Calvary Road Baptist Church sits on Beulah Street in the Kingstowne area of Alexandria, Virginia, a few minutes east of the Springfield Town Center and about twenty minutes from the U.S. Capitol. Its address - 6811 Beulah St. - is a small piece of trivia in itself: the congregation first organized under the name Beulah Baptist Church in 1870. More than a century and a half later, the same property hosts a multi-generational Baptist church with two Sunday worship services, a preschool-through-sixth-grade Christian school, dedicated ministries for every stage of life from nursery to college, an AWANA club that has run since 1982, and a Friday-night Celebrate Recovery program. Calvary Road's tagline, drawn from the staff's own words, captures the tone of the place: "At Calvary Road we don't say, 'Welcome to Church.' We prefer, 'Welcome Home.'"
From Beulah Baptist Church to Two Congregations Under One Roof
Calvary Road's story begins in November 1870 with the adoption of its original church covenant under the name Beulah Baptist Church. The congregation was reorganized in March 1957, and in November 1971 the name was changed to Calvary Road Baptist Church.
In August 1977, a young pastor named David M. Rhodenhizer moved his family to the Alexandria area to plant a new work in Northern Virginia, calling it New Life Baptist Church. Two years later, in June 1979, New Life Baptist Church merged into Calvary Road Baptist Church under Pastor Rhodenhizer's leadership. The theme at the time of the merger was "Two Like Spirits - One Great Vision," and it wasn't long before the two congregations became "One Like Spirit - One Great Vision."
The merged church started deep in debt and with dwindling attendance. Pastor Dave led the congregation to apply careful stewardship, pay off that debt, and watch attendance grow. In 1986 a groundbreaking launched an extension of the sanctuary and additional Sunday School rooms; the project was completed without taking on new debt, and a dedication service was held that same year. Over the next two decades the church purchased four additional pieces of property, converted its bus garage into a Student Center in 1997, and built a new parking lot in 2005 alongside infrastructure for an expanded educational building and worship center.
Along the way, Calvary Road launched six daughter congregations and served its neighborhood through a Christian school, an annual Christmas in Kingstowne presentation, and many other outreach efforts. Senior Pastor Dave Rhodenhizer, who grew up in Lynchburg, accepted Christ at age 14 under Dr. Jerry Falwell at Thomas Road Baptist Church, graduated from Lynchburg Baptist College (now Liberty University) in 1974, and previously served on church staffs in Salem, Virginia, and Huntsville, Alabama, has now pastored Calvary Road since the 1979 merger. He and his wife Linda have five children and fifteen grandchildren.
Sunday Mornings at 9:30 and 11:00
Calvary Road holds two Sunday morning worship services each week, at 9:30 and 11:00 AM. The 11:00 AM service is livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook so members who are traveling, sick, or stationed elsewhere can worship along with the in-person congregation. A live, relaxed atmosphere with a diverse blend of attendees is the order of the day. Greeters are stationed at the main entrances to help newcomers find their way around, and children are checked in through an automated system.
For those who prefer to arrive early, a third Connect Class meets at 8:00 AM in Cottage B under the leadership of Jim Arthur. The full slate of Connect Classes at 9:30 and 11:00 covers every adult stage of life:
- 8:00 AM - Early Bird Class, Cottage B (Jim Arthur)
- 9:30 AM - Mixed Adults, Gymnasium (Jason Bromley)
- 9:30 AM - Berea (clase en español), Cabaña B (Misael Bernal)
- 9:30 AM - Mixed Adults, Room 102 (Jim Arthur)
- 11:00 AM - Ignite / Single Adults, Cottage B (Aaron Vivian)
- 11:00 AM - Young Married / Mixed Adults, Room 103 (Matt Aubry)
- 11:00 AM - Young Married, Room 112 (Matt Aubry)
- 11:00 AM - Mixed Adults, Room 152 (Tony Anderegg)
Visitors are encouraged to attend a Connect Class as the front door to adult small-group life at the church. The classes use the Sunday hour to build relationships around the Word and serve as the natural entry point into the broader network of midweek Connect Groups that meet throughout the week.
