Rooted in Jackson, Reaching Out from Oil Well Road
Calvary Baptist Church sits on Oil Well Road in Jackson, Tennessee, and has built its identity around a single phrase: "Glorify God by loving Him, loving others, and living on mission." Members describe the church as a community of believers united by the gospel of Jesus Christ, and visitors can expect to be welcomed with open arms. The church's mission statement guides every ministry, from babies in the nursery to senior adults gathering for lunch, from local relief work in West Tennessee to gospel partnerships across the globe.
The church meets at 119 Oil Well Road and keeps its doors open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The pastoral team and ministry staff are reachable by phone at (731) 668-8619 or by email at info@calvaryofjackson.com for anyone wanting help planning a first visit.
Sunday Mornings at Nine and Ten
Sunday is the anchor of the week at Calvary. Two gatherings shape the rhythm of the day. Sunday School begins at 9:00 a.m. for every age group, followed by the unified Worship Service at 10:00 a.m. The pattern is simple and intentional: the church fellowships together, studies the Word together, sings praises together, and hears the gospel preached together.
During the 9:00 a.m. hour, adults spread out into Sunday School classes, college students meet in the gym, youth gather in the Youth Room, and children move into age-appropriate classrooms across the building. At 10:00 a.m., everyone comes together for the morning worship service. Children in kindergarten through fifth grade begin in the worship service for the music portion and are then dismissed to their own teaching time as the sermon begins.
At the close of most Sunday morning services, a response time is offered. Anyone with spiritual questions, a decision to make, or a desire to join the church is invited to come to the front of the worship center to talk with a church counselor. A pastor follows up during the week.
Wednesday Nights at Six
Wednesday evenings at Calvary are built around relationships, worship, prayer, and discipleship. The weekly gathering begins at 6:00 p.m. and brings multiple generations of the church family under one roof. After a shared time of worship and prayer, members break into small discipleship classes that change with the semester.
Children meet for Calvary Kids Wednesday Edition, a program tailored to their age groups with stories, videos, songs, crafts, games, and scripture memory. Middle and high school students gather in the Youth Room for dinner, games, worship, and Bible study. College students stay in the Fellowship Hall for the opening worship and then join the breakout discipleship classes. Adults engage in deeper study, and seniors and other adults find a place in the broader fellowship.
Once a month, the college ministry gathers separately at 7:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall for a dedicated time of worship, friendship, and connection right after the Wednesday breakout classes end.
From the Nursery to Senior Adults
Calvary organizes its ministry life around every stage of life, from infancy through the senior years. Children's Ministry Director Danielle Wallace leads the work with the church's youngest members. The nursery, located across the hall from the rear doors of the Worship Center, cares for babies and walkers through age two. Once children are walking steadily, they move into the Walkers-2's class; once they turn three and are potty trained, they promote to the 3's-PreK class upstairs in the Calvary Kids Area. Kindergarten through fifth grade is divided into three classes: K-1, 2-3, and 4-5.
Every children's worker has had a background check and has been trained in safety and best practices. Families use a security tag system for check-in, and parents are asked to label all personal items and share any special instructions with the childcare worker at drop-off. The children's ministry grounds its work in Proverbs 22:6: "Train up a child in the way he should go."
Youth, Sixth through Twelfth Grade
Youth Minister Chase Boehms leads the middle school and high school ministry. The youth space sits above the gym, accessible from the main hallway or the gym entrance. Students gather for Sunday School at 9:00 a.m. in a relaxed, small-group atmosphere, and they meet again at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesdays for dinner, games, worship, and Bible study. Throughout the year, the group adds camps, retreats, service projects, and hangouts to the rhythm.
College
The college ministry meets for Sunday School at 9:00 a.m. in the gym and gathers with the whole church on Wednesday nights at 6:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Once a month, the group meets separately at 7:30 p.m. for the Calvary College Worship Gathering. The ministry describes itself as a community with a deep desire to love Jesus more fully, serve the Church faithfully, and live fearlessly for the gospel.
Adults
The Adults Ministry at Calvary centers on small groups. Several groups meet during the Sunday School hour: Houser, Goff, Kahler, and The Crossing. Others, including Dwell, Golden, and Ballard, meet on Sunday evenings in homes across the community. The ministry's aim is authentic community united by the gospel, lived out in Bible study and casual hangouts at members' homes, anchored by Psalm 133:1.
