Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa and Welcome to Santa Ana sign

Calvary Chapel is an international association of

charismatic Charisma () is a personal quality of magnetic charm, persuasion, or appeal. In the fields of sociology and political science, psychology, and management, the term ''charismatic'' describes a type of leadership. In Christian theology, the term ...

evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...

churches, with origins in

Pentecostalism Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a movement within the broader Evangelical wing of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes direct personal experience of God in Christianity, God through Baptism with the Holy Spirit#Cl ...

. It maintains a number of radio stations around the world and operates many local

Calvary Chapel Bible College Calvary Chapel Bible College is an evangelical Christian Biblical studies college located at 4200 32nd St. W. in Bradenton, Florida. The campus relocated to Murrieta Hot Springs in Murrieta, California from 1994 to Summer 2022. In July 2022, C.C ...

programs. Beginning in 1965 in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

, this fellowship of churches grew out of Chuck Smith's

Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa is a Christian megachurch located near the boundary between the cities of Costa Mesa and Santa Ana in Orange County. Although the church takes its name from its original facilities on the Costa Mesa side of the boundary ...

History

The association has its origins in the founding of a

(California) in 1965 by

pastor A pastor (abbreviated to "Ps","Pr", "Pstr.", "Ptr." or "Psa" (both singular), or "Ps" (plural)) is the leader of a Christianity, Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutherani ...

Chuck Smith of the

International Church of the Foursquare Gospel The Foursquare Church is an international Pentecostal Christian denomination founded in 1923 by evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson. It lies within the evangelical tradition. Its headquarters are in Los Angeles, California, United States. H ...

with 25 people. In 1968 they broke away from Foursquare Church. Prior to Smith, Costa Mesa members spoke of their own vision of becoming part of a massive church movement. In 1969 Calvary Chapel became a hub in what later became known as the

Jesus movement The Jesus movement was an evangelical Christian movement that began on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s and primarily spread throughout North America, Europe, Central America, Australia and New Zealand, befo ...

when Smith's daughter introduced him to her boyfriend John Higgins Jr., a former

hippie A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, counterculture of the mid-1960s to early 1970s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States and spread to dif ...

who had become a Christian, and who went on to head the largest

Jesus freak The Jesus movement was an evangelical Christian movement that began on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s and primarily spread throughout North America, Europe, Central America, Australia and New Zealand, befo ...

movement in history, the

Shiloh Youth Revival Centers The Shiloh Youth Revival Centers movement was the largest Jesus People communal movement in the United States in the 1970s. Founded in 1968 as a small communal house ( House of Miracles) by Lonnie Frisbee and John Higgins, a former drug addic ...

(1968–1989). John Higgins introduced Smith to

Lonnie Frisbee Lonnie Ray Frisbee (June 6, 1949 – March 12, 1993) was an American Charismatic evangelist in the late 1960s and in the 1970s; he was a self-described "seeing prophet". He was known for his hippie appearance. He was notable as a minister and e ...

, the "hippie evangelist" who became a key figure in the growth of both the

Jesus Movement The Jesus movement was an evangelical Christian movement that began on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s and primarily spread throughout North America, Europe, Central America, Australia and New Zealand, befo ...

and Calvary Chapel. Frisbee moved into Smith's home, and he would minister to other hippies and

counter-culture A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Ho ...

youth on the beaches. At night he would bring home new converts, and soon Smith's house was full. Frisbee became leader in a rental home for the steadily growing crowd of Christian hippies and he named the commune " House of Miracles"; other Houses of Miracles would develop throughout California and beyond. As Calvary Chapel grew "explosively", a tent was erected during the construction of a new building. The converts included musicians who began writing music for praise and worship. This became the genesis for

Jesus music Jesus music, known as gospel beat music in the United Kingdom, is a style of Christian music that originated on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This musical genre developed in parallel to the Jesus movement ...

and

Christian rock concerts A Christian music festival (also known as a Jesus music festival or simply a Jesus festival) is a music festival held by the Christian community, in support of performers of Christian music. The festivals are characterized by more than just music; ...

Maranatha! Music Maranatha! Music is a Christian music record label which was founded as a nonprofit ministry of Calvary Chapel in 1971. The label is distributed by Capitol Christian Music Group, a division of Universal Music Group, Universal Music. Background ...

eventually formed to publish and promote the music. The services led by Frisbee usually resembled

rock concert A rock concert is a performance of rock music. During the 1950s, several American musical groups experimented with new musical forms that fused country music, blues, and swing genre to produce the earliest examples of "rock and roll." The coi ...

s more than any worship services of the time. Frisbee featured in national television-news reports and magazines with images of him baptizing hundreds at a time in the Pacific Ocean. The network of House of Miracles communes/crash pads/coffee houses began doing outreach concerts with Smith or Frisbee preaching, Frisbee calling forth the Holy Spirit and the newly forming bands playing the music. By the early 1970s Calvary Chapel was home to ten or more musical groups that were representative of the Jesus people movement. In 1982

John Wimber John Richard Wimber (February 25, 1934 – November 17, 1997) was an American pastor, Christian author and musician. Initially ordained as a Quaker minister, he became an early, pioneering pastor of charismatic congregations, and a popular thou ...

