Grateful for Three Big Reasons this Week!

Preachers are known for doing everything in three-point outlines.  Surely not everything in life is given in three points.  Surely not all of God's revelation comes with three points and a story.  But sometimes it is so!  This week I am grateful for three reasons: (1) the appreciation I feel at my two-year anniversary as pastor; (2) Calvary's 55th anniversary as a church; and (3) the debt retirement of our children's building.


First, I would like to express my appreciation to the congregation for your expression of support as I completed my 2^nd year as your Lead Pastor.  I thank God for the privilege of serving you in that capacity.  I have felt the love and support of the congregation and I count myself blessed to be part of what God is doing in this precious church.  I am especially honored to be a part of such a great heritage.


Secondly, this week Calvary Baptist Church celebrates 55 years since its establishment.  Two dates are of special significance in regard to when this church was founded:

1.     On Monday, July 15, 1957 an organizational meeting took place at David Crockett Public School on North Main Street where 71 people entered into covenant to form Calvary Baptist Church, McAllen;

2.     On Sunday, July 21, 1957 Calvary celebrated her first worship service, also at the David Crocket Public School.  The charter was left open that Sunday so that others attending that worship service could join the founders group.  Thus, the list of original charter members consists of 143 people. 

So whether we celebrate the organizational meeting or the first worship service, or both, this week is Calvary’s 55th anniversary!  We are blessed to be a part of a church whose stated purpose from the beginning was to be evangelistic and missionary.

Fifty-five years later, with 1,235 active members on roll and an average attendance of 896 we continue to reach people in the McAllen area through our English and Spanish ministries, to sponsor the congregation in Sullivan City, support the BSM ministry at the UTPA campus, directly provide support to about 12 missionaries around the world, to have our members directly involved in Chiapas, the Amazon Basin and Kenya, contribute to the local association and the Cooperative Program, (among several other ministries), resulting in giving over 18% of our budget income for mission causes in addition to special mission offerings.  What God started, he continues to use and prosper!

Thirdly, thanks to the generosity and to the faithfulness of contributors who have been giving to the building fund, Calvary will be debt free in a matter of days!  About eight years ago our church went into a building campaign for a new children’s building.  Our people made pledges for this purpose and began giving toward it in 2004.  The approximate cost of the children's building and multi-purpose wing was $4.3 million.  After construction was completed, our church arranged long-term financing with the Baptist Church Loan Corporation for the amount of $950,000 back in 2008.  This week we will send our last payment, made possible by a building fund offering of $200,287 on Sunday July 1.  After eight years of generous giving above and beyond tithes and budget offerings, we are paying off the children's building!

To God be the glory, great things he hath done!