Our History
Calvary Chapel began in the late 1960's as a
small non-denominational church of 25 members led by pastor Chuck Smith. As we approach the turn of the century, Calvary Chapel of Costa
Mesa is home to some 30,000 believers, The Word for Today publishes Bible study books and
tapes all over the world, KWVE broadcasts God's Word to all of Southern California, and
Calvary Chapel's Bible College provides Bible education to thousands at its home campus in
Twin Peaks, California and at over 20 extension campuses world wide.
Because of its size and influence,
many Christians have asked exactly what Calvary Chapel believes, what are its
distinctiveness, what sets it apart from other Christian groups. At Calvary Chapel, we
have always been hesitant to try and answer those questions, not because we are unsure of
our beliefs, but because we are cautious to avoid division within the Body of Christ.
After all, what really matters is what we have in common as Christians: the
"essential" doctrines of the infallibility of God's Word, the virgin birth of
Christ, His sinless life, death for our sins, bodily resurrection. Ascension to glory, and
personal return to rule the earth. These are the essence of Christianity, and agreed upon
by virtually all born again believers.
When we move away from the
essential doctrines to those that are less essential we risk setting barriers up in the
church, something we at Calvary Chapel have no desire to do. Still, Calvary Chapel is
distinct from denominational churches and other Protestant groups and people want to know
what those distinctions are.
It is not our purpose to
cause division or discord in the Body of Christ, conversely, we long for unity among God's
people of all persuasions, and we allow for a great deal of flexibility even within our
own ranks. Calvary Chapel pastors are not clones who all believe exactly
the same thing. Still, there are some distinctions that make Calvary Chapel unique and which
define our mission.
The Balance
In a broad general sense, Calvary Chapel is the middle ground between
fundamentalism and Pentecostalism in modern Protestant theology. In fact, we believe that
this is at least part of the reason why God has raised up this ministry.
Fundamentalism is that
portion of Protestantism which holds to the literal interpretation of the Scriptures,
believing that they are divinely inspired and inerrant. Hence, the
"fundamentals" of the faith are emphasized. Although the modern news media and
the liberal church scorn fundamentalists as backwards and stupid, the truth is that
fundamentalism has preserved the integrity of God's Word and held on to the essential
doctrines of the orthodox faith. Pentecostalism as a modern movement grew out of the Azusa
Street revival in Los Angeles at the turn of the 20th century, and spawned denominations
that emphasize the fullness of the Holy Spirit and the exercise of spiritual and
Scriptural gifts of the Spirit which had fallen dormant in the main line churches. Also
criticized by the liberal church and news media as being emotionally driven,
Pentecostalism restored to
the church the importance of gifts of the Spirit and the power of God for the believer
today.
Over the years, however,
fundamentalism, while it clung to the integrity of God's Word, tended to become rigid,
legalistic, and rejecting of spiritual gifts. Similarly, Pentecostalism became
enthusiastic and emotional at the expense of the teaching of God's Word.
Calvary Chapel is the
balance between the two. At Calvary Chapel we believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit
mentioned in the Bible, and we encourage their exercise, but always decently and in order,
and with the primary emphasis on the Word of God which we look to as our primary rule of
faith.
To quote Pastor Chuck
Smith: "We believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the Scriptures, and
that they are valid for today if they are exercised within the Scriptural guidelines. We
as believers are to covet the best gifts, seeking to exercise them in love that the whole
Body of Christ might be edified. We believe that love is more important than the most
spectacular gifts, and without this love all exercise of spiritual gifts is
worthless."
Because of this balance,
Calvary Chapel services are designed to be centered around the verse by verse teaching of
God's Word, and special "after glow" services are provided where the gifts of
the Holy Spirit can operate freely under the leadership of mature Christians. Many
Pentecostals think Calvary Chapel is not emotional enough, and many fundamentalists think
Calvary Chapel is too emotional. That balance is indication, in my opinion, that we are
right where God wants us to be.
Calvary Chapel also differs
from most mainline churches in its style of church government. Most denominational
churches maintain either a congregational form of church government, a Presbyterian form,
or an Episcopal form of running their churches. These three terms should not be confused
with the denominations that bear the same names because other churches of different names
share the same styles of government.