, a Calvary Chapel pastor, and the Calvary Chapel

leadership Leadership, is defined as the ability of an individual, group, or organization to "", influence, or guide other individuals, teams, or organizations. "Leadership" is a contested term. Specialist literature debates various viewpoints on the co ...

mutually agreed to part ways. Tension had been mounting over Wimber's emphasis on spiritual manifestations, leading Wimber to withdraw from Calvary Chapel and to affiliate with a network of churches that would become the

Association of Vineyard Churches The Association of Vineyard Churches, also known as the Vineyard Movement, is an international neocharismatic evangelical Christian association of churches.Despite the fact that some might see denominational labels as divisive, the founder of the ...

. In 2012, Pastor Chuck Smith founded the Calvary Chapel Association (CCA) to unite all of the movement's churches around the world. On October 3, 2013, Pastor Smith died after a long battle with lung cancer. Smith remained as the senior pastor at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa during his battle with cancer; this included preaching at three services on the Sunday before his death.

Statistics

According to a 2022 census of the association, it had 1,800 churches.

Beliefs

Chuck Smith's "Calvary Chapel Distinctives" summarize the tenets for which Calvary Chapel stands. Calvary Chapels place great importance on the practice of expository teaching, a "verse by verse, chapter by chapter, book by book" approach to teaching the Bible. Typically, Calvary Chapels operate under a senior pastor-led system of

church government Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

, also known as the "Moses" model. It presents itself as a "fellowship of churches" rather than being a denomination. Affiliates of Calvary Chapel believe in the doctrines of

Christianity, which include the

inerrancy of the Bible Biblical inerrancy is the belief that the Bible, in its original form, is entirely free from error. The belief in biblical inerrancy is of particular significance within parts of evangelicalism, where it is formulated in the Chicago Statement ...

and the

Trinity The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, thr ...

. Within evangelical Christianity, they say that they stand in the "middle ground between

fundamentalism Fundamentalism is a tendency among certain groups and individuals that are characterized by the application of a strict literal interpretation to scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, along with a strong belief in the importance of distinguis ...

and

in modern Protestant theology". While they share with a belief in the inerrancy of the Bible, they accept

spiritual gift In Christianity, a spiritual gift or charism (plural: charisms or charismata; in Greek singular: χάρισμα ''charisma'', plural: χαρίσματα ''charismata'') is an extraordinary power given by the Holy Spirit."Spiritual gifts". ''A ...

s. However, they feel that Pentecostalism values experience at the expense of the word of God.

Calvinism and Arminianism

According to Calvary Chapel literature, the association strives to "strik a balance between extremes" when it comes to controversial theological issues such as

Calvinism Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyteri ...

's and

Arminianism Arminianism is a movement of Protestantism initiated in the early 17th century, based on the theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius and his historic supporters known as Remonstrants. Dutch Arminianism was origina ...

's conflicting views on

salvation Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...

. Calvary Chapels hold the following views on the five points of Calvinism: # Regarding

total depravity Total depravity (also called radical corruption or pervasive depravity) is a Protestant theological doctrine derived from the concept of original sin Original sin () in Christian theology refers to the condition of sinfulness that all h ...

, Calvary Chapel affirms that "apart from God's grace, no one can be saved," and that "mankind is clearly fallen and lost in sin." # Regarding

unconditional election Unconditional election (also called sovereign election or unconditional grace) is a Calvinist doctrine relating to predestination that describes the actions and motives of God prior to his creation of the world, when he predestined some people t ...

, Calvary Chapel affirms that God, "based on his foreknowledge, has predestined the believer," and that "God clearly does choose, but man must also accept God's invitation to salvation." # Regarding

limited atonement Limited atonement (also called definite atonement or particular redemption) is a doctrine accepted in some Christian theological traditions. It is particularly associated with the Reformed tradition and is one of the five points of Calvinism. ...

, Calvary Chapel affirms that Jesus died "for the whole world" and that the "atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ was clearly sufficient to save the entire human race." # Regarding

irresistible grace Irresistible grace (also called effectual grace, effectual calling, or efficacious grace) is a doctrine in Christian theology particularly associated with Calvinism, which teaches that the saving grace of God is effectually applied to those wh ...

, Calvary Chapel affirms that "God's grace can either be resisted or received by the exercise of human

free will Free will is generally understood as the capacity or ability of people to (a) choice, choose between different possible courses of Action (philosophy), action, (b) exercise control over their actions in a way that is necessary for moral respon ...

". # Calvary Chapels "believe in the

perseverance of the saints Perseverance of the saints, also known as preservation of the saints, is a Calvinist doctrine asserting that the elect will persevere in faith and ultimately achieve salvation. This concept was initially developed by Augustine of Hippo in the ea ...

(true believers) but are deeply concerned about sinful lifestyles and rebellious hearts among those who call themselves 'Christians'."