Little Lights: Nursery and Preschool from Eight Weeks Old
The Little Lights Ministry serves the church's youngest members, ages eight weeks old through kindergarten. The nursery and preschool wing is staffed by caregivers who see early childhood as a discipleship partnership with parents - "It is the desire of the Little Lights Ministry to come alongside our parents and families as they disciple their children and teach them to walk in His Light."
From infancy, children experience the love of Christ through staff who nurture both spiritual and physical development. Beginning at age two, "The Gospel Project" curriculum walks children through the story of Scripture through story time, activities, and music. The Bible is presented not as a collection of disconnected stories but as a complete revelation of God's plan for His creation.
Little Lights is offered during both services:
- 9:30 - 10:45 AM - Nursery (0-24 months) and Sunday School (2 years through Kindergarten)
- 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM - Nursery (0-24 months)
Shelly Steeves directs the nursery and preschool ministry. Every children's volunteer is screened through a national criminal background check, and Calvary Road's policy is to never leave a single adult alone with a child - each classroom is staffed by at least two screened volunteers.
NextGen 16: Grades 1 Through 6
Children in first through sixth grade are part of NextGen 16, a ministry built around the conviction that "God's Word has the power to transform lives." Led by Elementary Director Hannah Dawson, NextGen 16 meets during both Sunday morning services with age-appropriate rooms, games, and teaching.
On Sunday mornings the program runs in two coordinated blocks. From 9:30 to 10:45 AM, children gather by age group for Sunday School - first grade in Room 125, second in 127, third in 128, fourth in 129, and fifth and sixth together in Cottage A. Doors open at 9:15 AM. From 11:00 AM to 12:45 PM, the hour shifts to Children's Worship, with first and second graders in Room 134 and third through sixth graders in Cottage A. Doors open at 10:45 AM, and children staying through both hours are escorted between rooms so parents do not need to pick up in between.
The teaching curriculum is Answers in Genesis' Answers Bible Curriculum, threading from one Sunday to the next through Old and New Testament units. Children are always welcome to attend a worship service with their parents at any time. Registration is required for participation, and parents who want to volunteer go through an application process that includes a national background check and signed agreement to the church's Child Protection Policy.
NextGen 712: Middle and High School
Calvary Road's student ministry for grades 7 through 12, branded NextGen 712, is led by Chip Bonar. The ministry's stated mission is to contact students, connect them to a community where they can commit to grow, and ultimately commission them to follow Christ.
The Sunday morning program, called The Main Event, runs from 9:30 AM to 12:15 PM and is built around food. Doors open at 9:30 with breakfast in the Student Center (Building #22) - the menu includes sausage, biscuits with butter and jam, bagels with cream cheese, waffles with butter and syrup, assorted cereals, donuts, Pop-Tarts, apple and orange juice, and coffee. Students worship alongside the adults in the main auditorium at the start of the service, then transition at 10:45 to the gymnasium for an opening assembly with announcements, music, and prayer, followed by small-group Bible study from 11:20 AM to 12:15 PM. Small groups are divided by grade and gender, in rooms on the first floor of the main building. The curriculum is again drawn from Answers in Genesis.
On Wednesday nights, EntryPoint gathers students at 6:30 PM in the Student Center for dinner, fellowship, and indoor and outdoor games. The formal program runs from 7:10 to 8:30 PM with announcements, music, a large-group teaching session, and small-group breakouts. The night ends with an "Afterglow at the Fire" outside.
NextGen 712 also offers Teen Talk evenings with guest speakers and seasonal teaching series; recent topics have included an apologetics series built around the book Tough Questions by Ray Comfort, Emeal Zwayne, and Mark Spence. Each summer the ministry sends its students to Camp Kanesatake for Teen Camp; check-in for the week-long trip begins at Calvary Road.
