Our Mission
REACH, DISCIPLE, & SEND
REACH out and invite people into a walk with Jesus.
DISCIPLE those who receive Christ and are born again.
SEND people out as missionaries where they live, work, and play.
CORE VALUES
- GOSPEL - We center everything on and do everything in response to the gospel of Christ.
- WORSHIP - We worship God by praying, singing, receiving His Word, and living out our faith.
- DISCIPLESHIP - We teach the Bible and multiply as we walk in obedience to Jesus.
- COMMUNITY- We live life in loving community through fellowship and servanthood.
- FAMILIES -We strengthen families through education, counseling, and a healthy kids ministry.
- STEWARDSHIP - We give faithfully of our time and resources as good stewards.
- MINISTRY - We reach out and bless our city through loving service and evangelism.
WHO WE ARE
Calvary is a non-denominational, autonomous church that is committed to faithfully teaching God’s Word verse-by verse. We are also committed to loving God and one another as we fulfill the great commission.
HISTORY - Calvary was planted as Reality Church Tampa in 2010 by Pilgrim Benham. The church started in a small storefront on Florida Ave and then moved to the YMCA on Palm Ave. In 2013, the name was changed to Calvary Chapel South Tampa and Joe Harris moved over from Calvary Chapel St. Petersburg to become the Worship Leader. In July of 2014 Pastor Joe became the Lead Pastor and Pilgrim planted Shoreline Calvary Chapel in Bradenton.
FUTURE - We are seeking Jesus as Lord of this church and trusting the Holy Spirit to build the church in His way and in His timing. We are not going to submit to the false narrative of our culture but are going to stay faithful to God’s Word and seek His glory. We value being a lean church and we currently set up and tear down each weekend. The Tampa Abbey is our Church Office, and we also meet throughout the city during the week. If God opens the door for a facility that will fulfill His mission in a greater way, we are certainly open to that. However, our church is so much more than a facility.
ASSOCIATION - Calvary Chapel is an association of over 1,700 evangelical churches that began in 1965 out of Pastor Chuck Smith’s Calvary Chapel located in Costa Mesa, CA. Although we are associated, all Calvary Chapels are autonomous. Often, individual churches are quite different in practice and style.
For more information about Calvary Chapel visit calvarychapel.com and CalvaryCCA.org. The first time someone invited Pastor Joe to a Calvary Chapel, his life was radically changed. He grew up in a Southern Baptist church but ran from God at the age of 18. When he was 25, the Holy Spirit came upon him and he was born again. He had never experienced God’s grace in such a simple and loving way as he did at Calvary Chapel. He worked on staff at Calvary Chapel St. Petersburg for 7 years before taking on the role of Senior Pastor here in South Tampa.
HISTORY - Calvary was planted as Reality Church Tampa in 2010 by Pilgrim Benham. The church started in a small storefront on Florida Ave and then moved to the YMCA on Palm Ave. In 2013, the name was changed to Calvary Chapel South Tampa and Joe Harris moved over from Calvary Chapel St. Petersburg to become the Worship Leader. In July of 2014 Pastor Joe became the Lead Pastor and Pilgrim planted Shoreline Calvary Chapel in Bradenton.
FUTURE - We are seeking Jesus as Lord of this church and trusting the Holy Spirit to build the church in His way and in His timing. We are not going to submit to the false narrative of our culture but are going to stay faithful to God’s Word and seek His glory. We value being a lean church and we currently set up and tear down each weekend. The Tampa Abbey is our Church Office, and we also meet throughout the city during the week. If God opens the door for a facility that will fulfill His mission in a greater way, we are certainly open to that. However, our church is so much more than a facility.
ASSOCIATION - Calvary Chapel is an association of over 1,700 evangelical churches that began in 1965 out of Pastor Chuck Smith’s Calvary Chapel located in Costa Mesa, CA. Although we are associated, all Calvary Chapels are autonomous. Often, individual churches are quite different in practice and style.
For more information about Calvary Chapel visit calvarychapel.com and CalvaryCCA.org. The first time someone invited Pastor Joe to a Calvary Chapel, his life was radically changed. He grew up in a Southern Baptist church but ran from God at the age of 18. When he was 25, the Holy Spirit came upon him and he was born again. He had never experienced God’s grace in such a simple and loving way as he did at Calvary Chapel. He worked on staff at Calvary Chapel St. Petersburg for 7 years before taking on the role of Senior Pastor here in South Tampa.