Senior Adults
Calvary's senior adults describe themselves as a faithful group within the life of the church. Three Sunday School classes gather before the main service: Bruce Dorris teaches the Faith Class in the Fellowship Hall at 8:45 a.m., Rick Siroky and Eddie Holmes lead a class in Room 117 at 9:00 a.m., and Jane Betts leads the Sonshine Class for ladies in Room 109 at 8:45 a.m. The Merry Makers meet for lunch and fellowship on the last Tuesday of each month at 11:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall.
Worship Ministry
The worship ministry at Calvary uses the gifts and talents God has given His people as an offering in service to the church. The team practices each Wednesday evening and Sunday morning in preparation for the Sunday morning worship service, and adds special events, services, and activities throughout the year. A Worship Ministry Interest Day is held periodically for anyone curious about joining the team, with lunch, fellowship, and conversation about how the ministry serves the congregation. Dennis Smith serves as Pastor of Music and Communications.
Local, National, and Global Mission
Calvary teaches that Jesus deserves worship from every tribe, tongue, and nation, and that this happens as the church fulfills the Great Commission. To that end, Calvary works closely with local partners and Southern Baptist missions agencies to meet people's physical and spiritual needs.
Local mission partners include BirthChoice and BirthChoice Adoption Agency, a pro-life pregnancy medical clinic and adoption agency serving Jackson, Trenton, and the surrounding West Tennessee counties. The Regional Interfaith Agency (RIFA) provides physical and spiritual nourishment to people in need across Jackson. Calvary also partners with Arlington Elementary School to support and serve students and faculty, and Compassion Ministries partners with the church to run English Language Learning classes that combine language instruction with gospel witness. Child Evangelism Fellowship, Area Relief Ministries (with its Room at the Inn shelter program), GriefShare, and the Scarlet Rope Project for survivors of human trafficking all count Calvary among their supporters.
National mission efforts reach Utah County, Utah; New York City; and Sudbury, Massachusetts, in cooperation with the North American Mission Board and Disaster Response.
Global mission partners include gospel work in Southeast Asia and Guatemala, the International Mission Board, and Samaritan's Purse through Operation Christmas Child.
What We Believe
Calvary holds to a traditional Baptist confession of faith covering the Scriptures, God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), man, salvation, God's purpose of grace, the church, baptism and the Lord's Supper, the Lord's Day, the Kingdom, last things, evangelism and missions, education, stewardship, cooperation, the Christian and the social order, peace and war, religious liberty, and the family.
The church teaches that the Bible is God's revelation of Himself, totally true and trustworthy, and that it remains the supreme standard for Christian faith and conduct. Salvation is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and there is no salvation apart from personal faith in Christ. A New Testament church is described as an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, operating under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes, with pastors and deacons as its scriptural officers. The office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.
Baptism is by immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the Lord's Supper is observed as a symbolic memorial of the Redeemer's death. Marriage is defined as the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. The confession further affirms the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death, the separation of church and state, and the responsibility of Christians to seek peace and to work for righteousness in society.
Becoming a Member of the Calvary Family
Calvary teaches that every Christian should commit to a local church family. Anyone who feels led to join can do so in one of two ways: tell one of the pastors in person or by calling the church office, or come forward during the response time at the end of the Sunday morning worship service. A pastor will follow up during the week to walk through the next steps.
Resources and Giving
Calvary shares its teaching through the Sermon Library, which archives recent series through Obadiah and Luke, with video recordings posted on Vimeo. Members stay connected through Calvary Central, the church's online portal, and Thursday Notes, a weekly email that keeps the congregation updated on church life. The church handles its finances with intentionality, budgeting for margin and working with a Finance Team of non-staff leaders who provide day-to-day visibility and full budget reports to the church body.
Gifts can be made in person during the weekend worship service, through online giving, or by setting up automatic bill pay through a personal bank account, which the church notes is the preferred electronic method because there are no fees for Calvary. Anyone wishing to discuss planned giving or other assets can contact the church office at (731) 668-8619.