Talk:Calvary Baptist Church (Manhattan)

der?

What about the kentucky branch?

list of pastors and assistant pastors?

There should probably be a list of this sort. For example, Stephen Olford (1918-2004) Olford Ministries International webpage was Calvary's pastor from 1959-73. Vincent McAfee was one of his assistant pastors in the 60's. RahadyanS 17:31, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

References found in the course of the AFD

The following references were found and listed in the AFD in support of the notability of the church, particularly the prominence of Pastors Kemp, Straton, Olford, and Ayers, in promoting fundamentalism, opposing what they saw as social evils like dancing, and their use of radio and the pioneering use of radio and TV broadcasting. Refs also note the church as an early "skyscraper church." The material on Straton is extensive enough it could be incorporated in his article and presented here in summary style.

• [1] Frank Leslie's Sunday Magazine, Volume 13,1883: about the early history and the building of a new edifice.
• [2] "The spiritual traveler: New York City : the guide to sacred spaces and ..." by Edward F. Bergman, HiddenSpring, 2001, ISBN-13: 978-1587680038 pp194-105. Notes its history andthat it is in a 16 story church/apartment building/hotel.
• [3] NY Times July 28, 1914, "White writ argued-lawyer contends clergyman was illegally sentenced to jail." Page 4. Rev Bouck White, of the Church of the Social Revolution, and followers was sentenced to 6 months for invading and disrupting services at Calvary on May 10.
• [4]NY Times, June 1, 1914, page 1."Tarrytown police rout I.W.W forces." A dozen police detectives were at the church when [[John D. Rockefeller and Rockefeller Jr. attended services at Calvary after 2 months of socialist, anarchist and IWW agitation against the Rockefellers. Upton Sinclair spoke at the Church of the Social Revolution against Rockefeller.
• [5]"The modern dance." The Lutheran Witness, Vol. XXXVI, no. 22, October 30, 1917, pp 335-336Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, quoting Milwaukee Free Press, February 28, 1912, and St. Louis Post Dispatch February 24, 1917. Rev. Joseph W. Kemp of Calvary says dancing of 150 years ago was ok, but modern dancing, in which a man places his right hand on a woman's waist, and holds her right hand with his left, while they dance the "two step," a "shameless exhibition," showing that a man must have "degenerated in his morals" leading to "debauchery," which "violates the soundest hygienic laws.
• [6]Giordano, Ralph, "Satan in the dance hall. Rev. John Roach Straton, social dancing, and morality in 1920's New York City." The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2008, ISBN-13 978-0810861466. Extensive discussion of Rev. Straton's campaign against immorality and dancing, his use of broadcasting starting in 1923, and his renown as a fundamentalist, as well as one of the models for Sinclair Lewis's character Elmer Gantry in 1927. Much of the book is unviewable free online, but see pp 29-35, which indicate the NY Times published 29 stories about Straton's anti-dancing, anti-drinking campaign April 5-June 23 1920 alone, out of 900 stories about Straton the NY Times published during his 1918-1929 tenure, along with similar coverage by 11 other New York papers. See p 59 on Straton's opposal of theater-going, and condemnation of Methodists for allowing it. He said Broadway theater was "under the domination and control of a little handful of Jews." (p 60).The book also covers controversy between Straton and Rev MacArthur and their supporters. P 85 notes the expulsion of 4 trustees of Calvary circa 1925 when they criticized Straton.
• [7]Time (magazine). August 30, 1928. Religion: Blatant Staton. Article on Staton's morality and fundamentalism efforts 1920-1928, leading to his debate with Presidential candidate Al Smith. Mentions his 1923 ouster of 29 members for an alleged plot to oust him, and the 1926 expulsion of 4 trustees who criticized him for accepting a salary from another church while on a long vacation. Mentions his "Girl Evangelist" Uldine Utley in 1927.
• [8]"Sinclair Lewis: rebel from Main Street" by Richard R. Lingeman. Borealis Books, 2005. ISBN-13 978-0873515412. pp 267-268, 303) p268: The American Mercury] called Straton "the Fundamentalist Pope." Straton called the devastating 1926 hurricane "a judgment of God."
• [9]"The Rise of Sinclair Lewis, 1920-1930" by James M. Hutchisson Page 141-142: Notes Calvary was already "world famous" when Straton assumed the pulpit in 1918. Notes Sinclair Lewis used Straton as one of e models for Elmer Gantry, along with William Stidger. Notes Straton preached against (Sept 20, 1925) movies, violators of Prohibition, "best-sellers, race tracks, athiesm, radicalism, and modernism."
• [10]"Dictionary of real people and places in fiction" by M. C. Rintoul. Routledge, 1993. ISBN-13: 978-0415059992. Page 869. Notes Straton and Stiger were models for Elmer Gantry. Notes Gantry's pulpit rants are based on Straton's style of preaching.