Spiritual gifts

Although Calvary Chapel believes in the continuing efficacy of the gift of tongues, it does not recognize uninterpreted tongues spoken in a congregational setting as necessarily inspired (or at least directed) by the

Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit, otherwise known as the Holy Ghost, is a concept within the Abrahamic religions. In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is understood as the divine quality or force of God manifesting in the world, particularly in acts of prophecy, creati ...

because of its understanding of . Calvary Chapel accepts that the Bible affirms interpreted tongues and modern

prophecy In religion, mythology, and fiction, a prophecy is a message that has been communicated to a person (typically called a ''prophet'') by a supernatural entity. Prophecies are a feature of many cultures and belief systems and usually contain di ...

. Practicing tongues in private occurs more commonly. Calvary Chapel does not teach that the outward manifestation of every Christian counts as speaking in tongues. Similar to other Pentecostal or Charismatic movements, Calvary Chapel holds that the baptism of the Holy Spirit does not take place during conversion, but is available as a second experience. It is their understanding that there are three distinct relationships with the Holy Spirit. The first is that which is experienced prior to conversion. In this relationship the Holy Spirit is convicting the person of his sin. In the second relationship the Holy Spirit indwells believers during conversion for the purpose of

sanctification Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects ( ...

. The third relationship is the baptism of the Holy Spirit which Calvary Chapel believes is for the purpose of being a Christian witness.

Baptism and Communion

Calvary Chapels practice

believer's baptism Believer's baptism (also called credobaptism, from the Latin word meaning "I believe") is the practice of baptizing those who are able to make a conscious profession of faith, as contrasted to the practice of Infant baptism, baptizing infants. C ...

by immersion. Calvary Chapel does not regard baptism as necessary for salvation, but instead sees it as an outward sign of an inward change. As a result, the Chapels do not baptize infants, although they may dedicate them to God. Calvary Chapel views Communion in a symbolic way, with reference to .

Eschatology

Calvary Chapels strongly espouse pretribulationist and

premillennialist Premillennialism, in Christian eschatology, is the belief that Jesus will physically return to the Earth (the Second Coming) before the Millennium, heralding a literal thousand-year messianic age of peace. Premillennialism is based upon a liter ...

views in their

eschatology Eschatology (; ) concerns expectations of the end of Contemporary era, present age, human history, or the world itself. The end of the world or end times is predicted by several world religions (both Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic and non-Abrah ...

(the study of the

end times Eschatology (; ) concerns expectations of the end of present age, human history, or the world itself. The end of the world or end times is predicted by several world religions (both Abrahamic and non-Abrahamic), which teach that negative world ...

). They believe that the

rapture The Rapture is an Christian eschatology, eschatological position held by some Christians, particularly those of American evangelicalism, consisting of an end-time event when all dead Christian believers will be resurrected and, joined with Chr ...

of the Church will occur first, followed by a literal seven-year period of

Great Tribulation In Christian eschatology, the Great Tribulation () is a period mentioned by Jesus in the Olivet Discourse as a sign that would occur in the time of the end. At , "the Great Tribulation" () is used to indicate the period spoken of by Jesus. us ...

, followed by the

second coming The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is the Christianity, Christian and Islam, Islamic belief that Jesus, Jesus Christ will return to Earth after his Ascension of Jesus, ascension to Heaven (Christianity), Heav ...

Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

, and then finally a literal thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ on Earth called the Millennial Kingdom. Calvary Chapel also rejects

supersessionism Supersessionism, also called replacement theology by its detractors and fulfillment theology by its proponents, is the Christian theology, Christian doctrine that the Christian Church has superseded the Israelites, Jewish people, assuming Jews a ...

, and instead believes that the Jews remain God's chosen people and that Israel will play an important part in the end times. Interest in one event during the

Tribulation In Christian eschatology, the Great Tribulation () is a period mentioned by Jesus in the Olivet Discourse as a sign that would occur in the time of the end. At , "the Great Tribulation" () is used to indicate the period spoken of by Jesus. u ...

—the building of a

Third Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system Places * 3rd Street (di ...

Temple in Jerusalem The Temple in Jerusalem, or alternatively the Holy Temple (; , ), refers to the two religious structures that served as the central places of worship for Israelites and Jews on the modern-day Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. Accord ...

—led in the early 1980s to associations between some in Calvary Chapel (including Chuck Smith) and Jewish groups interested in seeing the temple rebuilt.

Return of Christ in 1981

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Chuck Smith wrote and published a prophetic timeline that declared the imminent return of Christ. In the book ''Snatched Away!'', published in 1976, Smith wrote:

the generation that was living in May 1948 shall not pass until the second coming of Jesus Christ takes place and the kingdom of God be established upon the earth.

