Celebrating 150 years of Calvary Protestant Church in Baldwin

The Calvary Protestant Church has long been a cherished haven in Baldwin, offering community members solace and spiritual renewal. As it approaches its sesquicentennial this month, the church is preparing to honor its rich history and enduring presence in town.

Dawn Manuel, of Freeport, has been attending the church since 2006, with her husband, David, and has found not only reverence but also a sense of family among the congregation.

Reflecting on their first visit, New Year’s Day 18 years ago. Manuel recalled Calvary’s warm and welcoming atmosphere. They have worshipped there ever since, with David eventually becoming the choir director and Dawn becoming the group’s accompanist on piano.

In addition to their musical roles, Dawn has taken on the responsibility of co-leading the 150th-anniversary committee, combing through the church’s history and organizing a variety of events for the upcoming celebration, May 26- June 2.

“What we’re trying to do is honor the past and all of the hard work that has been done to keep the church going for this long,” she said. “But also, we’re looking forward to see what we’ll be doing in the future.”

Roughly a dozen committee meetings began in January, and focused on gathering information about the church, including historical details from its 75th and 100th anniversaries, as well as collecting old newspaper stories and photos. The committee is also finalizing a new logo for the church for what Manuel calls the “next era.”

Its history begins with Thomas Carman, Baldwin farmer, and several neighbors who left the Merrick Road Methodist Church in 1874 to establish a Sunday school for those living near Baldwin Harbor. Their initiative culminated in the inaugural gathering of what would become Calvary Protestant Church on May 23 of that year.

The church trustees initially filed for incorporation as the Methodist Church of Baldwin in 1875. They purchased land near the intersection of Park Avenue and Church Street from William J. Soper, a boat builder, and his wife, Catherine, and constructed the first church building there. The church aligned itself with the Methodist Protestant Conference, and appointed the Rev. Rulief Schenck Hulsart as its inaugural pastor.

The Rev. Riley F. Lynch was voted in as the church’s newest pastor last month.

“It is extremely humbling to think about 150 years of history and faithfulness,” said Lynch, who has been the spiritual leader at Bush Baptist Church in Troy, Alabama, and will begin his ministerial work at Calvary in July. “To be in one place for that long is a real feat. I am extremely humble that God would allow me to be the pastor of that church.”

In December 1923, the congregation witnessed the destruction of their church in a fire, and convened across the street, at Steele Elementary School, during the construction of a new building on the site of the old one. The current church building was dedicated in October 1924.

In 1934, the Rev. Leroy Franklin Moon began his ministry in Baldwin, initiating the longest-serving pastorate in the church’s history. Under his leadership, amid discussions of merging the Methodist Protestant and Methodist Episcopal denominations, several Methodist Protestant churches, including Baldwin’s, chose to go their own way.

In 1938, the church officially severed ties with the Methodist church, culminating in the formal name change to Calvary Protestant Church of Baldwin on Dec. 17, 1940.

The celebration kicks off the week of May 26 with “Messages from Afar,” in which missionaries will submit video greetings and acknowledgements of the church’s anniversary. The church will have its own float in Baldwin’s Memorial Day Parade the following day.

May 31 will be dedicated to reminiscing about the church’s history, and will be followed by a celebratory dinner on June 1. The festivities will conclude with the church hosting a “Looking Ahead” event the following day.

“I am super encouraged that the church has survived that long,” Lynch said. “Especially in our day and age, because a lot of churches are closing down. To know the church is alive and well, that says a lot about its people over 150 years.”

“It’s the people and their love for each other,” Dawn Manuel added, “that really keeps us going.”