The congregational form of
church government is an American invention and appeals to our American sense of democracy.
Basically, the congregation as a whole makes all decisions in these churches by voting on
matters of importance and appointing committees from its ranks to run the daily operation
of the church. Most Congregational, Baptist, Pentecostal, Brethren, and non-denominational
churches are organized in this fashion. The congregation votes on hiring a pastor, votes
on how to spend the money, and on anything else of importance. Although democratic people
like the idea, congregational forms of church government often wind up at best causing the
pastor to be directed by the sheep he is supposed to lead, and at worst reducing the
pastor to a hireling.
The Episcopal form of
church government, used by Episcopalian, Anglican, Catholic, Orthodox, and Methodist
churches (to name a few) is controlled by a church hierarchy which may have differing
names. Basically, there is a bishop, or someone of similar stature if called by a
different name, who oversees the churches, appoints pastors to pulpits, sets policy, and
guides the vision of the local congregations. Unfortunately, this style of government,
which grew out of European monarchies, leaves little freedom for the local pastor or
congregation to follow the leading of the Spirit.
The Presbyterian form of
church government, which is typical in Presbyterian and Reformed churches, puts the
decisions of church polity in the hands of a select group of elders (the
"presbytery") who are appointed in various different ways, depending on the
church. These elders are over the pastor, who in turn is over the congregation. The
problem here too is that this system puts the God-appointed leader, the pastor, under some
of those he is supposed to lead.
Calvary Chapels are
organized differently. Church government at Calvary Chapel is very simple, not a complex
bureaucracy, committees and sub-committees are essentially non-existent. Basically, at
Calvary Chapel we believe that the pastor is responsible for the church, responsible to
hear from God, and responsible to feed and love His people faithfully. Elders are
appointed in the larger churches to help the pastor care for the spiritual needs of the
congregation, as are deacons to help the pastor care for the material needs of the church.
In addition, our churches
have church boards as required by most states which vary in size depending on the size of
the church, and which usually are made up of mature Christian businessmen who can advise
the pastor with respect to the business operations and decisions of the church such as
property management and investments. At Calvary Chapel, church organization is
de-emphasized, and only the organization that is needed to run the church is instituted.
The pastor guides the church as he is lead by the Holy Spirit, and we
trust God to put pastors where He wants them to be.
Doctrine
At Calvary Chapel we believe in all the fundamental doctrines of the
evangelical Protestant church. For example, we believe in the inerrancy of Scripture, that
the Bible, Old and New Testaments, is the inspired, infallible Word of God.
We believe that God is
eternally existent in three separate persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe
that God the father is the personal, transcendent, and sovereign creator of all things.
We believe that Jesus
Christ is fully God and fully human, that He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life,
provided for the atonement of our sins by His vicarious death on the Cross, was bodily
resurrected by the power of the Holy Spirit, ascended back to the right hand of God the
father, and ever lives to make intercession for us.
After He ascended to
Heaven, Jesus poured out His Holy Spirit on the believers in Jerusalem, enabling them to
fulfill His command to preach the Gospel to the entire world, an obligation shared by all
believers today.
We believe that all people
are by nature separated from God and responsible for their own sin, but that salvation,
redemption, and forgiveness of sin are freely offered to all by the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ. When a person repents of sin and accepts Jesus Christ as personal Savior and
Lord, trusting Him to save, that person is immediately born again and sealed by the Holy
Spirit, all his/her sins are forgiven, and that person becomes a child of God, destined to
spend eternity with the Lord.
As we previously mentioned,
we believe in the proper Scriptural exercise of all the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the
Bible, the greatest gift of all being God's love.
At Calvary Chapel, we await
the pre-tribulation rapture of the church. Calvary Chapel is strongly committed to a
belief that the church will be raptured before the seven year tribulation period described
in Revelation chapters 6 through 18. We recognize that other believers hold a different
view, but this is the way we see the Scripture's teaching on this subject.
We believe that the second
coming of Jesus Christ with His saints to rule on the earth will be personal,
pre-millennial, and visible. This motivates us to heartfelt worship, committed service,
diligent study of God's Word, regular fellowship with other Christians, and participation
in both adult baptism by immersion and in Holy Communion.
