Just When is our Church Anniversary?

1956 - 1996

One couldn't help but noticed that we had a great celebration of the fortieth church/pastoral anniversary at the conference banquet in July.   (Who can deny that it was a great celebration when I, the pastor, was presented a 1997 Mercedes Benz by the congregation?   It still seems a little dreamy!)

Then we were reminded in September that it was that month, September, that actually was the anniversary of the beginning of Calvary Apostolic Church.   But, on the founder's plaque in the church foyer, you've probably noticed that November, 1956 was the anniversary date.   What's going on here!

According to the earliest church document, business meetings were not begun until 1957.   However, the church secretary noted, services were begun in September of 1956.   So, where does the November date come in?   Until that date services were temporarily held in two places.   First, in our family home at 508 South Pearl Street.   Then, for a few weeks, in rented space over the Littleton Press offices in Littleton, CO.   We were meeting back in our home when the storefront at 1001 South Pearl Street was secured.   We have chosen to celebrate the anniversary year of our church's beginning at our annual conference banquet.

The store building was in shambles when we rented it.   But, with a lot of elbow grease we brought it into shape.   We rented chairs which were soon replaced by our own, bought at the "right price" of seventy-five cents each from W.C. Carey Co., a used furniture store at the corner of South Broadway and East Florida Street.   They were second-hand class-room chairs from the public school system.   In those first church services, our only music was an accordion and acoustic guitar. My, hasn't our orchestra grown?