In The Beginning

The labor and birth of Mt. Calvary Seventh-day Adventist Church of Huntsville, Alabama began as a direct result of personal, public, and community missionary evangelism of the students, staff, faculty, lay members, and pastoral ministries of the Oakwood College, First, and Central churches of this city.

In the early Spring of 1978 and later 1979, students, faculty, and lay persons visited and gave out Revival Bible Lessons and tracts, food, and clothing in the general Calvary Hill area.

The student/faculty missionaries set up a goal of 100 Revival Bible Studies in the general University Heights community. A small group of 15-15 Revival Bible students began to keep the Sabbath in a McCray Street church. As the "Revival Bible School" students finished their courses, the company grew to some 65 persons in attendance on Sabbaths, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday evenings.

It was there that Oakwood College, under its current pastoral administration, challenged the membership of the Oakwood College church to seek, to plan a citywide campaign to enroll 100 persons in the Revival Bible Lessons, beginning in January 1979, and have the students and members follow up the seed-planting with a public revival under a Big Gospel Tent. Some 500 to 750 persons completed the 21 lessons and the Revival Bible course by June 1979. On the opening night, some 2,000 persons were present for the opening services and graduation exercise under the Big Gospel Tent (pitched in the former JC Penny Mall parking lot located on Pulaski Pike) was held July 23, 1979. Elder E.C. Ward was the general speaker.

As a result of the faithful lay labors and revival from January to December 1979, some 300 persons were baptized and divided between First, Central, and Oakwood College churches; and some 200 persons formed the Mt. Calvary Church on September 15, 1979, meeting first in the Calvary Hill Center on Fairbanks Street; then, in February 1980 at the Royal Funeral Home Chapel located on Oakwood Avenue.

Mr. & Mrs. J. Jones graciously opened their facilities while the infant church purchased land and obtained building plans the capable and unselfish leadership of Mr. L. Hundley, Sr., Chairman of the Oakwood College Deacon Board. Several members from the First and Oakwood churches joined the Mt. Calvary Seventh-day Adventist Church to aid in its growth.

Since the opening of the new facility, there have been several shepherds who've served as leaders of this young church.