1939 – 1945
Calvary Baptist Church grew out of a Christian ministry which began in June 1939 by Pauline Smith. Miss Smith was a member of a Bible church in southern California (while in California, she was a baby sitter for Richard Nixon). She was assisted in the early work by native Russian speakers, Nina Zernov and Lillis Blakely. As God saved souls by His amazing grace, the believers united in fellowship and the small group was called “Ninilchik Gospel Chapel.” Some of the earliest members were Alex Kvasnikoff, Nick Leman, Joe Oskolkoff, and Doris and Marian Steik.
1946 – 1950
Twin sisters, Marian and Margaret Brody, came to Ninilchik in June 1946 to help Miss Smith. Nick Leman noticed Marian Brody, courted her under the watchful eye of Miss Smith, and the two were married in August 1947. Pastor Alex Kvasnikoff of Cordova officiated this first, blessed event in the new chapel.
Ninilchik Russain Village
1951 – 1958
Austin Meekins served as the church’s first pastor from July 1951 to the fall 1958. In 1958, Ninilchik Gospel Chapel’s services were moved from the Ninilchik Russian Village to the church’s present location (Lee Van Sickle built the facility we currently occupy). In the same year (1958), the church’s name was changed to Calvary Baptist Church.
1959 – present
Over the past 60 years, the Lord has blessed Calvary Baptist Church with fruitful harvests of saved souls as well as faithful ministers to feed the flock of God from God’s Holy Word. Below is a timeline through the pastoral leadership the Lord Jesus has provided in building His church over the past six decades.
Calvary Baptist Church, Ninilchik, Alaska, August 2018
TIMELINE THROUGH LEADERSHIP
1951 – 1958
Austin Meekins. Pastor Meekins was the church’s first pastor. He and his wife, Mae, ministered to the church for was from a Conservative Baptist background and he and wife Mae ministered to the church from 1951-1958 (7 years).
1958 – 1961
Vernon Crouse. Records are not clear as to how long Pastor Crouse had served. School teachers from Ninilchik, as well as other schools, were used as pulpit supply from late 1958-1961 until a pastor could be called. Ivan Auten and Joe Clauson were just two of those used to serve as interim pastors during this period of time.
1961 – 1963
Leonard Wilkinson. The Wilkinsons served briefly in 1961. They desired for the church to join in fellowship with the Charismatic Movement. The congregation stood firmly against the movement, which led to the resignation of Pastor Wilkinson. From 1961-1963, the church once again required pulpit supply from various sources until a pastor could be called.
1963 – 1973
Robert “Bob” Nash. Pastor Nash served as pastor in 1963. He was instrumental in establishing the church’s first constitution and statement of faith. The constitution was adopted on April 30, 1963 (signed by Robert E. Nash, Oma A. Blain, Eddie L. Blain, Bill Kvasnikoff, Bertha Kvasnikoff, Doris Kelly, Marian B. Leman, and Nick Leman). Over the next ten years, pastors from other churches served as pulpit supply until the church could call her next pastor. Among those preaching in the interim were Bob Butler and Richard Norman.
1973 – 1976
Earl Barnett. Pastor Barnett served Calvary Baptist Church from May 1973 to November 1976 (2 years, 6 months). During this time, the church voted to separate from its informal association with the Conservative Baptist Association. Kit Pherson (who would later serve as pastor at Calvary Baptist Church) was baptized by Pastor Barnett at the church in August 1976.
1976 – 1982
Jim White. Jim White served as pastor from December 1976 to August 1981 (4 years, 8 months). During Pastor White’s ministry, the church held to a stronger position on the exclusive use of the King James Version of the Bible (KJV Only). This position would continue until the ministry of the next pastor, Stan Tucker. Mike and Cheryl Sutton were married by Jim White on August 4, 1979. Kit Pherson was ordained into the ministry and licensed by the church in August 1981. Jim Keeling and Paul Ball served as interim pastors from August 1981 to the early spring of 1982.
1976 – 1982
Stan Tucker. Pastor Tucker served the church from April 1982 to January 1984 (1 year, 10 months). A Christian School was started during this time and continued until the summer of 1989. Mike Sutton, a long-time member and our current worship leader, taught in the school.
1984 – 1989
Jeff Dickinson. Jeff Dickinson served as pastor from June 1984 to August 1989 (5 years, 2 months). During Pastor Dickinson’s ministry, Kit and Joy Pherson were commissioned as missionaries and sent to the country of South Africa. The Phersons left the USA for South Africa in January 1985.
1989 – 2005
Ronald Blough. In the process of searching for a pastor after the departure of Jeff Dickinson, Earl Barnett (CBC pastor, 1973-1976) contacted Ron Blough in the fall of 1989 about ministering to the church. Ron and Marlene Blough were led of God to Ninilchik and began their ministry in December 1989 and served until Pastor Blough’s retirement at the end of April 2005 (16 years, 5 months). During the Blough’s ministry to the church, the congregation began to read a chapter from the Bible each Sunday morning, beginning with Genesis (the church read through the entire Bible over the next 24-1/2 years, and continue to do so still).
The Phersons returned to Ninilchik from the South African mission field in November 2004. In February 2005, the call to pastor the church was extended to Kit Pherson.
2005 – 2017
Kit Pherson. Pastor Pherson ministered to the church from May 2005 to January 1, 2017 (11 years, 8 months). During the Phersons ministry the church renovated the skirting around crawl space and supporting beams under the church. A building addition was also completed in 2012, extending the fellowship hall and adding two Sunday School rooms. The kitchen was also remodeled in 2016.
The church went live with its first website, cbcninilchik.com, in June 2015, courtesy of Caleb Daniels, the grandson of former pastor, Ron Blough.
Although the church had been recording sermons and messages for a number of years, the church began posting messages on the Internet using SermonAudio.com in July 2015.
CBC Youth, 2010 Christmas Special at Ninilchik Senior Center
2017 – 2018
Jack Johnston. Jack Johnston served as interim pastor from January 2017 to mid-May 2018 (1 year, 4-1/2 months). Pastor Jack traveled from Soldotna to Ninilchik every Sunday to teach Sunday school and preach the Sunday morning message until the arrival of our current pastor, Jon Cardwell.
Seeing the pulpit vacancy on SermonAudio.com, Jon Cardwell contacted the deacons of Calvary Baptist Church in November 2017. After a two week visit to Alaska from February 1st to February 14th, 2018, the congregation extended the call to Jon Cardwell to serve the church in Ninilchik.
2018 – present
Jon Cardwell. Jon and Lisa Cardwell arrived in Ninilchik on May 18th, 2018; and Jon preached his first message to the congregation on Sunday, May 20, 2018.
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