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Calvary
Baptist Church of Jefferson
04 17 2007
Calvary Baptist Church of Jefferson celebrated
its 50th anniversary on
Calvary Baptist Church began holding
worship services on the third floor of the Puerner
Building in Jefferson in 1957 and in March 1958, the church was officially
organized.
The church had 23 charter members.
The church purchased three lots on
The Christian Science building was
purchased in 1961 and an addition was built in 1963. The Rev. Gail Schafer,
pastor at Calvary Baptist, had been offering a weekly column published in the
newspaper, and started a weekly radio broadcast on WFAW.
In 1964, the "Dial A Devotion” telephone ministry began and the church
organized a group for young people. Marlin Hartwig
was the first president, with Bob Bright and his wife as leaders. John Borchardt started a church choir. The ministry was expanded
in 1966 to include a daily broadcast on WRVB-FM. By
the 10th year, there was a steady increase in membership and stewardship.
In 1969, the church purchased a bus
and began picking up students from Maranatha College.
The congregation also purchased two and one-half acres on the west side of the
city and in 1970 made plans for a new building. The church rented a large tent
and held evening meetings and daily vacation Bible school on the property in
the summer of 1971. Pastor Schafer left the congregation in the fall for
Calvary Baptist Church in Watertown and the Rev. Ken McKenzie was then called
to serve.
The building project moved forward
in January 1972 and the new facility was dedicated on Sept. 3, with Schafer and
Dr. John R. Rice as speakers.
The Women's Missionary Society has
been active since the beginning of the congregation.
In 1978 McKenzie left and in 1979,
the church called the Rev. Robert Weiss. He left the congregation in 1982. The
congregation had several interim pastors until the Rev. Lee Seidel was called
as a full time pastor in 1989. The King's Kids program also began that year.
Seidel left the congregation in 1994
and the Rev. Richard Atkins became the full time pastor in 1996.