Calvary Chapel rejects the
teaching of "amillennialism" which spiritualizes Scripture and
denies the literal 1,000 year reign of Christ on the earth as described in Revelation
chapter 20.
Worship
Many people are under the impression that a particular style of worship
is insisted upon at Calvary Chapel, that style being the soft contemporary
sound made
popular by Maranatha! Music and by Asaph Records (which both originated at Calvary
Chapel). Although most Calvary Chapels do utilize a form of contemporary worship, there is
actually a great variety of styles of music found In our churches. Some are very
traditional and conservative, with organs or pianos and hymns, while others prefer
electric guitars and drums. There is no set style of worship makes a Calvary Chapel
unique; instead there is wide latitude in expression. All of us desire, of course, that
whatever the style of worship, it come from our hearts.
Similarly, some of the
worship services at Calvary Chapels are quite traditional, while others are more
contemporary. Some of our churches are filled with elderly people in suits and ties, some
are filled with young people in jeans and tee shirts, and many are a combination of all
different ages, styles, and races of folks who come together with one common focus: love
for Jesus Christ and the desire to know Him more intimately.
What we don't believe
At Calvary Chapel, we reject some popular doctrines of some Christian
groups because
we believe them to be in error regarding Scripture. This does not mean that we will not
fellowship with those holding these views, it simply means that such views are outside the
boundaries of what constitutes a Calvary Chapel church.
For example, we reject, as we have
already mentioned, "amillenniallsm", post-millennialism, as well as a mid or
post-tribulation rapture view. At Calvary Chapel, we are strongly
pre-millennialists and
pre-tribulation rapturists.
We also reject the belief,
held by some Pentecostals and charismatics, that Christians can be demon possessed. The
Scripture says "greater is He that is in you than he who is in the world" which
makes no sense if a believer can be simultaneously indwelt by both the Holy Spirit and
evil spirits. Christians can be attacked by demons, but they cannot be possessed or
controlled by them.
In addition, we reject
"5-point Calvinism". Calvary Chapel rejects two of the five points of five
point Calvinism. First, Calvinism teaches that Jesus' atonement on the Cross was limited,
that is, that He died only for a chosen group, His "elect", not for the sins of
the entire world. At Calvary Chapel, we believe that Jesus died on the Cross for all the
sins of all people, and that anyone who wants to can accept Him as Lord and savior and be
born again. Strict five point Calvinists believe that only the elect can be saved and that
God has elected others to spend eternity in hell.
Secondly, we reject the
Calvinistic teaching called "irresistible grace", which is the belief that man
cannot, even if he wants to, resist the wooing and calling of God to salvation. Instead,
at Calvary Chapel we believe that man has a free will and he can resist the call of God if
he chooses to do so. Therefore, those who hold to five point Calvinism are outside of the
borders of what defines Calvary Chapel.
At Calvary Chapel, we also
reject the teaching of "positive confession" which is the doctrine put forth by
the faith movement teachers that says that we as human beings can have unlimited health
and wealth because we, like God, have the ability to create our own reality by the
confession of our lips. These people teach that if a person will confess health and wealth
consistently, then that is what they will have, and, conversely, the Christian living in
sickness or poverty is settling for less than his full inheritance in Christ. At Calvary
Chapel, we believe that many believers both in the Bible and in daily life are often
afflicted not because their confession is wrong, but simply because we live in a foreign
world. We believe that the health and prosperity doctrine is a perversion of Scripture and
is often used to fleece the flock of God. We do not believe that God can be commanded by
man to heal or provide, but that we must always submit to His perfect will even in
affliction.
Additionally, we reject the
teaching that uses human prophecy to supersede the Word of God. There are some Christian
groups around which claim to have prophets and apostles of equal validity with those who
wrote the Bible. Moreover, they claim that the prophetic utterances from these people take
precedence over the Word of God. At Calvary Chapel, we believe that the Bible is the final
authority and the complete Word of God for His church today, and that no prophecy or
teaching can ever supersede it.
Some churches have
incorporated human secular psychology and philosophy into their teaching programs,
creating sermons that are more based on secular humanistic theory than on the Word of God.
