Who we are

"Calvary Baptist Church is a multi-generational local church family striving to glorify God by worshipping corporately, growing personally, and making disciples of Jesus Christ. “

Our Services

"At Calvary Baptist Church we try to use every aspect of our ministry to point to God Himself. We have a strong emphasis on expository preaching. Our music is focused on congregational involvement that is both traditional in style and enthusiastic in vibrancy. Our goal in our services is not ultimately that we would know one another better (though this may happen), but that all who meet together with us would know the creator God better. Knowing God is what we desire to be the center of all we do. John 17:3 "This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and the One You have sent--Jesus Christ."

Our Leadership

Pastor Mark Cox

As the lead pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, Pastor Mark preaches, oversees the teaching, provides visionary leadership and direction to the church, and works alongside the deacons to disciple the congregation by equipping them to be disciple-making disciples. Before Pastor Mark came to Calvary in September of 2015, he served as a pastoral intern at First Baptist Church in Troy, Michigan. Pastor Mark has a burden to help others know God more each day and then to be so overwhelmed by who God is that they cannot keep quiet about Him.
Pastor Mark married his wonderful wife, Grace, in February of 2016. Sierra Jane was born on December 31st, 2016, and Mac was born on June 14, 2018. Grace serves as the secretary for CBC. When Pastor Mark is not working at the church, he is often spending time with his family, singing, teaching music, playing a board game, hiking a trail, out hunting, or perhaps even doing some extra reading at home by the fireplace with a cup of smooth black coffee.
He may be contacted at pastorcbcathens@gmail.com or phone (570) 888 – 5324

Pastor Leland Thompson

Leland Thompson was the 7th of 9 children and has lived in the Valley most of his life. He married the former Carol Burnett on July 2, 1955. They have seven children, seventeen grandchildren and thirty-three great-grandchildren. He retired from IBM after 30 years service to go into the ministry, serving as assistant pastor/youth pastor in his home church, as well as interim pastor and regular pastor at various other churches. He also served as executive director for five years of PA Baptists for Life. He likes to paint artistically, read, and chat about his faith in Christ with anyone interested. He can be reached at 570-867-2772.

The Gospel

God created and rules our world. When He created the world He made mankind rulers of the world under Him, but we have rejected the ruler, by trying to run life our own way without Him. We have rebelled against the Creator. The question is, what will He do about this rebellion? God says “the wages [punishment] of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) God’s justice sounds hard, but because of God’s love, He sent His Son into the world, the man Jesus Christ. Jesus lived under God the Father’s rule, obeying Him perfectly. He was killed by those who rejected Him. By dying in our place He took our punishment and brought forgiveness and reconciliation with God. The Bible says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) But that’s not all – God, raised Jesus to life again as the ruler of the world. Jesus has conquered death, and gives new life. Now we are all faced with a choice: our way or God’s way? We can continue to live our own way, reject God, and try to run our own life. This leads to Separation from God and sure judgment. Or we can live according to God’s way by submitting to Jesus as our ruler and relying on Jesus’ death and resurrection. The glorious result of this is forgiveness, eternal life, and reconciliation to God! This is God’s grace to us! For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. – Ephesians 2:8-9

We Believe In…

That the Bible is fully inspired and is the infallible Word ofGod, II Timothy 3:16.
In the Trinity of the God-head; one God eternally existing in three Persons– Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I John 5:6-7.
In the personality, deity and work of the Holy Spirit, John 14:26, the third Person in the Trinity, I John 5:6-7.
In the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, John 1:14, as the Son of God and God the Son, John 10:29-30.
In Jesus’ virgin birth; that He was conceived by the Holy Ghost and is, therefore, God manifested in the flesh, Matthew 1:18-25.
In Jesus’ substitutionary death; that the Son of God gave “His own life a ransom for many”, I Timothy 2:5-6, and “bore our sins in His own body on the tree”, I Peter 2:24.
In the bodily resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, Acts 1:1-3, that He ascended into Heaven, Acts 1:9-11, and that He is now at the right hand of God the Father as our Priest, Hebrews 10:10-12, and Advocate, I John 2:1.
In the visible, glorious, imminent, and bodily return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to be pre-millennial, I Thessalonians 4:16-18.
In the reality and personality of Satan, Isaiah 14:12-15.
In the special creation of the universe, Genesis 1:1, and man, Genesis 1:27.
In the sin, fall, and depravity of the human race through Adam, Romans 5:12, therefore, in the necessity of regeneration by the New Birth, Ephesians 2:4-8.
In the Church organization as a body of baptized believers, Acts 2:41-42, gathered together by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of carrying out the principles and precepts of God’s Word, I Corinthians 2:12-13, and in the Church organism as the mystical body of Christ, of which He is the living head and of which, regenerate believers are members only, I Corinthians 12:12-27.
In the immersion of the believer in water as the only Biblical form of baptism, Acts 8:35-39.
In the partaking of the Bread and the Cup in the Communion Service as a privilege peculiar only to those who are in Christ, I Corinthians 11:26-28.
In the bodily resurrection and translation of the believer at Christ’s return,
I Thessalonians 4: 16-17.
In the bodily resurrection and judgment of unbelievers after the Millennial reign of Christ, Revelation 20: 1 1-15.
In the eternal security of the believer on earth, John 10:28-30, and in the eternal blessedness of the righteous in Heaven, Revelation 21 :1-4, and in the eternal existence and punishment of the wicked in the Lake of Fire, Matthew 25:41 and Revelation 20:11-15.