About Us:

Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Middletown, Pennsylvania was organized on the 24th of June 1936. The organization, under the leadership of The Rev. Robert S. Marsden, developed because of the determination of a group of about 63 Christians to maintain the purity of the Reformed Faith and historic Presbyterianism at a time when Modernism had crept into the church.Mr. Marsden was called to be the first pastor of Calvary Church and the church grew to an adult membership of 92 during his pastorate. The first Worship service and Sunday School were conducted on June 28, 1936 in a local theater. Later services were held in an old post office building on South Union Street, Middletown, for 4 years.

In July of 1936, Mr. Marsden was called to serve on The Home and Foreign Missions Committees of the Denomination, and in 1936 The Rev. Edward L. Kellogg came to assist in the local congregation. In the fall of 1939 Mr. Marsden resigned to devote full time as the General Secretary for the Missions work, and Mr. Kellogg was installed as pastor on December 10, 1939.On November 24, 1940, a colonial building was dedicated at the church's present location. This structure has served as the house of worship since that date to the present. In 1944 the facilities were further utilized when the Christian School of Middletown was granted the use of the basement for classrooms. Also, during Mr. Kellogg's pastorate a branch Sunday School was started at the Olmsted Housing development. In 1946 Mr. Kellogg resigned to accept a call to become pastor of the Immanuel Orthodox Presbyterian Church of West Collingswood, New Jersey.

A significant event in the history of Calvary Church occurred on June 30, 1946 when a special Tenth Anniversary Service was conducted. At this time all indebtedness against the church property was liquidated. A special brochure "The First Ten Years" was also published.On October 6, 1946, The Robert L. Atwell was installed as the third pastor. During Mr. Atwell's pastorate, a two-story Christian Education building was constructed in 1948 at a cost of $17,000. Again, Calvary Church granted the Christian School use of these additional facilities.