summer caller 2012

Volume XVI, Issue 6 Summer 2012

For seven weeks this summer, beginning July 29, we will examine commonly known texts of the New Testament; Bible verses that are familiar to most people, but are commonly misunderstood. Ever hear the recitation of John 3:16 and roll your eyes to dismiss it? Do you wonder why ‘Jesus wept’ is in the Bible at all? Have you ever struggled with trying to explain “I am the way, the truth, and the life…no one comes to the Father but by me” to your friends of other faiths?

If any of these experiences are shared by you, then Calvary Unplugged is a must for your summer worship experience.

Last year the congregation of Calvary Baptist Church took a break from higher liturgy in the more formal sanctuary and spent part of the summer in Woodward Hall, “unplugged.” With a more conversational, acoustic approach to worship, the congregation had an opportunity to dialogue in deeper and more immediate ways.

Starting July 29, we will be “unplugged” again, and take a look at passages we’ve perhaps heard all our lives, never understood, or understood in a way that is problematic. Please join us for unplugged, to learn some music and be in conversation with others who share your quest to commune with God.

Calvary Unplugged

You are cordially invited to a weekend of celebration

in honor of the 150th Anniversary of Calvary Baptist

Anniversary Concert

Friday, June 1, 7:30 p.m. Sanctuary

Featuring violinist Joshua Coyne and guests debuting a special

piece commissioned in celebration of Calvary’s 150th

Anniversary.

150th Gala

Saturday, June 2, 6:30 p.m. Woodward Hall

Reception Dinner and Entertainment

Festive Attire Requested

Homecoming Sunday

Sunday, June 3

Meet and Greet 9:45 a.m. Woodward Hall

Worship 11:00 a.m. Sanctuary

Lunch 12:30 p.m. Woodward Hall

Summer 2012 Calvary Caller

From Our Pastor Rev. Dr. Amy Butler

Senior Pastor

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Also in the mix are present Calvary members, those who have joined in the last few years but who nevertheless understand on a deep and intimate level the meaning and significance of an occasion like the 150th. For them, the anniversary is notable; because of the work and dedication of those who have gone before there is a place now in which they invest their lives and nurture their faith. For this group, the anniversary means something less nostalgic and more practical: they will be giving money to make sure the bells ring again on the 150th. They will be working at the

church workday to make sure the building is clean and ready for visitors. They will be dreaming and hoping about the future of the church, putting their hands to the task of making it happen.

In preparation for the 150th, Calvary’s children are learning what it means to be part of the community of faith that is Calvary Baptist Church. In the children’s Sunday School room is a bulletin board with the title, “Growing Up at Calvary.” Their faces shine from the display, along with others over years and years of growing up at Calvary. Along with visits to the

pastor’s office, tours of the baptistery, and learning about the bells, Calvary’s current children are connecting with those who have gone before.

For all of these, and for the rest of us, the next few weeks will be exciting indeed. Thanks be to God for this place, for Calvary Baptist Church, a family of faith in which each of us has found a place.

With gratitude and excitement, Pastor Amy

Everybody loves a birthday.

At least that’s what it seems like to me, given the fact that everyone in and around Calvary is counting the days until the first weekend in June, when Calvary will officially celebrate 150 years as a community of faith on the corner of H and 8th, NW.

First on the list are those who are organizing 150th events. Determined not to let an occasion like this go by without recognition, a small group of congregation members has planned event after event over the full year, culminating in the weekend of June 1-3, when various events are planned on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. These are all big deals, involving even the careful perusal of the Board of Trustees, who had to be consulted in order to move forward with the planned champagne toast at the weekend’s gala on the evening of June 2!

And another group is the group of those gone before…Calvary members and former members who will return for various reunions, or who sent their regrets that they’re unable to attend. I know of many who will be back, but my biggest introit to those who have gone before are those who are still here…who come by the office, call, and email to remind us of people we may have forgotten to invite. Their zeal in including so many whose names I have never heard makes me remember why a community of faith is so critical in the lives of so many of us. It’s fully appropriate that those who have gone before are named and recalled during this special occasion. I look forward to meeting them!

“In preparation for the 150th, Calvary’s children are learning

what it means to be part of the community of faith that is Calvary Baptist Church. […]

With visits to the pastor’s office, tours of the baptistery, and learning about the bells, Calvary’s current children are

connecting with those who have gone before.”