In a 1978 book, Smith wrote:

I believe that the generation of 1948 is the last generation. Since a generation of judgment is forty years and the Tribulation period lasts seven years, I believe the Lord could come back for His Church any time before the Tribulation starts, which would mean any time before 1981.End Times: A Report on Future Survival, Chuck Smith, 1978

The reasoning had to do with the idea that the seven-year Tribulation would end in 1988, forty years after the

establishment of the state of Israel The Israeli Declaration of Independence, formally the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel (), was proclaimed on 14 May 1948 (5 Iyar 5708), at the end of the 1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine, civil war phase and ...

. In his 1978 book, Smith reasoned that

Halley's Comet Halley's Comet is the only known List of periodic comets, short-period comet that is consistently visible to the naked eye from Earth, appearing every 72–80 years, though with the majority of recorded apparitions (25 of 30) occurring after ...

in 1986 would result in problems for those left behind:

The Lord said that towards the end of the Tribulation period the sun would scorch men who dwell upon the face of the Earth (Rev. 16). The year 1986 would fit just about right! We're getting close to the Tribulation and the return of Christ in glory. All the pieces of the puzzle are coming together.

Disappointment resulting from the prophecy not materializing in 1981 caused some to leave the church.DiSabatino, David. The Jesus People Movement: An Annotated Bibliography and General Resource. Bibliographies and Indexes in Religious Studies. p.68Gorenberg, Gershom. The End of Days:Fundamentalism and the Struggle for the Temple Mount. p. 123.Abanes, Richard. End-Time Visions : The Road to Armageddon. pp. 326, 412–413.

Practices

Calvary Chapel pastors tend to prefer expositional sermons rather than topical ones, and they will often give their sermons sequentially from Genesis to Revelation in the Bible. They believe that

expository preaching Expository preaching, also known as expositional preaching, is a form of preaching that details the meaning of a particular text or passage of Scripture. It explains what the Bible means by what it says. Exegesis is technical and grammatical ex ...

allows the congregation to learn how all parts of the Bible address issues as opposed to topical sermons which they see as allowing preachers to emphasize certain issues more than others. Another advantage, they say, is that it makes difficult topics easier to address because members of the congregation won't feel like they are being singled out. It sees expository teaching as providing consistent teaching that, over time, brings the "perfecting of the saints" which is part of their general philosophy for the Church. In teaching expositorily through scripture sequentially, Calvary Chapel believes God sets the agenda, not the pastor. Calvary Chapels believe that most churches have a "dependent, highly organized, ndstructured" environment, but that most people want an "independent and casual way of life". Calvary churches typically have a casual and laid-back atmosphere. As a practical implication of this philosophy, people may wear informal clothes to church.

Praise Praise as a form of social interaction expresses recognition, reassurance or admiration. Praise is expressed verbally as well as by body language (facial expression and gestures). Verbal praise consists of a positive evaluations of another's ...

and

worship Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity or God. For many, worship is not about an emotion, it is more about a recognition of a God. An act of worship may be performed individually, in an informal or formal group, ...

usually consists of upbeat

contemporary Christian music Contemporary Christian music (CCM), also known as Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music, is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christianity, Chri ...

though many of the churches also sing hymns. The style of worship generally reflects the region and the specific make-up of the congregation. Calvary Chapel does not have a formalized system of church membership. Calling a Calvary Chapel one's church usually means regularly attending church services and becoming involved in

fellowship A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned or professional societies, the term refers ...

with other "members" of the church.

Organization

The form of

practiced by Calvary Chapel does not conform to any of the three historical forms. They do not employ

congregational polity Congregational polity, or congregationalist polity, often known as congregationalism, is a system of ecclesiastical polity in which every local church (congregation) is independent, ecclesiastically sovereign, or " autonomous". Its first articul ...

, believing that God's people collectively made poor decisions in the

Old Testament The Old Testament (OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew and occasionally Aramaic writings by the Isr ...

, citing as an example. They also criticize

presbyterian polity Presbyterian (or presbyteral) polity is a method of church governance (" ecclesiastical polity") typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session ...

because when "the pastor is hired by the board and can be fired by the board," they fear that "the pastor becomes a hireling". Although Calvary Chapel's governance shares a similarity with

episcopal polity An episcopal polity is a hierarchical form of church governance in which the chief local authorities are called bishops. The word "bishop" here is derived via the British Latin and Vulgar Latin term ''*ebiscopus''/''*biscopus'', . It is the ...

in that the congregation has no direct authority over the pastor, it does not have the formal hierarchy characteristic of episcopal polity. The majority of Calvary Chapels have adopted models of government based on their understanding of the theocracy that God established in the Old Testament they sometimes call the "Moses model". In this system, God was head of his people and under God's authority was Moses, who led the

Israelites Israelites were a Hebrew language, Hebrew-speaking ethnoreligious group, consisting of tribes that lived in Canaan during the Iron Age. Modern scholarship describes the Israelites as emerging from indigenous Canaanites, Canaanite populations ...

