About

History of Calvary Baptist Church starts with Evangelist and Mrs. Fred R. Ritchardson, Jr., having been burdened for many years for the establishing of an independent, Bible-believing, Bible preaching, New Testament witness for Christ in the City of Nappanee, were led by the Holy Spirit of God to take some time out of a fruitful eleven years of full-time evangelistic ministry.  They returned to their home near Nappanee in mid-December 1959 to make a house-to-house canvas in search of others with the same burden. After a number of weeks calling, with the help of other ministers and Christians, the city was about half canvassed, and a few people had made known their desire to help establish such a Baptist Church. The first meeting was held on a stormy winter night of January 19, 1960. The following Sunday, January 24th the first Sunday School was held with 23 attending, 27 in the morning worship, and 17 for the Sunday night meeting. After many weeks of working on the Church Constitution it was adopted by the congregation in April 1960 with the church being officially named Calvary Baptist Church of Nappanee.