-Amy Butler


Moderator’s Column Soren Dayton,

Calvary Moderator

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The first half of 2012 has been exciting at Calvary.

From an organizational perspective, the most important thing is that the Trustees and the Camp Fraser Task Force have found a way to ensure that the Camp can satisfy its mission of serving children while not endangering the overall budgetary situation of the church. In this issue of the Caller, you will find an extended description of the relationship with our new partner, Living Classrooms, and the agreement we have entered into with them.

From a denominational perspective, we have reached out to the Southern Baptist Convention to express some of our long-standing concerns. Their response was unsatisfactory to many in the congregation. At the last two business meetings, we discussed these issues, and this issue of the Caller contains an amendment to our constitution that would withdraw us from the SBC. We will vote on this amendment at the next business meeting.

The Kendall fund for church planting decided to wind down, and from this we received a quarter of a million dollar grant for maintenance of our sanctuary building.

At the last business meeting, we also endorsed the call to ordination of two brilliant women, our former intern Morgan Caruthers and our Diaconate Chair Rachel Johnson. Calvary has become a leader in the Baptist world at mentoring young women. It is not always apparent to those of us living our days in this congregation, but people from across the country are beating down their doors to come here and participate in our experiment of faith.

And finally, at the beginning of June, we celebrate the 150th anniversary of our church on the corner of 8th and H.

Once we complete anniversary celebrations, we will turn to long-term planning. We are currently operating under a five-year plan to revitalize the church. In 2007, Calvary recognized that it was in financial crisis and created a plan to get out of it. We authorized larger draws on the endowment rather than immediately sacrifice programs and staff. This gave us the breathing room to restructure some programs and focus on church growth. We hired Rev. Leah Grundset as the Associate Pastor for Congregational Life to help us focus on growing the congregation by focusing more directly on the spiritual needs of new members of our community.

For the most part, the plan has worked. We have experienced extraordinary growth. Worship attendance has been rising, pledges have gone up substantially every year, and everything at Calvary seems so vibrant. We did not come completely to fiscal balance, due to the

recession and a number of unexpected costs at Camp Fraser, but we are close and the agreement with Living Classrooms provides us a substantial way to close the gap.

So, for the next six months, we are going to put together a plan that gets us off a crisis footing into one that more completely embraces the role that we want for ourselves. We need to articulate a new vision for who we are and what we are doing in a revitalized city. It will finish the job of closing our fiscal gap.

During this period, the staff, lay leadership, and anyone else who wants to participate will be having extended discussions about the future and vision of community. There will be multiple Calvary Conversations. I hope you will take the opportunity to share your goals for a church that serves Christ, the community we are in, and our congregation.

“Calvary has experienced extraordinary growth. Worship attendance has been rising, pledges have gone up substantially every year, and everything at Calvary seems so vibrant.”

-Soren Dayton, Calvary Moderator


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Letters and Snapshots

3.15.12 Dear Friends: Thank you for your gift of $300 to National Support. Thank you for sharing in the total mission of the American Baptist Churches USA. You make a difference in the lives of many people.

Barbara J. Anderson, National President American Baptist Women’s Ministries

3.13.12 Dear Reverend Dr. Butler: The American Baptist Historical Society wishes to extend sincere congratulations to the congregation of the Calvary Baptist Church, Washington, DC on the celebration of their One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary. […] May you be blessed as you continue to serve God Faithfully.

Deborah Van Broekhoven Executive Director,

American Baptist Historical Society

3.24.12 Thank you for your hospitality. It was greatly appreciated. We appreciate you for allowing us to enjoy such a beautiful church.

Kansas IAS, Overnight Group

3.24.12 Dear Cheryl and Paul, Thank you for all the hard work over the past three days helping us present the sixth Johansen International Competition for Young String Players. It has been such a pleasure working with both of you. We have very much enjoyed using your facility as our new venue, and hope to do so again in the future,

Alice Berman, Executive Administrator The Friday Morning Music Club

4.9.12 Dear Calvary Congregation, Arriving at Mom’s for our family dinner, we found the potted lily at her door and a note from her friends at Calvary. […] The lily is certain to thrive for many months under Mom’s “green thumb.”

