On July 10, 1950 an Organizational Council composed of fifteen Elders and twenty-one deacons met at the YMCA Building in Warren, Arkansas, for the purpose of assisting in the organization of a Missionary Baptist Church.
The Council Members were:
Elders Deacons
J. F. Anders Jack Livingston
W. J. Carter Arlie Thompson
R.A. Raney Hudson Livingston
Fred M. Weaver Lee Garner
R.W. Davis L.C. Garner
C.G. Carter Virgil Guess
C.F. Wheeler Lewis Ritter
Ariel Johnson J.F. Greenwood
Hewitt N. Huitt T.A. Carter
W.J. Burgess Pat Carmical
L.B. Moseley Bonner Hansberger
Ward Horned W.H. Doggett
J.M. Raines J.H. Simmons
Cone Parnell Clyde Little
Ralph Parnell Hollings B. Elton
Raymond Johnson
Carl Cooper
C.W. McMahon
R.G. Cooper
J.C. Little
J.A. Little
R.Q. Pitchfork
After prayer, the following was elected from within the Organizational Council:
J.F. Anders, Moderator
Lewis Ritter, Clerk
Elder W.J. Burgess to preach the sermon and bring the charge to the Church
Elder C.G. Carter to read the Articles of Faith
Elder R.W. Davis to read the Church Covenant
Elder Fred M. Weaver to lead Organizational Prayer
Letters of Recommendation for Church Membership were read by the Clerk for fifty-nine persons. Motion was carried to recommend those who had presented letters as suitable material for church organization.
The Church Covenant was read and adopted.
Bro. W.J. Burgess brought the sermon from Proverbs 30:24-28.
‘The Hand of Fellowship’ was extended to the Church by the Council. The privilege of membership was extended. Seven presented themselves for membership by baptism and four by letter.
The following presented themselves for membership:
Ray and Francis Wheeler on Promise of Letter from First Baptist Church in Warren, AR
Pat Reynolds on Promise of Letter from Hampton Baptist in Hampton, AR
Mrs. Jessie Doggett on Promise of Letter from Immanuel Baptist in Warren, AR
E.E. Mosley and Mr. and Mrs. Fred McKinney on Promise of Letter from Central Church in Warren, AR
R.D. Wright, William C. Powell, Charles Chandler, and Mrs. Raymond Howard by Baptism
Motion carried to receive these into our body for membership. The ‘Hand of Fellowship’ was extended to these by the Church and Congregation.
Motion carried to elect a Pastor. Bro. Julian F. Anders was nominated and elected unanimously.
Alvin Doggett was elected Church Clerk.
Rufus Moseley was elected Church Treasurer.
Lewis Williams, Raymond Johnson, and Walter Moseley were elected Church Trustees.
The Church voted unanimously to be affiliated with the North American Baptist Association (now Baptist Missionary Association of America).
Motion was carried that the Organizational Council disband.
In conference on July 12, 1950, the new church was named Calvary Baptist Church.
A committee of five was elected to draw up the Rules of Quorum. They were listed as follows: Oliver Carter, Raymond Johnson, H.P. Reynolds, Julian Anders, and Walter Moseley. The Rules of Quorum was officially presented and approved on September 6, 1950.
A committee was elected to find a lot for the new church building. This committee was composed of Bro.’s Lewis Williams, Burgess Williams, Roland Wheeler, M.V. Davidson, and Walter Moseley.
The treasurer reported $1,207.28 in the treasury (after paying for a piano). The collection was $11.00.
Motion was made and carried to pay Bro. Julian Anders $50.00 per week. (By the end of their first year, they had increased his salary by $15.00 per week.)
It was also voted to have the next meeting at Bro. Anders house. (Thereafter, they met at the VFW Building in Warren, Arkansas.)
There was $108.00 made up for folding chairs. Each member was to pay for his own chair. Rufus Mosley (Treasurer) was to buy the chairs for the Church and to be reimbursed.
On July 16, 1950, a motion was made and carried to extend Charter Membership for 60 days (September 10, 1950 Conference) for those who wanted to be in on the organization that could not be present July 10, 1950.
According to Church Records, on July 19, 1950, the Building Committee reported that they had bought a lot from Mr. L.G. Hampton. The Building Committee was entrusted as to the construction of the building. In the days that followed, the Church voted to borrow the money from Lewis Williams after he offered that service. The Church voted to make Mr. Lewis Williams a mortgage on the church property for money to build. They would make payments to Mr. Williams each quarter and pay interest twice a year. The Church voted to make a Deed of Trust to Bro. Lewis Williams on church property to read $5,000.00 and other expenses as they may come up. (In November of that same year, Bro. Lewis Williams was authorized to get more money to complete the church building.)
December 17, 1950, Calvary Baptist Church met in the new building for an opening service. The service consisted of an all-day singing, prayers, and a sermon by the Pastor. There was a $1,335.84 Building Offering. Some of the first order of business was to invite the State Association to meet with Calvary Baptist for their next annual meeting. (The BMA of Arkansas accepted the invitation and met at Calvary Church in 1951 for their Second Annual Session.) They also ordained their first deacons on December 30, 1950 which were Oliver Carter, M.V. Davidson, and Roland Wheeler.
Calvary Church scheduled their first revival with Bro. A.D. Livingston. It was to be a 10-day meeting starting February 20, 1951. There were 11 baptisms, 10 joined by Promise of Letter and 1 by Statement. They collected $80.00 offering which was divided between Bro. A.D. Livingston and their Pastor, Julian Anders. This prompted them in scheduling a second revival for June 13, 1951. Bro. Hollis Purtle was the evangelist. The Church increased her membership by 8 baptisms and 12 by letter. Calvary Church had a membership of 132 by the end of her first year of ministry.
The Charter members are listed below:
J.F. Anders Juanita Anders Charles Ray Carraway
Inez Carraway Euena Carter Murray Carter
Oliver Carter W.J. Carter Charles Chandler
D.C. Chandler Mrs. D.C. Chandler L.C. Chandler
Floyd Connell Mrs. Floyd Connell Ethelene Cooper
Harold Cooper James Dalton Mrs. James Dalton
M.V. Davidson Mrs. M.V. Davidson Alvin Doggett
Reba Doggett Florence Doggett Helen Earnest
Helen Ferguson Kenneth Ferguson Christine Greenwood
Mary Sue Hairston Katie Howard Mrs. Raymond Howard
Jordon Johnson Mrs. Jordon Johnson Maxon Johnson
Raymond Johnson Rodney Johnson Pauline Melton
Fred McKinney Katy McKinney E.E. Moseley
Howard Moseley J.C. Moseley Mrs. Joe Moseley
Marjorie Moseley Rufus Moseley Walter Moseley
Dean Nevels Helen Nevels William C. Powell
Mrs. W.L. Powell Marion Randall Claudine Reynolds
H.P. Reynolds Laverne Securest James Temple
Maxine Temple Shirley Temple Bernice Thompson
Mrs. Bill Thompson Maggie Thompson Ted Thompson
Edna Wallace Cecil Wheeler Joe Fred Wheeler
Francis Wheeler Ray Wheeler Roland Wheeler
Burgess Williams Emma Jane Williams Louis Williams
Ophelia Williams Kathleen Wolfe Thomas Wolfe
Cora Wooldridge Jimmy Wright R.D. Wright
