Calvary Bible Church began in May of 1956 under the direction of Dr. Carl Purdy in cooperation with the Foursquare denomination. The first service was held in Carpenters Hall at the corner of 20th and "O" Streets, with 36 in attendance. After seven months, the church purchased a building on the corner of Monterey and King streets in East Bakersfield.

In 1966, Pastor Jack Peacock was called to lead the church after the resignation of Dr. Purdy. He and his wife Charlotte and their family moved here form Lubbock, Texas to assume the challenge of the church and its small congregation.

Under the Peacock's leadership, the church grew rapidly and an annex had to be added, but soon, there was simply no more room to expand at that location. Property on Manor Street was donated in 1976, on which to build larger facilities. The property on Monterey and King was sold and the proceeds were divided between Calvary Bible Church and the Foursquare denomination. The association between the two bodies was dissolved at that time. The following year, the main sanctuary building was completed; most of the labor was contributed by members of the congregation. In 1978, after much donated equipment and many work days with volunteer labor, Calvary Bible Church held its first service at our present location.

Growth continued and in1980, two additional buildings were constructed to hold classrooms and the gym. More property was purchased and, in following years, additional parking lots and a parsonage were added. Peacock Park with softball fields, a barbecue area and Victory Circle were soon added, along with Sonshine Park with playground equipment for our children and a picnic area. In 1985, work began on Calvary Manor, our retirement complex for active seniors.

In 1990, Ted Duncan was called as the Associate Pastor. He and his wife Marge moved their family here from San Jose where he had pastored for nearly 18 years. In the summer of 1992, Pastor Peacock retired after serving as Senior Pastor for more than 26 years and Pastor Duncan was called by the congregation to assume that role. Pastor Don Bertrand, who had been on the church staff for 12 years, was promoted to the position of Executive Pastor at that time.

The ministries continued to expand and, in the years that followed, the sanctuary was completely remodeled. In 2002, the Reverend William Few Chapel was constructed adjacent to Sonshine Park, offering a small sanctuary area, more classroom space, and a kitchen. At the same time, a new storage shed was erected behind the Chapel for storage of our year-round Junk-A-Tique donations. More recently, the front patio was enclosed to double the size of the foyer, the youth facilities were completely remodeled, and a modular classroom building was put in place behind the Chapel.

Calvary Bible Church has always had a strong testimony in the Bakersfield community. It has supported many worthy local Christian ministries and has extended its influence literally around the world through its missions outreach. There is the spirit of enthusiasm and anticipation in the air and, on the part of older members and newcomers alike, there is a consensus of opinion that the best is yet to come.

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