Many Thanks, Jennie Goon

4.20.12 Dear Brothers and Sisters of Calvary, Thank you ever so much for your contribution to the Evergreen Team Trip to Haiti and support our goal for every team member to carry a laptop with them. We achieved our goal! […] May God continue to bless you in all you do.

Rev. Dr. Marcia Patton, Executive Director, Evergreen Association, American Baptist Churches

The Women’s Missionary Society enjoy fellowship and lunch at the monthly meeting, joined by Pastor Amy and Cheryl, May 1.

Mission Board members participate

in a 48 prayer vigil for immigration

justice on the steps of the US Supreme

Court, April 22.

Kids from downtown DC neighborhoods play with ‘Imagination Playground’ foam equipment in Shallenberger Hall, March 3.

Youth enjoy games and movies at the

youth lock-in/fast to raise mission project funds for the Mission

Immersion to El Salvador, March 10.

Children put alleluia paper cut-outs in a box to mark the Lenten Season during the Children’s Sermon in worship, March 25.


Letters and Snapshots

5.18.12 Dear Amy, Thank you so much for taking time out of your harried week to talk to me for our Shaping Families radio program. Not only were your church and congregation fascinating, your situation will connect with many of our listeners. Thanks for your openness. And WOW – what a great hospitable job your congregation did in hosting us all and our many needs and ‘demands’ – including for use of sound proof space. Your guys were great!

Melodie Davis MennoMedia

5.17.12 Dear Calvary, How can we thank you for all you have done to make CYNKOC such a success?! We truly could not have done it without you and we are so grateful for your overwhelming kindness, hospitality and generosity. It was a joy to be in your space and to share in your community.

With deepest thanks, The CYNKOC Planning Committee

5.10.12 Best 150th birthday wishes to all Calvary friends both old and new. I am very proud of all that has been accomplished these many years in our Lord’s name. I wish I could join you for some of the celebrations but the journey is too much for me to undertake. I’ll be thinking of you and thank you for the much appreciated news and greetings. Congratulations and best to all.

Ruth Burness

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Activist and speaker Shane Claiborne talks to CYNKOC participants in the sanctuary about how children and youth can be active participants in struggles for social justice, May 9.

Prominent writer and theologian Brian

McLaren shares his vision for fostering a

new approach to engaging children

and youth in worship leadership and

Church involvement, May 7.

Display tables line Woodward Hall in preparation for the Children, Youth, and a New Kind of Christianity (CYNKOC) Conference, May 7.

Pastor Amy and Brian Moyer

Suderman lead worship a final time

for participants of CYNKOC, May 10.

5.5.12 Enclosed in this letter is a contribution given for the restoration of the carillon in celebration of Calvary's 150th anniversary as a congregation. This contribution is given in honor of my parents, Francis C. and Catherine B. Higgins. [...] Our family were members of Calvary. My formative years were spent in the Calvary congregation.

Bonnie Higgins Arrington

Music Department Cheryl Branham, Director of Music


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Thanks to all who participated in another rich Holy Week experience at Calvary. On Palm Sunday, April 1, our Calvary Children’s Choir made their annual appearance to open worship with a Procession of Palms, and enjoyed special prelude music by Lung Lung Lagwi, violin; Luke Lagwi, piano; and Sarah Settels, piano. Thank you to all our children, parents and teachers for sharing your gifts with us in worship!

This year’s Good Friday Concert featured the amazing Passion piece entitled Der Tod Jesu (The Death of Jesus) by Carl Heinrich Graun. Thanks to our wonderful and dedicated staff singers—Natalie Barrens-Rogers, Susan Sevier, Dwayne Pinkney and Rameen Chaharbaghi and the Chalice Singers and chamber orchestra. We raised nearly $2000 in donations to benefit the Shalom Scholarship Fund! Thank you, Calvary, for supporting this event each year and for giving so generously.

Easter Day was an amazing day of worship and fellowship! Many thanks to everyone who sang in Festival Choir to bring us music in worship. Bravo and thank you, Festival Choir, for all the rehearsal time and preparation. Our worship was richer because of your investment in music at Calvary.

Over the Anniversary Weekend, you have three opportunities to sing in ensemble here at Calvary. We’re creating a Concert Choir for Friday night, a Festival Choir for Sunday worship, and a Gospel Choir for the luncheon program. We need you and your voice, so join us! Please email Cheryl for rehearsal dates and times.

