classrooms. The Wicks Pipe Organ was installed in 1940, a gift from the Woman’s Mission Society, now American Baptist Women’s Ministries. Our front porch and columns were added in 1952, and the Christian Education Wing was built in 1963. Our beautiful steeple, received as a gift from friends of the Church, was added in 1993.

Our parsonage, the home for our pastors, was completed in 1894, and is next door to the church building at 1 East Broad Street.

We are blessed by the rich history of ecumenical and interfaith cooperation within the area and count our strong partnership in ministry with our fellow Hopewell churches as a great blessing. Our prayer is that, along with this rich history, we will continue to do greater things that demonstrate God’s glory and the everlasting love of Christ Jesus.

Pastors of Calvary Baptist Church

Rev. E.C. Romine 1871-1873

Rev. A.V. Dimock 1873-1876

Rev. A.J. Hay 1876-1878

Rev. H.B. Garner 1878-1882

Rev. A.V. Hopper 1882-1883

Rev. H.G. James 1884-1885

Rev. T.G. Wright 1886-1889

Rev. D.S. Mulhern 1891-1893

Rev. R.C. Bowen 1894-1898

Rev. L.A. Schnering 1899-1902

Rev. E.B. Freeman 1902-1907

Rev. E.S. Fry 1907-1910

Rev. E. Auger 1910-1912

Rev. W.J. Hayes 1912-1924

Rev. G.B. Webster 1925-1938

Rev. N.V. Johnston 1939-1944

Rev. R.A. Gray 1944-1948

Rev. E.A. Orosz 1949-1957

Rev. C.L. Hoffman 1957-1965

Rev. M.F. Hatch 1966-1970

Rev. Dr. B.R. Pullen 1970-1977

Rev. G.H. Ward 1978-1982

Rev. Dr. C.G. Staats 1982-1989

Rev. D. Dietsche 1989-1998

Rev. D.M. O'Neill 2006-