Press release from Calvary Baptist Church
Calvary Baptist Church was established in 1884 and is the first African-American Baptist Church in the town of Red Bank. Calvary, in 1886, purchased the old house of the First Baptist Church and moved it to a new location (corner of Bridge Avenue and River Street). That building was lost by fire and, as such, the current build was newly erected. Calvary has been a part of the Red Bank community for over a century.
Calvary, in 2004, added to the community by having a school built next to the sanctuary. For many years, West Side Christian Academy offered private education for students, grades K-12. Currently, Calvary is the home of Rhema Word Christian Bible Institute, established in 2018, offering certification and educational degrees (bachelor, master and doctoral) to the community in the studies of theology.
Calvary is listed on Monmouth County’s Office of Emergency Management. Should there be an emergency and a need of shelter. Calvary has offered its buildings to be used by everyone in the community as safe shelter. Calvary has, since the pandemic, started a Provision Chest which is utilized to offer the community, specifically, Red Bank’s seniors, non-perishable food and daily essentials. These are just a number of things Calvary has offered the community since the beginning of its days.
However, with longevity comes challenges of which the church is currently facing. Prior to the pandemic, the church’s building structure was in need of some tender love and care, i.e., paint, replacement or reinforcement of windows and masonry work. Since the pandemic and the church being closed through the winter months, pipes have burst in the sanctuary, as well as in the dining hall, thereby now adding to the repairs and renovations piping, painting roofing and floor replacement, among other things.
We are reaching out to the community and our neighbors for donations and licensed workers/owners in construction, mason, painters, that can help get the sanctuary restored and brought back up to standards so that Calvary can continue to offer its services to the congregation and its surrounding community.
Should you would to donate to our fund, please visit calvarybaptistchurchrbnj.org and click the “donate” button or, should you prefer to donate by sending a check, please make checks payable to Calvary Baptist Church and mail checks to Calvary Baptist Church, P.O. Box 2068, Red Bank, New Jersey 07701. Should you have any questions or would like to speak with a member of the Building Committee or our Pastor, Dr. Kenneth McGhee, Jr., please give us a call at (732) 741-7081.
