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History of Calvary Chapels |
Calvary Chapel ministries began in the late sixties during what was commonly called the "Jesus Movement" in the area of Costa Mesa, California. There a young pastor by the name of Chuck Smith began sowing the seeds of the Gospel in the lives of many who were considered to be anti-establishment types: hippies, drug addicts, beach bums, etc. A remarkable thing happened as God, through the power of the Holy Spirit and the faithful obedience of Pastor Chuck reached out to those from whom the established church had turned it's back. Rather than strive to change the outside appearance of a person to match man's standards, Pastor Chuck was willing to accept the outside man as he was and allow God to change them from the inside. The idea was to simply teach the Bible to anyone who was willing to listen and allow the power of God's Word to bring in the harvest. The result was literally thousands of young people coming to a living, fresh relationship with Jesus Christ, with hearts and lives being changed forever.
As these same hippies, former drug addicts and others began to grow in their commitment to Christ and as their walk in Him began to show fruit of their new life, many began to lead small Bible studies with their friends, schoolmates and neighbors. Several of these men became pastors of new congregations that sprang up all around the Southern California area.
Through this same process, fellowships associated with Calvary Chapel spread throughout the United States and the world. There are now over 2,000 Calvary Chapel style churches world wide, as well as over a hundred Bible Colleges and ministry schools. For more information on the various ministries of Calvary Chapel worldwide you can search the Internet at: www.calvarychapel.org.
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