The
membership wanted a Scriptural name for their church at
Oswego. Baptist, church, cedar, oak, and park are all words found in the
Bible. Yes, park is in the Bible too -- paradise is Greek for park.
Its name and location is further adorned when it is found that the church is
situated on Old River Road, Lake Oswego. The whole area, ten miles south
of Portland's city center is, indeed, most picturesque. It was a close-knit, dedicated group that met in the West Linn Inn on April 6, 1958, to organize a Baptist Church according to the precepts of the New Testament and the historical Baptist position, There were 38 charter members which included the pastor, Matthew Ellick. The church continued to meet for worship on Sundays in this rented room of the inn, which was located in the neighboring town of West Linn. a short distance south of the place where the new church stands.
The same year a plot of ground was secured in Cedar Oak Park, and the sod was broken for the church building on Labor Day. That it should happen to be on that day was symbolic, there would be more shoveling, incessant labor, almost endless days of it. The church was fortunate to have a male quartet, not the ordinary kind, but one that made their saws sing and their hammers ring, and so the building rose.
The group was hard pressed financially. Many of them were young people of high school age and consequently their earning capacity was not great. "Will it be possible to finish the project?" was the question. And it was not an academic one. The group turned to the Conference for advice and aid. A loan was secured from the Revolving Building Trust. Some help was received form the brotherhoods of the Conference churches. Thus it was possible to dedicate the church in the spring of 1961 with many visitors from neighboring churches and the Conference, represented by its secretary. David Carlson of Temple Baptist Church supplied the pulpit for a time until Leonard Hillstrom, the new pastor arrived.
In 1964 Calvary was still pastored by Leonard Hillstrom. He was in the fourth year of a four and one half year pastorate. The church was only thirty-two months old when he began his Calvary ministry December 1, 1960. The six year old congregation had 73 members and Sunday school attendance was averaging 135 in the three year old first unit building. Pastor Hillstrom resigned n July 1965 so he and his wife Martha could continue their education.
Endel and Gloria Meiusi came to Calvary Church after starting two new Estonian Churches in California and Vancouver, B. C. They served three years at Calvary, from January 1966 to January 1969 when they moved to Loma Vista Baptist Church in Spokane, Washington. Calvary was Pastor Meiusi's first ministry in the Baptist General Conference.
Palmer Peterson from the Oregon Baptist Retirement Home was interim pastor after Pastor Meiusi left. Philip Goodwin was called to Calvary and began his ministry July 1, 1969. Pastor Goodwin resigned after a 2 1/2 year ministry.
Truett and Kay Johnson came to West Linn October 1, 1972, from a student pastorate in Dalbo. Minnesota, where they served while Truett finished his theological education at Bethel Seminary. The church built a new sanctuary and dedicated it on October 1, 1976, eight months after the ground breaking ceremony. Membership at Calvary peaked at 107 in 1981. The 25th anniversary in April 1983 was a time of celebration at Calvary, Cully Olson was the speaker. The building note was burned, marking an end to indebtness on the new sanctuary. Pastor Truett resigned on May 31, 1984.
Ray and Teresa Durkin began a ministry at Calvary four months later on September 30. Pastor Durkin had been on staff with Pastor Hillstrom at Bethel Baptist Church while he was a student at Western Conservative Baptist Seminary.
One of the products of Calvary is Teresa McIntosh, who grew up in the church and served in Sunday school and youth ministries was appointed in 1988 as a Baptist General Conference missionary to Mexico.