Calvary Chapel is a global association of charismatic evangelical churches with Pentecostal roots. The movement began in 1965 when pastor Chuck Smith, formerly of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, founded Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa in California with a congregation of only 25 people.
In 1968, the church separated from the Foursquare denomination after members envisioned becoming part of a larger Christian movement. Its rapid growth coincided with the rise of the Jesus movement in the late 1960s. In 1969, Smith’s daughter introduced him to Lonnie Frisbee, a young “hippie evangelist” who would become central to the church’s expansion.
Frisbee moved into Smith’s home, ministering to countercultural youth on the beaches of California and bringing back new converts until the house was overflowing. To meet the needs of this growing community, Frisbee helped open a communal living space known as the House of Miracles. Similar communes soon appeared throughout the state. As attendance swelled beyond the capacity of the original church, Calvary Chapel set up a large tent for services while a new building was being constructed.
Frisbee’s services were often compared to rock concerts. Many of the converts were musicians who began writing songs and performing music specifically for worship, creating the foundation of what became known as “Jesus music.”
This new style blended contemporary sounds with religious themes and eventually gave rise to Christian rock concerts. To promote and distribute the music, Maranatha! Music was founded. By the early 1970s, Calvary Chapel had become home to numerous musical groups central to the wider Jesus movement.
Frisbee himself became a nationally recognized figure, featured in magazines and television reports that showed him baptizing hundreds of people in the Pacific Ocean. The network of Houses of Miracles began organizing outreach concerts that combined preaching by Smith or Frisbee, Frisbee’s charismatic ministry, and performances by the new Christian bands.
As the movement matured, it also experienced divisions. In 1982, John Wimber, one of Calvary Chapel’s pastors, broke away after disagreements over his emphasis on spiritual manifestations. Wimber went on to lead churches that became part of the Association of Vineyard Churches.
Later, in 2012, Chuck Smith established the Calvary Chapel Association (CCA) to formally unite Calvary churches worldwide. Although united under this association, the movement has always insisted it is not a denomination but rather a fellowship of independent churches.
Doctrinally, Calvary Chapel emphasizes the inerrancy of the Bible and the Trinity, describing its theology as a “middle ground between fundamentalism and Pentecostalism.” It embraces charismatic gifts such as speaking in tongues and healing while maintaining that Pentecostalism can sometimes overvalue spiritual experience over scripture. On more controversial theological issues, the movement has sought to balance Calvinist and Arminian perspectives. Calvary Chapel affirms that humanity is fallen and incapable of salvation apart from God’s grace. It also teaches that election is based on God’s foreknowledge and that individuals must accept God’s invitation.
One of Calvary Chapel’s distinctive practices is expository teaching, in which pastors preach verse by verse, chapter by chapter, through the entire Bible, often from Genesis to Revelation. Leaders argue this approach ensures the congregation receives a balanced understanding of scripture rather than a selective one based on topical sermons.
The atmosphere of Calvary Chapel churches tends to be informal, with attendees wearing casual clothing and worship often led by contemporary Christian music, though hymns are still sung in some congregations. The churches do not have formal membership systems; belonging is generally marked by regular attendance and participation in fellowship.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Chuck Smith published books containing prophetic timelines predicting Christ’s return. In his 1976 book Snatched Away! and in later writings, he suggested that the generation alive in 1948, when Israel became a state, would not pass away before the second coming. He proposed that Christ might return before 1981 and reasoned that the Tribulation would end by 1988, forty years after the founding of Israel. When these predictions failed, some followers left the church, though Calvary Chapel continued to grow.
The movement has also faced controversies beyond prophecy. Its governance structure, known as the “Moses Model,” grants senior pastors significant authority, making them directly accountable to God rather than to church boards or denominational hierarchies.
Smith explained this view in a 2007 interview, saying, “I feel my primary responsibility is to the Lord… And one day I’m going to answer to him, not to a board of elders.” Supporters say this model preserves pastoral independence, while critics argue it discourages accountability and enables abuses of power.
Some of the most serious criticisms have involved the handling of misconduct by pastors. Reports alleged that Smith at times protected pastors accused of sexual harassment or affairs, and in certain cases rehired men who had already been dismissed from other Calvary churches. One pastor later arrested for having sex with a 15-year-old had previously been dismissed elsewhere for sexual misconduct. Smith denied that the earlier dismissal was sex-related.
In 1994, Smith intervened when an Idaho congregation sought to discipline its pastor, Mike Kestler, amid accusations of harassment. At the time, Kestler was a prominent figure in the Calvary radio network. A decade later, Kestler was sued by a woman who said he fired her for refusing his sexual advances. At that point, Smith shifted his stance, funding her lawsuit against Kestler. This led to a protracted legal battle over the radio network, which was eventually settled.
Chuck Smith remained the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa until his death from lung cancer on October 3, 2013. Three years later, in 2016, the Costa Mesa church withdrew from the Calvary Chapel Association and established the Calvary Chapel Global Network, which continues to count the association’s approximately 1,700 churches as affiliates unless they formally withdraw.
Key Sources:
Arellano, G. (2010, August 3). Is Calvary Chapel Head Chuck Smith Covering for a Child Beater? The Orange County Register.
Coker, M. (2005, March 3). The First Jesus Freak. OC Weekly.
Cooke, P. (2014, July 17). What’s Next at Calvary Chapel Ft. Lauderdale Without Bob Coy? Interview with New Lead Pastor Doug Sauder. The Christian Post.
Dulaney, J. (2012, July 5). Calvary Chapel’s Mothership Connection. The Orange County Register.
Sessions, D. (2013, January 27). Calvary Chapel’s Tangled Web. The Daily Beast.
Shellnutt, K. (2020, July 15). A tale of two Calvary chapels: Behind the movement’s split. Christianity Today.
Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religious Movements 