June 1, Concert at 7:30 p.m. in Sanctuary. Our own Concert Choir will be joined by a chamber orchestra for a special commissioned piece composed for us by our gifted young friend Joshua Coyne, who has just completed his first year at Manhattan School of Music. This concert will be a fun and festive event, and will feature many of our gifted musicians. Admission is free; donations benefit Calvary’s 150th Anniversary celebration.

June 3, Worship and Calvary Family Reunion. Our adult Festival Choir and Calvary Children’s Choir, plus other guest musicians, will lead us in a joyous day of music and worship. Our luncheon after worship features a brief program including a short hymn-sing, some Gospel music and other surprises. After lunch, take a tour of the buildings or view our 52-rank Moehler-Wicks pipe organ. A great opportunity for kids and adults.

This season, Calvary was blessed to have a team of three very talented student organists in rotation on the bench. Matthew Daley, John Dautzenberg, and Wendell Phipps. Our own Keevin Lewis remains our principal substitute organist and resident expert. Thank you, gentlemen, for your leadership,

Again this summer, Calvary’s regular music programming will go on hiatus, June 10 through Labor Day weekend. Regular music programming for adults and kids resumes in the fall on Sunday, September 9, 2012. Contact Cheryl to participate in special summer music opportunities.

This season, Calvary welcomed Washington’s Friday Morning Music Club. Since 2010, we had worked together with Yvonne Sabine and Anne Zim, president and treasurer of FMMC, to plan the Festival of Hope event last September. Each Friday, October - May, FMMC sponsors a noontime recital in our Chapel. These concerts bring the finest music performed by Washington member musicians for the public to enjoy at no cost, so be sure to take advantage of these weekly opportunities next season. We also were delighted to be the host site for their membership auditions and for the Johansen String Competition, an international event for gifted students ages 13–17. Thank you Friday Morning Music Club!

Thank you for another great season. Again this year, as I look back over the 2011-12 season I’m astonished at all we’ve accomplished together. Especially in this 150th Anniversary season, we gave our all—and then some! Thank you Sanctuary Choir—both volunteer and staff singers—for leading us in worship each Sunday and for faithfully attending rehearsals each week. Thanks also to the Chamber Singers, Festival Choir, the Calvary Children’s Choir, parents and teachers, the Friday Morning Music Club and Calvary, for your support!

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A Bright Future for Camp Fraser

Amanda Butler, Member, Board of Trustees

Camp Fraser will be open for camp for at least three weeks this summer. Calvary also will hold Vacation Bible School from June 19 to 22. After two years of not holding camp, this is very good news, indeed.

If you came to the Calvary Conversation on February 26, you heard that operations of Camp Fraser have been in a bad place. Finances were unsustainable, even with camp shuttered. We thought about offering it to the Audubon Society for $1, but they were not interested. Letting the camp lie fallow was also contrary to our obligations to use the land for religious and charitable purposes.

Earlier this year, when his band played at a blues festival on the Anacostia River, Chuck Andreatta discovered a local non-profit called Living

Classrooms (LC) and learned of their passion for bringing city children to na tu re fo r pe rsona l enrichment.

Since then, LC and Calvary have entered into a partnership agreement whereby LC plans to run at least three weeks of camp for at-risk youth this year at Camp Fraser, seven weeks in 2013, and ten weeks in 2014. LC is also working on a plan to repair the bridge

and the lodge kitchen. This partnership reduces Calvary’s annual expenses at Camp Fraser at about $22,000, which is below the annual expenditures of $63,000 we faced in recent years.

Calvary is not giving up on or giving away Camp Fraser. Living Classrooms will operate Camp Fraser, but Calvary still owns it. The partnership agreement is structured to last seven years, but each year, renewal is contingent upon Living Classrooms presenting a budget and scope of programming that work for us. While the programs Living Classrooms runs are secular, Calvary still will run faith-based camps, like Vacation Bible School and will not pay Living Classrooms for access.

Exciting New Partnership with Living Classrooms

Chuck Andreatta Member, Camp Fraser Taskforce

Having reached a point two years ago where revenues were not coming close to meeting expenses, Calvary decided to discontinue its summer camp program and develop a strategy to continue to own the camp and develop financially sustainable programming. The Camp Fraser Task Force has developed this long-term plan.

