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Calvary Church is 92 Today!

10/25/23 | The Weekly | by Eric Wakeling

    Dear Calvary Family,

    Calvary is officially 92 years old today! Happy Birthday Calvary Church!

    It’s so amazing to think about God’s faithfulness to this community of believers over nine decades and counting, so I thought I’d share a little bit about Calvary’s story with you today.

    Calvary Church of Santa Ana began to take shape in 1930 as a small Wednesday night Bible Study in Orange County with a group of Christians who were seeking a church that would remain true to the Bible. The group reached out to Dr. Charles Fuller, the pastor of Calvary Church of Placentia, who agreed to help get this new church started and write the original statement of beliefs. (Fuller would also become one of the pioneers of radio evangelism and co-founder of Fuller Theological Seminary.)

    We had our first service on September 20, 1931, in the Ebell Club on French Street in downtown Santa Ana. The Ebell Club is still there today, right next to Hidden House Coffee. The church was officially chartered as an independent branch of Calvary Church of Placentia on October 25, 1931 with 203 members. So that’s why we consider October 25th the official birthday of Calvary Church!


    Calvary's original purpose statement under the leadership of our first Senior Pastor Frank E. Lindgren was:

    “Our purpose is to honor God, present and exalt Christ, further the missionary effort and be of service to the people of our community.”

    From the very beginning, Calvary has placed a high priority on reaching the world for Jesus. It was within our first year, in 1932, that Harold and Dauphine Tuggy became Calvary’s first missionaries with the Orinoco River Mission in Venezuela. And, since then many have gone out from Calvary to help make a difference globally.

    Taking one step of faith after another, Calvary continued to grow over the years. The church's first property, a big house at the corner of 6th and French, was purchased in 1941. With an expanding ministry during war time to military personnel at the local base and through miraculous provision, construction was finally completed in 1947. Then in 1957, Pastor Michael Samsvick led the move from downtown out to a field of orange groves on the edge of the city - our current location at 1010 N Tustin Avenue.

    For more than nine decades, Calvary has reached many people with the hope and life found in the good news of Jesus. From those original members in 1931 to all that call Calvary home today, God continues to build His church and accomplish His purposes both here in Orange County and around the world.



    What part will you play in the story God is authoring through Calvary Church of Santa Ana?

    How can we, together, honor God? How can we, together, present and exalt Christ? How can we, together, further the missionary effort? How can we, together, be of service to the people of our community? I’d love for you to take time today to pray through this challenge.

    Let’s write some history with our lives and add to the legacy of our church family in dependence on the power of the Holy Spirit to make disciples who are being changed by the Gospel to love like Jesus across all cultures and generations.

    You can read much more about Calvary's 92-year story in more detail at CalvaryLife.org/History.

    May the Lord bless you and keep you,
    Eric Wakeling