• [11] Time {magazine} July 4, 1927. "Religion: Calvary Baptist." Notes the pentecostal meeting led by Uldine Uley, pupil of Aimée Semple McPherson and protégée of Straton. Five deacons objected to pentecostal delerium in the Monday night Bible class lasting until 2 am. Loud objections from her supporters led the deacons to resign and be criticized by Straton as trying to throw a monkey wrench into the machinery of the "Gospel train" of which he was the engineer.
• [12]Time (magazine) March 16, 1953. "Religion: twisting the devil's tail." Notes AM radio station [[WQAO] initiated broadcasting from Calvary in 1923. Says Rev John S. Wimbush continued radio ministry, and it was the "oldest continuing religious broadcast on the air," though the broadcasts by then were on WMGM.They continued to espouse fundamentalism. Church membership: 1500. Notes move to 17 story hotel/church in 1931. Notes the independent Baptist church has stronger ties to Southern Baptists than to Northern Baptists.
• [13]Time (magazine), August 20, 1928, "Democrats: deadliest foe." Straton said of Democratic Presidential candidate Al Smith " ...as a public man he is the deadliest foe in America today of the forces of moral progress and true political wisdom." Letters were exchanged regardin a formal debate, but apparently no forum was agreed on.
• [14]Time (magazine) December 3, 1951. "Religion:history of a humanist." Reviews the career of Unitarian minister Charles Francis Potter. Potter debated Pastor Straton of Calvary Baptist in 1923 and 1925 in five debates over Biblical infallibility, the Virgin Birth, and Christs divinity and second coming. Large crowds required fire and police presence.
• [15]Time (magazine) April 20, 1925. "Religion: inspired mortgage." Calvary Baptist voted 89-26 to mortgage the church for $2,160,000 to build a combination church and hotel. Five of nine trustees opposed the motion. One opposing trustee, Buzbee, was fired from his position as church attorney. Straton said that most of those voting against "do not attend our weekly prayer meetings or our soul-winning services."
• [16]"Religion and public life in the Middle Atlantic region: the fount of diversity" by Randall Herbert Balmer, Mark Silk. AltaMira Press, 2006. ISBN-13: 978-0759106376. Page 13. Briefly lists the modern Calvary Baptist structure as a "neogothic skyscraper" among important religious structures in the region.
• [17]"Robert Stuart M'Arthur,"The Expositor and current anecdotes, Cleveland, Ohio. Vol XI, no. 7, April 1910, page 372. MacArthur had been pastor of Calvary Baptist 40 years, during which time he received 5000 members. He was an author, with 22 published volumes of sermons and compiled widely used hymnals. 10 persons were at the church's founding in 1847. Gives fairly detailed church history up to that point. The mother church had 2300 members, and 3 daughter congregations had been founded.
• [18]"RELIGIOUS NEWS AND VIEWS; Observance of the Semi-Centennial of the Calvary Baptist Church Last Evening." February 27, 1897, page 7. Detailed article about the 50th anniversary observance of the church, and its history. 1883 members. Calvary was said to be the most expensive Baptist church in the U.S., having cost $525,000 in 1882.
• [19]"New York then and now: 83 Manhattan sites photographed in the past and present." by Edward B. Watson, Edmund Vincent Gillon. Dover Publications; 1St Edition edition, 1976. ISBN-13: 978-0486233611.pp164-165. Pictures and brief history of Calvary 1883 and 1929 buildings.
• [20]"The airwaves of New York: illustrated histories of 156 AM stations in the Metropolitan Area, 1921-1996" by Bill Jaker, Frank Sulek, Peter Kanze. Page 168. WQAO on the air 1923. One of the earliest religious broadcasters in New York.
• [21]New York Times, March 8, 1922, page 1. "Rev Dr. R.S. MacArthur, founder, withdraws from membership because of sensationalism.(did not find online link)
• [22]New York Times, March 13, 1922, page 5 col 4. ""Straton reads statement accusing group of former officers of conspiracy and criticizing MacArthur.(did not find online link)
• [23]"Encyclopedia of evangelicalism" by Randall Herbert Balmer. Pp 39-40. "Ayer, William Ward (1892-1985)." Pastor of Calvary 1936,for 13 years. Church grew from 400 to 1600 members. Morning Truth broadcast widely heard. Fervent fundamentalist, but warned against being "too contentious." Anti-Communist, sometimes anti-Catholic. First president of "National Religious Broadcasters."
• [24]New York Times, February 12, 1929, page 46. "Church-hotel plan filed; structure on Calvary Baptist site to cost about $1,000,000.
• [25]"Christabel Pankhurst: fundamentalism and feminism in coalition." by Timothy Larsen.Boydell Press, 2002. pp 100-101. Cristabel Pankhurst, feminist, preached from the pulpit at Calvary Baptist frequently in the 1920's. Will H. Houghton, successor to Straton, also shared a platform with Pankhurst in 1931. (Note that Straton had supported 14 year old pentecostal evangelist Undine Utley when other fundamentalists said women should not preach. See one of the Time articles)
• [26]"Revive Us Again: The Reawakening of American Fundamentalism" by Joel A. Carpenter. page 46: In the 1930's and 1940's, under Pastors Houghton and Ayers, Calvary was a "pocket denomination" with Moody Memorial in Chicago and Church of the Open Door in LA, with newspapers, radio programs, missionaries, and Bible conferences.Edison (talk) 22:17, 17 November 2009 (UTC)