While we respect our fellow believers who work in mental health related fields, we at
Calvary Chapel believe that the central mission of the church is to proclaim God's Word to
a lost and hurting world. Moreover, it has been our experience that humanistic psychology
and philosophy often do more harm than good, and people respond best when God's Word is
proclaimed in the power and love of the Holy Spirit. It is God's Word that changes lives
for the better. At Calvary Chapels our services remain centered on the teaching of the
Bible.
This is not to imply that
we object to the work of the many dedicated Christian mental health professionals;
conversely, we thank God for them. Our point is simply that in our church services, we
emphasize the teaching of God's Word.
And finally, as we have
mentioned before, Calvary Chapel rejects the overemphasis of spiritual gifts and
experiential signs and wonders to the exclusion of Biblical teaching. Again, we are a
Bible based ministry that avoids programs and gimmicks in favor of the simple teaching of
the Word of God in love to His people. In our services, we focus on a personal
relationship with God through worship, prayer, and the teaching of the Word of God. We offer both expository and topical studies; we do not allow speaking in
tongues loudly during services because we do not believe that the Holy Spirit
would
interrupt Himself.
Our Statement of Faith
To help people who are unfamiliar with Calvary Chapel
better understand who we are, we have developed the following statement of faith, most of which was written by,
and all of which was approved by Pastor Chuck Smith, the founder of the Calvary Chapel
movement, pastor of Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa.
Calvary Chapel has been
formed as a fellowship of believers in the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Our supreme desire is
to know Christ and be conformed to His image by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We are not a denominational
church, nor are we opposed to denominations as such, only to their overemphasis of the
doctrinal differences that have led to the division of the Body of Christ.
We believe the only true
basis of Christian fellowship is Christ's (Agape) love, which is greater than any
differences we possess, and without which we have no right to claim ourselves Christians.
We believe worship of God
should be spiritual. Therefore, we remain flexible and yielded to the leading of the Holy
Spirit to direct our worship.
We believe worship of God
should be inspirational. Therefore, we give great place to music in our worship.
We believe worship of God
should be intelligent. Therefore, our services are designed with great emphasis upon the
teaching of the Word of God that He might instruct us how He should be worshipped.
We believe worship of God
should be fruitful. Therefore, we look for His love in our lives as the supreme
manifestation that we have been truly worshipping Him.
We believe in all the
fundamental doctrines of orthodox evangelical Christianity.
We believe in the inerrancy
of Scripture, that the Bible, Old and New Testaments is the inspired, infallible Word of
God.
We believe that God is
eternally existent in three separate persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We believe that God the
Father is the personal, transcendent, and sovereign Creator of all things.
We believe that Jesus
Christ is fully God and fully human, that He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life,
provided for the atonement of our sins by His vicarious death on the Cross, was bodily
resurrected by the power of the Holy Spirit, ascended back to the right hand of God the
Father, and ever lives to make intercession for us.
After Jesus ascended to
Heaven, He poured out His Holy Spirit on the believers in Jerusalem, enabling them to
fulfill His command to preach the Gospel to the entire world, an obligation shared by all
believers today.
We believe that all people
are by nature separated from God and responsible for their own sin, but that salvation,
redemption, and forgiveness are freely offered to all by the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ. When a person repents of sin and accepts Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord,
trusting Him to save, that person is immediately born again and sealed by the Holy Spirit,
all his/her sins are forgiven, and that person becomes a child of God, destined to spend
eternity with the Lord. We believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the
Scriptures, and that they are valid for today if they are exercised within the Scriptural
guidelines. We as believers are to covet the best gifts, seeking to exercise them in love
that the whole Body of Christ might be edified.
We believe that love is
more important than the most spectacular gifts, and without this love all exercise of
spiritual gifts is worthless.
We believe that church
government should be simplistic rather than a complex bureaucracy, and we depend on the
Holy Spirit to lead, rather than on fleshly promotion.
We await the
pre-tribulation rapture of the church, and we believe that the second coming of Christ
with His saints to rule on the earth will be personal, pre-millennial, and visible. This
motivates us to holy living, heartfelt worship, committed service, diligent study of God's
Word, regular fellowship, and participation in adult baptism by immersion and Holy
Communion.
We seek to teach the Word
of God in such a way that its message can be applied to an individual's life, leading that
person to greater maturity in Christ.
We reject:
Calvary Chapel of Georgetown
