Mission Statement:
Your Community Living Life with Jesus!
Vision Statement:
To build a great community, renewed and redeemed by a gospel movement, by being a church for the town of Wawa that labors to help people navigate through the hurt of life to serving the kingdom of God where we advance the gospel throughout our community and beyond.
Purpose Statement:
To bring people to Jesus and membership in his family, develop them to Christ-like maturity, and equip them for their ministry in the church and life mission in the world, in order to magnify God’s name.
Who we are
Above all else, we’re followers of Jesus Christ. We believe that He was the Son of God, and that He meant what He said to His disciples, “I have come that you may have life, and have life abundant”. We live our lives by taking Him at His word.
We’re a humble community of people simply trying to practice the Way of Jesus together.
Where we come from
Calvary Pentecostal Church was started by Miss Mildred and Miss Freida in 1952. Miss Mildred Rosenke arrived from her home in Flowing Well, Saskatchewan on March 9th 1952. With her co-worker Miss Freida Phillips(Portage La Prairies), they opened the first Pentecostal Church in Jamestown(Wawa). Although they had no regular church as yet, this Pentecostal group that included students from Eastern Pentecostal Bible College(Currently Master’s College & Seminary); Ella Sargeants(Port Arthur), Dorcas Jacques(London), Helen Emmons(Strathroy), Marlene Matthews(Dunnville), Clare St. Germained(Ottawa), Vivia Wood(Frankford), all were active in the community.
They had regular Sunday evening services held in the recreation room of Number 5 Bunkhouse in the Helen Mine and Sunday School was held at 11 Am Sundays and outdoor services were conducted whenever the weather allowed Saturday evenings. Week-night meetings were held in private homes. Eventually, Services were held in the Sir James Dunn Public School for a year and a half, and later at the Lions Hall. Sunday School and Junior Church were held at the apartment on First Avenue, where Miss Rosenke and Miss Phillips lived.
Mr. Clifford Weeks(Sault Ste. Marie) arrived to work with the Pentecostal Mission group to set the work to build a New Church Building. As Mr. Weeks and Miss Mildred Rosenke carried on after Miss Phillips left due to ill health, an opportunity to purchase the sale of the Wawa First United Church(established in Michipicoten some time ago) was offered and accepted. Although plans and land was already purchased and work was commenced on the brand new building, the Wawa First United Church was bought. Mr. Weeks said that the buying of this church was a home mission enterprise of the Western District of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada and indeed it was the perfect opportunity. While waiting for the new church purchased from the United congregation, services were held in the Roxy Theatre for a few months.
On May 2, 1955 Rev. John E. Scarr took up duties as pastor at the pioneer Pentecostal Church.
Since the early beginnings of Calvary Pentecostal Church, from the words of Mr.Weeks,
“The church is not being provided in whole for present worshippers”
(referring to the Pentecostal point of view, which is to treat areas in Canada as foreign missions and to emphasize evangelical work).
“A warm welcomes you at Calvary,”
as the Rev. Scarr would extend the invitation and publicized in The Wawa Echo(The local Newspaper).
Many Pastors, Lay Ministers and volunteers have since continued the effort of sharing the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They have celebrated New Birth, Restoration, Healings, New Faith and shared their gifts and talents with the community of Wawa and surrounding areas. At times, it may have been a sacrifice that was needed, but that is what “effort” is comprised of.
Because of the beautiful history and testimony of those who have gone before us, today we can be encouraged to continue the mission and be assured of the race set before us. We serve a God who is Faithful and Good!
Hebrews 13:8 tells us that Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever!
Calvary Pentecostal Church is a church dedicated to sharing the message of hope that the Gospel of Jesus Christ saves and this message must resonate to all of Wawa and our Surrounding Communities.
Where we’re going
We believe that God longs to see earth look more like Heaven. This looks like fostering a community that loves, that worships, and that believes in the impossible. We move as a community by putting one foot in front of the other, following the wind of the Spirit one step at a time.
What this means for you
What does this mean for you? Most importantly, you’re always welcome at Calvary Church. Wherever you’re at in your journey of life, you’ll always be accepted as you are.
Beyond that, if you want to plan on joining us you can visit us any Sunday @ 10:30 Am. If you want to learn more about our beliefs as a church, click here. Or if you’d simply like to get in touch with the Pastor directly, click the button below.