History

What eventually became Calvary Baptist Church started as weekly cottage prayer meetings held in and around the Fair Haven area. Although many people attended their own churches on Sundays, they desired more Christian fellowship and opportunities to learn about God. Founding pastor Art Larkin and his wife, Hazel, recognized this hunger and started prayer meetings on Friday nights. The first cottage prayer meeting took place on April 17, 1942, at the home of Art Scott on Victory Street in Fair Haven, with thirty-two people in attendance.

As it became apparent that a more permanent meeting place was needed, this small group of believers purchased a school building on Blind Sodus Road on June 19, 1945, and named it the Community Gospel Center. Then on July 1, 1947, the group officially organized as Calvary Baptist Church and called Art Larkin to be the pastor. They continued meeting at the Community Gospel Center until 1950, when increasing attendance (and New York winters) necessitated a new building in a different location. Excavation started that spring at the church’s current location on Main Street in Fair Haven. The dedication for the new building was held on September 5, 1951.

Much has changed since Calvary Baptist Church officially began in 1947. In every change, however, God has remained faithful and allowed us to be a light shining brightly in the Fair Haven community for more than seventy years. Our prayer is that we will still be shining just as brightly when He returns.