HERE IS THE CHURCH. HERE IS THE STEEPLE.
​OPEN THE DOORS AND SEE ALL THE PEOPLE.

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Below are just some of the people who call Calvary home. Click on their pictures to learn more.

Lorelle

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LORELLE / since 1987 
​I started coming to Calvary with our five children, ages 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 at the time. I asked the assistant pastor if they had a Sunday school, and she grabbed my arm and said with a big smile, 'We do now!' I was tired of being the only white person in my mother-in-law's church and was looking for an integrated church for our mixed-race family. Calvary was that church. Though a lot has changed, ​I still feel welcome here, and our grandkids are too. It's a good place for seeking some truths.

Dan

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DAN / since 2015
​I first came to Calvary because of the “all means all” message. Treating everyone equally and with love, and going further to stand up and fight through social justice programs to make this country and world a better place. ​

I keep coming back because of the loving environment, where your heart can rest among people who care for all others and who strive to help those in need. 

Emily

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EMILY / since 2012   
I came to Calvary when I was living in the neighborhood, after graduating from Bryn Mawr. I had grown up in the United Methodist Church and stayed involved with a Christian community in college, but after coming out, I had trouble reconciling the faith of my childhood with my understanding of the world and how I fit into it. Enter Calvary.

It's hard to put into words or a timeline all the things Calvary did for me - I got to relearn the stories of our faith tradition, gaining a deeper sense of the justice God and God's people call me into; I participated in voter registration, gay pride, die-ins, political rallies, dollar strolls, book clubs; I learned to make sauerkraut; I got coffee and dinner with friends; I became a part of a multicultural, multigenerational family; I could say I was gay in church; Calvary and the people there became home. ​

Cord, Lesley & London

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CORD & LESLEY / since 2012
​From the moment we walked in the door, Calvary felt special. It's an inviting community of dedicated friends. The place exudes love and has been central to our life in Philly ever since.

Alisha

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ALISHA / since 2005
Right away, I appreciated Calvary as a welcoming and inclusive congregation on so many levels, including welcoming me as a Jewish person who does not have to share the exact same beliefs in order to be valued and cared for. The Calvary community has supported me through many key junctures in my life, including starting Camp Sojourner in 2007.

​I value Calvary’s ongoing commitment to social justice, radical welcome of all people, and feeling like there is a place where people can connect from their hearts across so many external differences. Calvary is a space that feels like it exists outside of capitalism, supporting people to be themselves and do positive work in the world as a way of putting faith into action.

James

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JAMES / since 2009
I came to Calvary looking to share with others in my West Philly neighborhood in a more profound way. After growing up in a fairly traditional, all-white Presbyterian congregation in New Zealand and drifting away as a teen, I was not looking for my childhood church, but something new – I wasn’t sure what.

I found at Calvary a surprising community of like-minded searchers, racially diverse, genuinely inclusive, concerned with the sacredness of collective experience and seeking social justice in a broken world. That’s why I stayed, and now that I’m a parent, I am happy that this is the church family my kid belongs to.

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Lauren

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LAUREN / since 2014
​I love Calvary because I know that no matter what I’m going through, I’ll be radically welcome. I keep coming back because of the authentic vulnerability we have with each other and all the ways I’ve grown and healed because of it.

Bruce

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BRUCE / since 2012
My family and I had recently moved to West Philadelphia and passed Calvary many Sundays on our way to another church.  We decided to give it a try and felt welcome immediately. 

At Calvary I feel accepted as I am and I can explore my spirituality without judgment.  It’s been a great place for me to reckon with some of the harmful residue of my fundamentalist upbringing in the midst of a truly welcoming community.

Susanna

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SUSANNA / since 2005
​After telling a friend that I had stopped going to church and all the reasons why, he said, "Why don't you try Calvary? It's different."  So I did. 

​I continue to come to Calvary for so many reasons.  We are a community of seekers who revel in the questions;  we are a community full of justice-seeking people;  we are a community filled with unconditional love.  We are a diverse community in so many ways, always trying to learn about and love each other better. 

Grace

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GRACE / since 2017 
​I started coming to Calvary because I had heard that it had a strong social justice commitment. Once I learned that was true, the connections with the community keep me coming back. The folks in our congregation are so genuine and wonderful that you can tell that love lives here. I’m grateful for the Calvary community and how much I have grown since attending!

Sarah

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SARAH / since 2016
I came to Calvary because I was drawn by the idea of a Reconciling Congregation and a church that was devoted to social justice and intersectional faith. That first visit to Calvary was the most genuine worship experience I'd ever been a part of, and  it continues to be so.

​I appreciate being part of a church community that truly practices bearing God's love to all people. 

Rich & Luis

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​RICH (pictured at right) / since 1994 
​When I first came to Calvary, it was raining inside the chapel and sanctuary! Plaster was falling everywhere.  The congregation had put the building up for sale, but there were no serious prospective buyers, and even worse, the congregation had nowhere to go and no plan. 

When the congregation decided to stay and try to make things work, I joined  and committed to try to do what I could to help. I felt that even in this damaged state, the congregation and the place offered something unique.  

I have stayed because something wonderful did happen here, and now Calvary is a vital part of -  and is much appreciated by - the surrounding community, a unique sacred place where all really are welcome, religious or not.

Greg

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Greg

GREG / since 1996​
I came to Calvary initially for some
extra work as a musician, and stayed because it’s such a friendly welcoming place.

I love Calvary's
commitment to community and the fact that many churches and a synagogue share the space.