Rise: A College and Career Community for 18 to 25 Year-Olds
For young adults aged 18 to 25, Rise meets on Sunday mornings from 11:00 AM to 12:15 PM in the Student Center (Building 22). The ministry, directed by Buzz Hintz with Alan and April Stephens serving as College/Career Leaders, is shaped by Ephesians 4:14-15: "speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ."
Rise is designed to be a community where young adults can ask honest questions, take ownership of their faith, and establish their identity and satisfaction in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Sunday teaching walks through the Answers Bible Curriculum in unit-by-unit lessons. The group also gathers midweek for events and outreach. One of the church's young married couples, Gabriel and Jasmyne, met at Calvary Road and now serve together as leaders in Rise.
AWANA on Wednesday Nights Since 1982
Calvary Road's AWANA Clubs program has been a staple children's ministry since 1982, making it one of the longest-running continuous elements of the church's family ministry. AWANA stands for "Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed," drawn from 2 Timothy 2:15. The program's goal is "to reach boys and girls for Christ, and train them to serve Him" through Scripture-based clubs and high-energy games.
Clubs run from September through May on Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 8:30 PM, and are organized by age:
- Cubbies (ages 3 and 4) - drop-off in Room 152 between 6:20 and 6:30 PM, pick-up at 8:30 PM
- Sparks (Kindergarten through Grade 2) - drop-off in the Gymnasium between 6:20 and 6:30 PM, pick-up at 8:30 PM
- Truth & Training (T&T) (Grades 3 through 6) - drop-off in the Gymnasium between 6:20 and 6:30 PM, pick-up in Cottage A at 8:30 PM
The ministry is directed by Jeffrey Haynes and staffed by age-group directors Jane and Keith Neihart (Sparks), Dave Prahl (T&T Boys), and Debbie Arthur (T&T Girls). Many AWANA volunteers have served the program for more than thirty years, with a typical tenure of ten to fifteen years. Because every enrolled child is paired with attentive leaders, registration is intentionally capped. Heart-to-Hand, the AWANA missions emphasis running February through May, channels the kids' giving toward a designated annual cause; recent years have focused on supplying baby items to local shelters and supporting AwanaGO missions in African school initiatives.
Celebrate Recovery on Friday Nights
Friday nights belong to Celebrate Recovery, a Christ-centered 12-step program for adults 18 and older who are hurting, confused, or stuck. "It is a safe and confidential program for all adults (18 to 98) who are hurting, confused, struggling, and looking for some peace and sanity in their lives. Participants share their hurts, habits, and hang-ups and victories with others in a Christ-centered 12-Step recovery process."
Ministry Leader Tony Anderegg oversees the program, which meets in Cottage B. The night is laid out like a fixed rhythm: a joint group meeting at 7:00 PM, small-group meetings at 8:00 PM, and a coffee house at 9:00 PM. Childcare is available with a sign-up. Participants work through the program's familiar questions - "Are there things in my life that I do that hurt myself and/or others?", "Is there something I wish I could live without?", "Is it time to confront my denial and admit I am not in control of my life?" - and pursue freedom from dysfunctional patterns through fellowship and prayer.
Calvary Road Christian School
Sharing the campus is Calvary Road Christian School (CRCS), a ministry of the church that has provided a biblically-based education since 1976. Its mission: "to provide a distinctly Christian education that leads students to a lifetime commitment to Jesus Christ, the development of Christian character, excellence in academics, and service to others."
CRCS serves preschool three- and four-year-olds, kindergarten, and elementary students in grades 1 through 6. The school occupies six and a half acres of property on the Calvary Road campus with over twenty classrooms, an athletic field, a fenced and well-equipped play area, a library, a computer lab, two kitchens, and a gymnasium. Before- and after-school Extended Care and a summer camp round out the program.
The school's alumni have entered education, law, medicine, and full-time ministry. The school is led by Administrator Kim Snyder and has its own online home at crcs.org. Calvary Road Christian School partners closely with the church's family ministry, sharing facilities, Vacation Bible School volunteers, and the same leadership pipeline that feeds into AWANA, NextGen 16, and NextGen 712.