We BELIEVE
- We believe that the Bible is inspired by God in its entirety, and is without error in the original autographs, a complete and final written revelation from God. (2 Timothy 3:15-17, 2 Peter 1:21)
- We believe that there is only one God, who is eternal and immutable, and manifests Himself in three distinct Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:1, Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 28:19, John 10:30)
- We believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah (John 1:36-42), born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23, Luke 1:34-35), totally without sin (Hebrews 4:15, Hebrews 7:26), God in human flesh (John 1:1 & 14, John 20:28) the One Who died on the cross for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3, Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 2:9), was buried (John 19:40-42), rose again from the dead on the third day (John 2:19), and ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven, where He now intercedes for us who believe in Him. (Mark 16:19, Acts 7:56, 1 Timothy 2:5)
- We believe that Jesus Christ is going to return in the clouds for His church before the tribulation that is coming upon the whole earth (1 Thessalonians 4:16), and that He will return with His saints and all His holy angels to the earth at the end of the tribulation, and set up His kingdom on earth, ruling and reigning forever and ever. (Matthew 24:30, Revelation 19:13)
- We believe that all humanity is lost and born with a sinful nature, and can only be saved by a personal faith in the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and not by any human merit or performance. (John 3:16-19, John 5:24, Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23, Romans 5:8-9, Ephesians 2:8-10, Titus 3:5)
- We believe in a real/literal devil, called Satan, who, along with all his fallen angels, demons, and evil spirits, are destined to spend eternity in hell, and now seek to deceive the world, defeat the believers, and destroy the work of God, but can be resisted by believers, who are protected by God, the Holy Spirit and the intercession of Jesus Christ our Lord. (Genesis 3:1, Job 1:6-12, Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 22:31-32, 1 John 4:4, Revelation 20:10)
- We believe that heaven is a real place where the saved will dwell forever, and that hell is a literal place of torment where unbelievers will suffer forever. (John 14:1-3, Revelation 20:11-15, Revelation 21:8, Revelation 22:5)
- We believe that genuine believers are born again by the Holy Spirit of God, and are indwelt, baptized into the body of Christ, the true church, and sealed by the Holy Spirit, and thus, unable to be separated from the love of Jesus Christ. (John 3:1-6, Acts 1:4-5, Romans 8:35-39, Ephesians 1:13-14)
- We believe that all believers need to be filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live a godly life and to be bold in our witness for the Lord. (Romans 8:13-14, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Ephesians 4:30, Ephesians 5:18)
- We believe in the spiritual unity of all genuine believers in the Lord Jesus Christ which is manifested by the spiritual gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit’s presence through His love. (I Corinthians 12:12-13, Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 4:8-12)
- We believe that the nation of Israel has a special place in God’s plan, and that all of the promises of God to Israel will be fulfilled both now and in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in His millennium. (Genesis 12:3, Psalm 122:1)
- We believe the human race was created as male and female by a direct act of God to fully reveal His image. (Genesis 1:26-28)
- We believe marriage is a sacred covenantal union between a man and a woman that limits sexual relations to monogamous, heterosexual marriage. (Genesis 2:24)
- We believe that the solemnizing of a marriage is a sacred and profound event that shall be entered into only where the proposed covenantal union is in compliance with the Word of God. (Genesis 4:1)
- We believe that the solemnizing of a marriage between men and women of the same sex is contrary to the Word of God and is a sin before God. (Romans 1:21-27)
- We believe in the sanctity of human life in all stages from conception to natural death. The church, based upon clear biblical teaching and by obedience to the Holy Scriptures, believes that life is to be preserved without exception. (Psalm 82:3-4, Genesis 1:27, Psalm 127, 3, Exodus 20-13, Exodus 20:13, Micah 6:7, John 10:10)
- We believe in the standard of holy living set forth in Holy Scripture and agree that as believers in the Lord we must adhere to right living preserving our witness before the unsaved world. We agree that we are living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God and that without the Holy Spirit’s indwelling and recurring filling for Christian power, we cannot fully display Christ. (Romans 12:1, 1 Peter 2:5)
Calvary affirms the Lausanne Covenant as a faithful expression of evangelical commitment to proclaiming Christ and engaging in His mission in the world.
Calvary affirms the Confessional Statement and Theological Vision for Ministry of The Gospel Coalition as a faithful expression of gospel-centered evangelical conviction and mission.
Calvary affirms the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, asserting the Bible is completely truthful and without error in its original manuscripts.
Calvary affirms the Nicene Creed (A.D. 325, revised 381), joining with the historic Christian church in confessing the essential truths of the faith.
Calvary affirms the Confessional Statement and Theological Vision for Ministry of The Gospel Coalition as a faithful expression of gospel-centered evangelical conviction and mission.
Calvary affirms the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, asserting the Bible is completely truthful and without error in its original manuscripts.
Calvary affirms the Nicene Creed (A.D. 325, revised 381), joining with the historic Christian church in confessing the essential truths of the faith.
Find out about our leadership!