as God directed him. Moses also had a priesthood and seventy elders providing him support. Calvary Chapel has adapted this order believing their pastors have a role like Moses and their boards of elders function in supporting roles. Calvary Chapels are independent and self-governing churches. They do not have church membership apart from pastors recognized through their affiliate program. The Calvary Chapel Association has the responsibility of affiliating churches with Calvary Chapel. A church that affiliates with Calvary Chapel often (but not always) uses the name "Calvary Chapel". Three requirements for becoming affiliated exist: # the pastor must "embrace the characteristics of the Calvary Chapel movement as described in ''Calvary Chapel Distinctives''" # the church must have the characteristics of a church (as opposed to a less-developed home fellowship) # an applicant must express willingness to spend the time to

with other Calvary Chapels The requirements do not include a

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as cle ...

degree. In accordance with Calvary's interpretation and understanding of the Bible (see 1 Timothy 3:2 and 1 Timothy 3:12), Calvary Chapel does not ordain women or sexually-active homosexuals as pastors. Regional lead pastors exercise a measure of accountability. Since no legal or financial ties link the different Calvary Chapels, only disaffiliation can serve as a disciplinary procedure. The Calvary Chapel trademark is owned by Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, the flagship church of the Calvary Chapel Global Network. The Calvary dove logo is also a "trademark-protected property of Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa."

Controversies

Various criticisms of the organization and of the pastorate role in the organization exist. For example, Chuck Smith has been criticized for drawing connections between disasters (e.g., earthquakes, the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...

) and divine wrath against

homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexu ...

and

abortion Abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. Abortions that occur without intervention are known as miscarriages or "spontaneous abortions", and occur in roughly 30–40% of all pregnan ...

. Calvary Chapel leaders, including Smith, were the subject of a lawsuit alleging that they knew or should have known that a minister named Anthony Iglesias was prone to sexual abuse when they moved him from ministry positions in

Diamond Bar, California Diamond Bar is a city in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The 2020 census listed a population of 55,072. It is one of a few cities in California with a majority Asian population (59.24% as of 2020). It is named after the ...

, to

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

, to

Post Falls, Idaho Post Falls is a city in Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. It is the gateway city to Northern Idaho off Interstate 90, just west of Coeur d'Alene, and east of Spokane, Washington. The population is an estimated 44,798 in 2023 according to ...

.Arellano, Gustavo 2011
Lawsuit claims Calvary Chapel allowed shuffling of pedophile employee from Diamond Bar to Idaho
, ''

OC Weekly ''OC Weekly'' was a free alternative weekly paper distributed in Orange County and Long Beach, California. It was founded in September 1995 by Will Swaim, who acted as editor and publisher until 2007. The paper was distributed at coffee shops, ...

''. Published August 23, 2011.. Retrieved September 19, 2011. Iglesias was convicted of molesting two 14-year-old boys in California in 2004, and the lawsuit stemmed from events in Idaho, but all alleged abuse occurred in or before 2003.Graman, Kevin 2011
Churches protected predator, suit says
, ''

The Spokesman-Review ''The Spokesman-Review'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Spokane, Washington, the city's sole remaining daily publication. It has the third-highest readership among daily newspapers in the state, with most of its readership base in ...

''. Published April 16, 2011. Retrieved September 19, 2011. The church was dismissed as a defendant in the lawsuit. As a result of what he saw as micromanaging church elders and board members, Chuck Smith used "an independent board of elders" when he took the senior pastor role at Calvary Chapel. Smith subsequently wrote that "senior pastors should be answerable to God, not to a denominational hierarchy or board of elders". ''

Christianity Today ''Christianity Today'' is an evangelical Christian media magazine founded in 1956 by Billy Graham. It is published by Christianity Today International based in Carol Stream, Illinois. ''The Washington Post'' calls ''Christianity Today'' "eva ...

'' says that Smith's "Moses Model", in which senior pastors do not permit their authority to be challenged, can lead to churches that are often resistant to accountability. In response, Smith says he is following the authority structure that God used when Israel was under the rule of Moses. According to one article, "Smith's book ''Calvary Chapel Distinctives'' teaches that senior pastors should be answerable to God, not to a denominational hierarchy or board of elders." Critics say this 'Moses model' produces pastors who do not permit their authority to be challenged. Calvary Chapel suggests that some churches are led astray by the management of their boards and that a biblical board of elders should aid the ministry and give wise counsel, not control the affairs of the church. In November 2016, Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa left the Calvary Chapel Association and formed the Calvary Chapel Global Network. The latter continues to count the association's 1,700 churches as members unless they opt out.

Ministries

Bible college

Calvary Chapel Bible College (CCBC) in

Twin Peaks, California Twin Peaks is an unincorporated community in San Bernardino County, California, United States, within the heart of the San Bernardino Mountains. California State Route 189 runs through the entire area before it reaches Lake Arrowhead. Twin Pe ...

is the flagship of at least 50 affiliated campuses throughout the world. The college recently returned to a newly renovated site after about three decades in

Murrieta, California Murrieta is a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, United States. The population of Murrieta was 110,949 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Murrieta experienced a 133.7% population increase between 2000 and 2010, ma ...