Vacation Bible School and Summer Camp
Each summer, NextGen Ministries host a week-long Vacation Bible School on the Calvary Road campus. The program is open to children entering kindergarten through seventh grade, runs Monday through Friday in the evening, and rotates its visual setting each year. Recent themes have included "Emerald Crossing," an Ireland-themed exploration of Psalm 23 and the life of David.
Calvary Road also sends children and students to Camp Kanesatake, a Christian camp that hosts two summer sessions:
- Junior Camp for children entering grades 3 through 6 - check-in begins at Calvary Road on Monday at 11:00 AM
- Teen Camp for students in grades 7 through 12 - check-in begins at Calvary Road on Sunday at 11:00 AM
Early-bird registration through Calvary Road includes a CRBC-sponsored $20 discount for campers who attend an Easter service. Hannah Dawson (NextGen 16) and Chip Bonar (NextGen 712) coordinate camp registration. A CampK Scholarship Fund, supported by donations collected during services, by mail, or at the church office, helps families afford tuition.
Music Ministry
The music ministry at Calvary Road is built around two teams that rehearse on Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. The Vocal Worship Team gathers in the Choir Room and the Auditorium to prepare the music that leads Sunday worship. The Instrumental Worship Team rehearses in the Auditorium, supporting the vocal team with instrumentalists from age 13 through senior adults who have at least one year of experience on their instrument. Childcare is provided at both rehearsals, and the teams are open to all believers ages 13 and up.
Gavin Davis serves as Interim Worship Pastor. The ministry is supported by Jonathan Painter in a Music Ministry Administrator role. The music ministry's stated philosophy: "When we serve with our musical talents, we have the privilege of glorifying God with those talents" (Psalm 150).
Women of the Word (WOW)
WOW is Calvary Road's women's ministry, led by Women's Ministry Director Debbie Arthur. "WOW is not something you do or something you join," the ministry explains, "it is who we are and what we do as women who love Jesus." The ministry is for women of all ages and all seasons of life - single, married, mothers, empty-nesters, and beyond.
WOW gathers women for Bible studies, Best Friends Fellowships (BFF's), quarterly breakfast clubs, an annual retreat, and service opportunities that span the church, the community, and the home. The ministry runs special dinners, lunches, and the retreat as anchor events each year, and recent teaching series have included a year-long journey through the Psalms of Ascent. WOW's stated passion is "to encourage all women, no matter their season of life, to live out biblical truths and intentionally pass those truths to the next generation." Volunteers are welcome to help plan and run activities.
Single Adults, Young Adults, and Pacesetters
Calvary Road runs three additional adult ministries aimed at specific life stages. Single Adults is a ministry for unmarried adults, with the Sunday morning Ignite class (11:00 AM in Cottage B, led by Aaron Vivian) as its hub. "Calvary Road recognizes the unique challenges to single adults, and we are prepared to lead this generation through life's ups and downs."
Young Adults is aimed at the millennial generation, with the church noting that "the millennial generation is the largest generation in America today, and all the more so in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area." The ministry's Sunday morning Young Married / Mixed Adults Connect Class at 11:00 AM in Rooms 103 and 112, taught by Matt Aubry, is its primary gathering place.
Pacesetters, directed by Leila Levesque, is the church's ministry for senior adults, with its own fellowship and service rhythm built around the experience of longtime church members.
Spanish Ministries
Calvary Road offers Spanish-language ministry alongside its English programming. Misael Bernal serves as Spanish Director, and Erika Delgado serves as Spanish Interpreter. The Spanish Berea Connect Class meets at 9:30 AM in Cabaña B (Cottage B). The Hispanic fellowship is part of Calvary Road's broader English-and-Spanish ministry footprint, ensuring that Spanish-speaking members can grow in their faith and worship in their own language.
