Elgin | Extra seating in the church parlor had to help hold the 265 people present for Calvary Baptist Church’s anniversary celebration April 23. IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams preached during a celebratory worship service as the church marked its 50th birthday.
Adams, who has long-time close ties to the church, preached a message titled “Find us faithful,” from 2 Timothy 1:1-14.
“My wife, Beth, and I were members there as newlyweds in the mid-80’s, and it has been ‘home church’ to my parents, and to two of my sons during their college years,” he said.
“Calvary is really my ‘home away from home church,’ and it was wonderful to celebrate 50 years of God’s faithfulness with my good friends, and to do it in a full house of worship.”
The congregation started in 1967 and met in the former downtown site of First Baptist Church for a few years, until purchasing a former Methodist church building on the east side. Tim Wills served as pastor for 25 years, establishing strong connections with the Judson University community. Scott Ballance has served as pastor since 2009. The church welcomed Cambodian refugees in the early 1980s, and was featured on the cover of Christianity Today.
The church also hosts a Spanish-language church plant to reach out to the growing Latino population in Fox Valley.