. Founded in 1975, it originally offered a "short, intensive study program", but became a college awarding Certificates of Completion, Associate in Theology degrees (for high-school graduates), and Bachelor of Biblical Studies degrees (to students who have an Associate of Arts from an approved college). The college as a whole is pursuing

accreditation Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

; and students can transfer CCBC credits to some major accredited colleges such as Azusa Pacific,

Biola University Biola University () is a private, nondenominational, evangelical Christian university in La Mirada, California. It was founded in 1908 as the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. It has over 150 programs of study in nine schools offering bachelor' ...

Liberty University Liberty University (LU), known simply as Liberty, is a Private university, private Evangelicalism in the United States, evangelical Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia, United States. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Conservativ ...

Veritas International University Veritas International University (VIU) is a non-profit accredited Christian university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 2008, the university began as a seminary before transitioning to a university with the addition of undergraduate and po ...

, etc. The college was initially reluctant on seeking accreditation, stating that this allows Calvary Chapel Bible College to keep tuition costs lower and offer courses taught by instructors without master's degrees. But C.C.B.C. has reversed course and is currently seeking accreditation.

Harvest Crusades

Harvest Crusades operate as a ministry of

Harvest Christian Fellowship Harvest Christian Fellowship is a Non-denominational Evangelical multi-site church based in Riverside, California, affiliated with the Calvary Chapel Association. History Harvest Christian Fellowship was founded in 1973 by Greg Laurie, who has b ...

(a former Calvary Chapel in

Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. As of the 2020 census, the city has a population of 314,998. It is the most populous city in th ...

). They carry out an evangelistic ministry similar to

Billy Graham William Franklin Graham Jr. (; November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American Evangelism, evangelist, ordained Southern Baptist minister, and Civil rights movement, civil rights advocate, whose broadcasts and world tours featuring liv ...

's. They meet in stadiums and have Christian music bands play followed by an evangelical message normally given by

Greg Laurie Greg Laurie (born December 10, 1952) is an American evangelical pastor, evangelist, and Christian author who serves as the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, based in Riverside, California. He also is the founder of Harvest Crusa ...

. They estimate three million people have attended since its inception in 1990.

Broadcasting

Calvary Chapel churches operate several radio stations, including: * KBLD in

Kennewick, Washington Kennewick () is a city in Benton County, Washington, Benton County in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It is located along the southwest bank of the Columbia River, just southeast of the confluence of the Columbia and Yakima ...

* KKJC in

McMinnville, Oregon McMinnville is the county seat of and the most populous city in Yamhill County, Oregon, Yamhill County, Oregon, United States at the base of the Oregon Coast Range. The city is named after McMinnville, Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States cens ...

KLYT KLYT (88.3 MHz) is a non-commercial FM radio station broadcasting a Christian talk and teaching radio format, branded as "The Light." The principal station is in Albuquerque, with two FM translators and two repeaters around New Mexico. The s ...

Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...

* KQIP-LP in

Chico, California Chico ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "little") is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States. Located in the Sacramento Valley region of Northern California, the city had a population of 101,475 in the 2020 United Sta ...

* KWTH 91.3 in

Barstow, California Barstow is a city in San Bernardino County, California, in the Mojave Desert of Southern California. Located in the Inland Empire region of California, the population was 25,415 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Barstow is an impor ...

KWTW KWTW (88.5 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a Christian Contemporary & Talk format, licensed to Bishop, California, United States. KWTW is known as The Living Proof Radio Network, which is a ministry of Calvary Chapel in Bishop. The station ...

Bishop, California Bishop (formerly Bishop Creek) is the only incorporated city in Inyo County, California, United States. It is located near the northern end of the Owens Valley within the Mojave Desert, at an elevation of . The city was named after Bishop Creek ...

(with its partner

KWTD KWTD (91.9 FM) is a non-commercial radio station that is licensed to Ridgecrest, California, United States and serves Ridgecrest, California City, and the Antelope Valley. The station is owned by Westside Christian Fellowship A.V. and broadca ...

) *

KWVE-FM KWVE-FM (107.9 Hertz, MHz) is a commercial radio, commercial radio station city of license, licensed to San Clemente, California, and broadcasting to Orange County, California, Orange County, the Inland Empire and San Diego County, Northern San ...

Costa Mesa, California Costa Mesa (; Spanish language, Spanish for "coastal tableland") is a city in Orange County, California, United States. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to an urban area including ...

(near Los Angeles) * KXGR FM 89.7 in

Loveland, Colorado Loveland is a List of cities and towns in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality and the List of cities and towns in Colorado, second most populous municipality in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Loveland is situated n ...

* WAYG-LP 104.7 FM in

Miami, Florida Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

* WJCX in

Pittsfield, Maine Pittsfield is a town in Somerset County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,908 at the 2020 census. Pittsfield is home to the Maine Central Institute, a semi-private boarding school, and the annual Central Maine Egg Festival. History ...

* WLGS-LP in

Lake Villa, Illinois Lake Villa is a village in Lake County, Illinois United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 8,741. Lake Villa lies within Lake Villa Township and about 50 miles north of Chicago and is part of the United States Census Bureau's Chica ...