Missions and Outreach
Calvary Road's missions ministry is led by Matt Aubry, who also serves as Chairman of the Deacons. The church has launched six daughter congregations over its history, and members support a range of local and worldwide missions through giving and short-term trips. AWANA's Heart-to-Hand program channels children's giving toward local shelters and the AwanaGO missions initiative in African schools. The church also sponsors an annual Christmas in Kingstowne presentation as a community outreach.
Matt Aubry also teaches the 11:00 AM Young Married / Mixed Adults Connect Class in Room 103. The Missions Director role is paired with active pastoral leadership in the adult ministry.
What We Believe
Calvary Road's statement of faith, drawn directly from Scripture references in the church's doctrine, covers the central doctrines of historic evangelical Christianity:
- The Bible. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, a divine, supernatural revelation (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21). They are wholly without error of any kind, and God has preserved them down through the ages.
- God. One Triune God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - co-equal in power and glory, identical in nature, attributes, and perfections, co-eternal (Genesis 1:2; John 17:5; 1 Peter 1:2; Matthew 28:19).
- Jesus Christ. The eternal Son of God became man, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, and continues forever as the God-Man in two distinct natures and one person (Hebrews 2:16; John 1:14; Luke 1:35; Colossians 2:9). He died a vicarious, substitutionary death on the cross, rose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, and now serves as interceding High Priest, Intercessor, and Advocate for all believers.
- Salvation. Man, created in God's image, fell into sin through the first Adam and inherits both the guilt and the sin-nature. To be saved, a person must be born again; salvation is by grace through faith in Christ (1 Peter 2:24). The punishment of the wicked and the reward of the righteous are both everlasting.
- Second Coming. Christ will return personally, bodily, and visibly, in the body of His glorification, to set up His kingdom and judge the world in righteousness (Acts 1:9, 11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 20).
- Satan. There is a devil named Satan, a being of great cunning, whose power is bounded by God's sovereign permission and who will ultimately be cast into the lake of fire (1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 20:10).
- The Holy Spirit. The third person of the Godhead indwells all believers, baptizes them into the body of Christ, and seals them unto the day of redemption (1 Corinthians 6:19; Ephesians 1:13).
- The Church. The local visible church is composed of baptized, born-again persons gathered for fellowship, teaching, and the propagation of the gospel. Its two ordinances are baptism and the Lord's Supper; its two offices are pastor and deacon (1 Timothy 3:1-13). The invisible church is the body of Christ, a spiritual organism composed of all born-again persons in this present age.
Sermons, Giving, and Staying Connected
Sermons from Calvary Road are available as a podcast through iTunes, with new episodes posted in tandem with the Sunday services. The 11:00 AM service is livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook each Sunday so members on travel, deployed military members, and those who are sick can worship with the congregation. Online giving is available through a secure giving portal, and a mobile-friendly contact form on the church's website routes questions to the church office.
Calvary Road maintains an active social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where Sunday services are streamed and ministry updates are posted. The church's website at crbc.org includes sermon archives, ministry pages, event calendars, and registration forms for AWANA, NextGen ministries, Vacation Bible School, summer camp, and the church's annual Christmas in Kingstowne presentation.
A Church That Says "Welcome Home"
From its 1870 beginnings as Beulah Baptist Church through its 1979 merger and the decades of growth that followed, Calvary Road Baptist Church has stayed close to its neighborhood. The church that began with a covenant in a small meeting house now runs a preschool-through-sixth-grade school, a year-round NextGen ministry from nursery through college, an AWANA program that has been discipling children since 1982, a Friday-night recovery ministry for adults, and a global missions footprint that has launched six churches.
What has stayed the same is the welcome. "At Calvary Road we don't say, 'Welcome to Church.' We prefer, 'Welcome Home!'" That tone carries through every ministry - from the Little Lights nursery where infants first hear the gospel, to the AWANA game floor where kids learn to hide Scripture in their hearts, to the Celebrate Recovery Coffee House where adults find healing, to the Sunday morning Connect Class where every new face is paired with a teacher who knows their name. For more than 150 years, that has been the work of the congregation on Beulah Street.