Our History
Calvary Baptist Church began back in 1967 as a missionary
outreach of Travis Street Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Texas.
Our founding pastor was the Rev. Mason Gray. The Rev. Gray was
called to the ministry Easter Sunday, in the year 1960 at Friendship
Baptist Church in the Corine community. He pastored Tecula Baptist
Church from 1961 to 1968.
In the latter part of the year 1967, after much prayer, and being
led, as he believed, by the Lord, the Rev. Gray took the first steps
toward establishing what was to become Calvary Baptist Church.
Fourteen people met January 10, 1968 to form a mission. On
January 14, 1968 the first regular service was held in
Thompson-Elliott Funeral Home chapel with 23 present.
the mission was organized into a New Testament church March 3
1968.
After purchasing property on Tena Street, the church bought a
house to be moved onto the property. The church first met in these
temporary quarters November 22, 1968 with 33 members.
October 25, 1970 saw ground-breaking ceremonies for the church
building.
On February 7, 1971, with the Rev. Mason Gray as pastor, Calvary
Baptist Church had their first service in the new church building.
The house was then converted into the parsonage.
Additional Sunday School rooms and a fellowship hall were build
in 1972.
Under the leadership of Rev. Mason Gray, Calvary Baptist Church
grew from the original 33 charter members to a membership of over
150. Bro. Gray, due to health reasons, resigned as pastor of Calvary
Baptist Church February 19, 1978.
The church voted unanimously to name the Rev. Mason Gray as
Pastor Emeritus, out of respect for the work he accomplished for the
Lord in Jacksonville and out of the love felt for him as a man.
He died May 24, 1978.