* WLMP-LP in

Fredericksburg, Virginia Fredericksburg is an Independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 27,982. It is south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond, Virginia, R ...

WRDR WRDR (89.7 FM, "Bridge FM") is a radio station broadcasting a Christian radio format. Licensed to Freehold Township, New Jersey, it serves the New York metropolitan area. The station is owned by Bridgelight, LLC. Bridgelight, LLC was created a ...

Freehold Township, New Jersey Freehold Township is a township in western Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Crisscrossed by several major highways, the township is a commercial hub for Central New Jersey (home to the Freehold Raceway and Freehold Raceway M ...

(near New York City) * WTWT/ WYVL in Russell, Pennsylvania (in the

Twin Tiers The Twin Tiers are the collective counties that lie on the New York–Pennsylvania border on either side of the 42nd parallel north. The region is predominantly rural and contains many small towns. Separately, the two halves of the Twin Tiers ...

of Pennsylvania and New York) * WXMB-LP 101.5 FM in

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Myrtle Beach is a resort city on the East Coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is located in the center of a long and continuous stretch of beach known as the "Grand Strand” in the northeastern part of the state. Its ...

* WZXV in

Farmington, New York Farmington is a town located in the northern part of Ontario County, New York, United States. The population was 14,275 at the 2020 census. History Farmington was part of the Phelps and Gorham Purchase. The town was formed along with its coun ...

KSGR 91.1
Corpus Christi, Texas *

KDVW-LP KDVW-LP (100.9 FM) is a low-power FM radio station licensed to Montrose, Colorado, United States. The station is currently owned by Calvary Chapel Calvary Chapel is an international association of charismatic evangelical churches, with o ...

100.9

Montrose, Colorado Montrose is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Montrose County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 20,291 at the 2020 census, within a total area of 18.5 square miles. The m ...

In addition, a Calvary Chapel in

Twin Falls, Idaho Twin Falls is the county seat of and the largest city in Twin Falls County, Idaho, United States. The city had a population of 51,807 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census.

founded the

CSN International CSN Radio is a Christian radio network based in Twin Falls, Idaho. KAWZ, 89.9 MHz, in Twin Falls is the uplink station, feeding over 348 broadcast translators and 59 full-power radio stations across the United States, including Alaska and the ...

(originally known as the "Calvary Satellite Network") and

Effect Radio Effect Radio is a network of radio stations airing a Christian Rock format. The network is owned by The River Christian Fellowship, formerly Calvary Chapel of Twin Falls, Idaho, United States. It is a sister network to the more widely distribute ...

networks; though CSN still carries a significant number of programs from several Calvary Chapels, the networks and the church (subsequently known by the name "The River Christian Fellowship") severed their official ties with the Calvary Chapel as part of a 2007 legal settlement. In 2010, Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa sold 11 stations and 20 translators in the midwestern United States to the

Calvary Radio Network Calvary Radio Network is a network of Christian radio stations in the Midwestern United States, broadcasting Christian talk and teaching programs as well as contemporary Christian music. The network is based in Valparaiso, Indiana. History In 20 ...

Notable people

Pastors

* Chuck Smith (died October 3, 2013), founder of the Calvary Chapel movement in the 1960s; senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa in

Santa Ana, California Santa Ana (Spanish language, Spanish for ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, California, United States. Located in the Greater Los Angeles region of Southern California, the city's population was 310,227 at the 2020 census. As ...

, until his death. * Bob Coy, founder of Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale. Resigned in 2014 over an adultery scandal. *

(died 1993), hippie evangelist in the 1960s, the key figure of the Jesus Movement: "The first Jesus freak." Pastor in Calvary Chapel until 1971. *

Skip Heitzig Skip Heitzig (born 1955) is the founder and senior pastor of Calvary Church, a Calvary Chapel fellowship located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Personal A native of Southern California, Heitzig has three siblings (his brother, Bob, died in a motorcyc ...

, senior pastor of Calvary of Albuquerque *

, Senior Pastor, since 1979, of

in Riverside. *

Jack Hibbs Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name, inclu ...

, Senior Pastor & founder of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, alongside the Real Life network. A key figure in the teaching of the bible, end times prophesy & along with

Amir Tsarfati Emir (; ' (), also transliterated as amir, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or ceremonial authority. The title has ...

, leads the popular Happening Now program. *

Mike MacIntosh Mike MacIntosh (born 1944) is the senior pastor of Horizon Christian Fellowship in San Diego, California, and is a Protestant leader in the United States. Ministry MacIntosh became involved with Calvary Chapel after his conversion to Christiani ...

, pastor of Horizon Christian Fellowship in San Diego. *

Chuck Missler Charles W. Missler (May 28, 1934 – May 1, 2018) was an American author, evangelical Christian, Bible teacher, engineer, and businessman. Business career Missler graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1956 and received a Master's degree in ...

