A History Of Calvary Baptist Church

The earliest existing history of Calvary Baptist Church is a paper read by Mrs. W. F. Logan at a banquet held in 1926 upon the completion of construction of the church auditorium. It begins in an appropriate manner for a history of a Christian church: "It is fitting that we should look back over the way that we have come and recognize the hand of Almighty God in the leading and blessing, and pledge anew our loyalty and support to His cause."

Calvary Baptist Church of Asheville, NC was organized on January 3, 1909, in the old Odd Fellows Hall which stood at the corner of Hanover Street and Haywood Road. There were 68 charter members. Dr. A. E. Brown was moderator, and J. B. Grice acted as clerk. Rev. R. P. Walker was called to be the first pastor.

The church was the outgrowth of a mission Sunday School sponsored by the West End Baptist Church. The Sunday School was organized on September 23, 1906, with 122 present, following an organizational picnic meeting held at a field near Beecham's Curve. St. Clair Knight was elected superintendent, and C. M. Lineberry was appointed as secretary.

The first church building was built on the west side of Hanover Street in the block between Haywood Road and Pennsylvania Avenue. On the first Sunday in July 1909, services were held in the unfinished sanctuary. During the fourteen years this building was used, the following served as pastor: R. P. Walker, R. D. Cross, Dr. M. M. Wamboldt, John Bomar, Millard Jenkins, H. B. Killiam, J. J. Gentry, and J. B. Grice.

During these years the church and Sunday School grew rapidly. In 1916, the lot at the present location was purchased. Due to the First World War, work did not begin on the new building until December 5, 1921. The building was first used on May 13, 1923, and the auditorium was completed in 1925. Each Sunday during the building program, a special collection was taken in an old iron pot. Money was raised through pledges, and later through the sale of bonds. The memorial windows in the auditorium and the large outside columns were given by members and families. The smaller memorial windows in the building were donated by Sunday School classes and Training Union groups. The pipe organ was purchased with individual contributions in 1926.

On March 6, 1908, the Woman's Missionary Society was organized. A Baptist Young People's Union and Boy Scout Troop 2 were founded in 1909. The Royal Ambassadors, Young Woman's Auxiliary, Vacation Bible School and an orchestra were added during the years from 1921 to 1926.

Several "first" have taken place at Calvary. The first Vacation Bible School in Asheville was formed at Calvary in 1924, as was the first Brotherhood organization in the state in 1934. The first graded choir program in the state, and perhaps the state was organized at Calvary in 1934 under the direction of Mrs. Blanche Starnes. In 1958, Calvary was one of the first churches to use the Forward Program of Finance.

Rev. J. B. Grice served as pastor for 27 years from 1918 to 1945. The church indebtedness was paid in 1943, and a ceremony during which the note was burned was held on Mr. Grice's 25 anniversary.

Since 1945, 12 pastors have served Calvary. Dr. B. A. Bowers was interim pastor after Mr. Grice retired. Rev. C. D. Bessinger served from 1946 to 1947, after which Dr. Bowers served again as interim. J. Lester Lane was pastor from 1948 to 1960. Ralph Hensley served as interim pastor until 1961. John H. Knight served from 1961 to 1982, after which Dr. Thomas Sawyer was interim pastor. Dr. Steven C. Carreker served from 1982 to 1984 as pastor, with Dr. Ray Roberts and Dr. Page Lee serving as interim pastors until Rev. Audrey Folk was called in 1984. Rev. Folk served until 1989, with E. S. Morgan serving as interim until the hiring of Dr. Jordan "Buddy" Corbin on Nov. 10, 1991. On Feb. 16, 1992, Rev. John H. Knight, pastor for 21 years, was named Pastor Emeritus.

Two groups of members have withdrawn from Calvary to start new churches. In 1923, 22 left to organize Deaverview Baptist Church, and 216 members went with C. D. Bessinger to start Grace Baptist Church in 1947.

The church add several staff members through the years. Charles Jollay was the first associate pastor and music director; Mrs. Glen Starnes served as office secretary and minister of music; Thomas O. Dekle took the position of minister of music and education in 1954; Max Sanders followed in the same position in 1958; the first full-time minister of music, Earl R. Rogers, came in 1962, the same year Jim Smithwick was called to be the full-time minister of education. Allan Guy was appointed minister of music in 1965; Robert Blankenship came as associate pastor in 1967. Donald Welborn, the present minister of music, was called in 1969. Lloyd R. Kindiger was minister of education from 1972 to 1976, and Dale Fisher came as minister of education in 1977. David Barton served as minister of youth and outreach from 1979 to 1982; Paula Settle was minister of education from 1986 to 1988. David Simon was minister of education from 1999 to 2001. Our current minister of youth and education, Sue Barron, was appointed in 2002.

Calvary has improved and expanded its facilities over the years. A building on Baker Avenue was purchased in 1938 and converted into Sunday School rooms, and later into a youth outreach center. This building has since been demolished to make room for handicapped parking. The Educational Building was completed on May 30, 1954, at a total cost of $300,000.00. Dr. Fred Brown, the first minister ordained by Calvary, preached the dedicatory sermon. The chapel was remodeled and air conditioning added in 1972. The church remodeled the auditorium in 1976. An elevator was added in 1981. Several nursery rooms were modified to accommodate the Day Care Center in 1984. In recent years, an Allen digit organ, furnishings for the vestibule, and a lawn sign were purchased, and the Peggy Compton Anteroom to the church office was remodeled, using memorial gifts. The Candler Center was built in 2002.

From Calavry's membership have come 20 ordained ministers: Fred F. Brown, Edward J. Ingle, Herbert Brown, Vaughn Johnson, Nane Starnes, A. J. Buckner, Wallace Parham, Clyde Meredith, Ted Gaze, Howard Knight, Dale Hooper, Grant Hodgson, W. T. Lane, Thomas Dekle, James Ballard, Jackie Gentry, Dale Fisher, Cecil Hopps, Donald Welborn, and David Barton. Of these, Hooper, Knight, and Ballard became missionaries. Four others affiliated with Calvary, Cloyes Starnes, Charles Leonard, Paula Settle, and Tami Ruckman, have served in missionary work.

In addition to the support given to the Cooperative Missions of the North Carolina Baptist, the Southern Baptist Convention, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Buncombe Baptist Association, our church has supported the work of the Asheville-Buncombe Christian Community Ministry and the Western Carolina Rescue Mission through donations and volunteer aid. Volunteer groups have gone to Belgium, West Virginia, Kansas City, Oklahoma, Florida, Boston, and Poland, while others have given their time to community programs such as nursing home music ministries, prison ministries, the Drama Group, and Habitat for Humanity. Many others volunteer their time to a variety of projects of individual interest. Calvary has also opened its doors so that others may worship; Korean and Hispanic language religious services have been held in the Chapel on Sunday mornings and evenings.

Church membership is now 1,239. During times of plenty and of trouble, Calvary has remained open, closing only once during the influenza epidemic after the First World War, when all the churches in Asheville were closed for 8 weeks. The old Odd Fellows Hall is gone, demolished for the construction of I-240 in the 1960's, as is the Hanover Street church building. The streetcar line which was the primary means of transport in Asheville is gone, and the current building has been expanded and improved in ways which would have pleased the original 122 members of the church. Yet the life of the church remains vital and strong; members still visit the sick and infirm, donate their money to worthy charitable and missionary activities, and the Word of God is still read, studied and cherished in the same manner as 85 years ago, when the first services of Calvary Baptist Church were held.

And all that believed were together, and had all things common (Acts 2:44)