History:

Calvary Baptist Church has a rich history that spans 80 years of faithful followers. The church went into charter on April 1, 1931 and Pastor Alfrod McKinney was called to lead the church.  The believers met at the Good building on South Opera Street in Bellefontaine in these first days. Pastor McKinney resigned and Earl V. Willetts was called in November 1933.  While Pastor Earl Willetts was leading the church purchased the Harrington home on 224 S. Detroit Street to accomodate the growing congregation.

Pastor Earl V. Willetts resigned in July 1947 after 13 years of service.  But again the church was growing and needed more room to fit the increasing needs of the group.  The Kennedy home on High Street was then purchased in 1947 and Pastor Fred Hussey was called as pastor one month later.

Pastor Hussey resigned and Pastor James Rosner was called in 1954.  Pastor Rosner would resign after 12 years and Pastor John R. Wood was called in late 1964.  The church would also pay off the remainder of the mortgage for the High St. building that year. November 1968 brought about another land purchase when the church bought the Thompson farm on 1140 Rush Ave.  Groundbreaking for the building began in May 1970 and the building was dedicated for use in March 1971.  After completing these projects, Pastor Wood resigned in 1973 and Pastor Hugh Hall was called.  An addition was built on the auditorium and then Pastor Hall resigned in 1977.

Pastor Earl Decker was called in 1977 and it’s while he served as pastor that the church voted to begin Calvary Christian school as an alternative to the public education available in the county.  Pastor Decker then resigned in 1980 and Pastor Barry Grahl was called in the beginning of 1981.  During Pastor Grahl’s time at Calvary the mortgage for the property was paid off and burneed, an additional piece of adjacent property was purchased, and a few expansions to the current building were completed.  In 1994 Pastor Grahl resigned.

The current Pastor, Jeff Willetts was called in 1995 and the church continued to grow.  Two morning worship services were started to accommodate the size.  The youth building project was begun and completed by the end of 2002.

After a lengthy search to prepare for the future of Calvary, the piece of property on North 68 was purchased in March 2008.  Over 100 acres of land that is being prepared for the future of Calvary Baptist church in central Ohio.  Plans are in place even now for the property and its future use as we hope to have an auditorium to worship in by the year 2020.