(died May 1, 2018), author and teacher. *

Paul LeBoutillier Paul may refer to: People * Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people * Paul (surname), a list of people * Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament * Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo P ...

, Senior Pastor & of Calvary Chapel Ontario since 1990, and popular online teacher.

Musicians

Dennis Agajanian Dennis Agajanian is an American Christian musician of Armenian descent; he has recorded over 20 albums. He has performed at churches in 120 countries, he has been featured at the Harvest Crusades and Billy Graham William Franklin Graham J ...

, alumnus of the "Guinness Book of World Records" as the fastest flat-picker * Alejandro Alonso, contemporary Christian-Latin artist *

Jeremy Camp Jeremy Thomas Camp (born January 12, 1978) is an American Contemporary Christian music, contemporary Christian singer and songwriter from Lafayette, Indiana. He has released eleven albums, four of them RIAA certification, RIAA-certified as Music ...

, contemporary Christian artist * Paul Clark, contemporary Christian artist *

Daniel Amos Daniel Amos (aka D. A., Dä) is an American Christian rock band formed in 1974 by Terry Scott Taylor on guitars and vocals, Marty Dieckmeyer on bass guitar, Steve Baxter (musician), Steve Baxter on guitars and Jerry Chamberlain on lead guitars. ...

, Christian rock and alternative rock band *

Phil Danyew Phillip Bruce Danyew is an American singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer. He released two extended plays in 2009, ''Danyew'' and ''Wake Up'' with EMI/Sparrow Records. He was a touring member of Foster the People. Early life Ph ...

, contemporary Christian artist and touring member of

Foster the People Foster the People is an American indie pop band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 2009. Its members include founder and frontman Mark Foster (musician), Mark Foster and keyboardist Isom Innis. Foster founded the band in 2009 after spending ...

Richie Furay Paul Richard Furay (born May 9, 1944) is an American musician and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member (with Buffalo Springfield). He is best known for forming the bands Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Bruce Palmer, and Dewey ...

folk rock Folk rock is a fusion genre of rock music with heavy influences from pop, English and American folk music. It arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music re ...

artist *

Chuck Girard Chuck Girard (born on August 27, 1943) is an American musician, considered a pioneer of Contemporary Christian music. He moved to Santa Rosa, California in his early teens, becoming a band member of the Castells and later the surf-rock band The ...

artist *

Love Song A love song is a song about love, falling in love, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. Love songs can be found in a variety of different music genres. They can come in various formats, from sad and emotion ...

band *

Mustard Seed Faith Mustard Seed Faith was an American Jesus music group from Costa Mesa, California. Mustard Seed Faith was one of several groups formed by members of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa in the late 1960s and early 1970s; others included Daniel Amos and S ...

band *

P.O.D. P.O.D. (an initialism for Payable on Death) is an American nu metal band formed in 1992 and based in San Diego, California. The band's line-up consists of vocalist Paul Joshua "Sonny" Sandoval, bassist Mark "Traa" Daniels, lead guitarist Mar ...

, alternative rock band * Tony Stone, Christian hip-hop producer *

Switchfoot Switchfoot is an American rock music, rock band from San Diego, California. The band's members are Jon Foreman (lead vocals, guitar), Tim Foreman (bass guitar, backing vocals), Chad Butler (drum kit, drums, percussion), and Jerome Fontamillas (g ...

, alternative rock band *

Brian "Head" Welch Brian Philip Welch (born June 19, 1970), also known by his stage name Head, is an American musician. He is a guitarist and founding member of the nu metal band Korn and his solo project Love and Death (band), Love and Death, where he also pro ...

, alternative Christian artist *

Phil Wickham Philip David Wickham (born April 5, 1984) is an American contemporary Christian singer, musician and songwriter from San Diego, California. He has released ten worship albums: '' Give You My World'' in 2003, a self-titled album in 2006, ''Cann ...

, contemporary Christian artist *

Kelly Willard Kelly Willard (born on August 18, 1956) is a contemporary Christian musician best known for her praise and worship recordings. She was featured as a soloist on recordings from Integrity, Vineyard Music, and Maranatha! Music. Additionally she h ...

, contemporary Christian artist * Michael Bloodgood,

Christian metal Christian metal, also known as white metal, Jesus metal, or heavenly metal, is heavy metal music distinguished by its Christian-themed song lyrics and the dedication of the band-members to Christianity. Christian metal is typically performed by ...

artist

Other members

Linda Gist Calvin Linda Gist Calvin is an American businesswoman who served as the 41st president general of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. Early life and education Calvin was born and raised in Visalia, California. She attended Colle ...

, 41st President General of the

Daughters of the American Revolution The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (often abbreviated as DAR or NSDAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a patriot of the American Revolutionary War. A non-p ...

References

External links

Calvary Chapel Association
{{Authority control * Evangelicalism in the United States Charismatic and Pentecostal Christianity Jesus movement Christian organizations established in 1965 Christian denominations founded in the United States LGBTQ-related controversies in the United States Organizations that oppose LGBTQ rights in the United States