After numerous unsuccessful months the task force was on the verge of considering whether to give up ownership of Camp Fraser to another organization. This time the darkest hour was just before dawn; however, as the task force made contact with Living Classrooms (LC) of the National Capital Region last fall. LC provides a variety of outdoor learning experiences for local youth, particularly those who are disadvantaged — exactly the same vision that Mrs. Fraser had in donating the property to Calvary in 1965, and which we have worked to honor ever since. Already very active in DC and Maryland, LC was looking for a property that would allow it to expand the scope of its work into Virginia. Camp Fraser fit the bill perfectly.

After visiting Camp Fraser, LC made a presentation and proposal to the task force to operate the camp. The task force decided to move forward with recommending a partnership to the Trustees. On February 26, a Calvary Conversation was held to allow LC to present its proposal to interested members of the congregation. In April, the Trustees and LC signed a long-term agreement for LC to provide programming at Camp Fraser, help cover maintenance costs, and also begin a plan of capital improvements that initially will focus on upgrading the bridge on the access road and the kitchen. Calvary, however, will still be involved.

We look forward to many years of partnership with Living Classrooms so that local children and youth can continue to have fun and learn about God's creation.


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Calvary’s Strength

By Rev. Edgar Palacios, Associate Pastor of Christian Education At the beginning of June 2012, Calvary will celebrate its 150th anniversary. Many years have passed, yet Calvary has remained a bright light. What does Calvary have that makes it a vibrant, growing congregation? Where does Calvary’s strength reside? We can affirm that this church has several strong characteristics. Its loving members are a factor. Its visionary and capable leadership are another factor. Its staff under Pastor Amy’s direction with their faithfulness to the gospel is another factor. All of these components make Calvary a unique congregation. But though these factors are important, there is one indispensable factor that if Calvary lacked, we would not be a church. This determining factor, which is not controllable but leads the church, its mission, and nature is the spirit of life in Jesus Christ which has kept the flames burning and only requires our faith and acceptance.

Many things have happened on Calvary’s 150 year journey. Hundreds of people have believed and followed Jesus Christ. A type of Christian family has been nurtured. Hundreds of children, youth, and adults have been nourished with the eternal teachings of the gospel through Sunday

School and other ministries. Various diverse service programs have been carried out for members and the general public. The mission has been realized in our temple among the skyscrapers of this city and has been carried out to the immediate region. In our pilgrimage, God has shown great mercy.

Now that we enter the second part of the twenty-first century, our horizon is filled with challenges. Our society and world live in a somber moment in time. We not only face the threat of nuclear disaster by those who hold these types of weapons, but our world is also being destroyed by the effects of bloated industrialization. The price of civilization and comfort are climate change and with it, the destruction of our natural habitat. The poles are melting, different species are becoming extinct, deserts grow, and water becomes scarce. With this course, and including the unjust wars, we are digging our own grave. What can Calvary do in the face of this global situation? We are a congregation in the capital of the United States. It is easy to say that we can’t do anything in the face of these colossal problems. Nevertheless, the God of Jesus Christ is our God, and this God is the God who faces humanity’s situation. God wants to save humanity and we must begin the solution with ourselves.

Calvary’s strength is the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is in our willingness to open our hearts to receive direction and power. Our goal is to reach Jesus Christ’s level of sacrificial love, in caring service, and in compassion with justice. We accept the new challenges and recognize we are not alone, and other communities of faith in this country and around the world are on this authentic mission: to follow Jesus Christ with the task of personal transformation and transformation of the world. Our goal is of the present and of the future. In the present we bring closer the Kingdom of God, and in the future we will celebrate with Jesus in the finished Kingdom. The Spirit of life in Jesus Christ guides us on the road of love to the realization of full love with Jesus Christ.

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Ready for a Pop Math Quiz? By Kim Sisk, Calvary Board of Trustees

Solve the following equation...

More than 20 volunteers + a beautiful Saturday in May + food + soap and water + paint + laughter + brass cleaner + child care + wood polish + lots of elbow grease + great music + more food + some silliness + scaffolding that doubled as a royal chariot + lots of very sore muscles + a certain church administrator atop a ladder using a feather duster = ______________

Answer: Calvary Beautification Day of course. With the donations that so many of you made to the Calvary Beautification Day fund, we were able to get the bulk of the prep work completed before the volunteers arrived bright and early on Saturday, May 19th. In true Calvary fashion, the group that volunteered was diverse and joyous. They were young, old, male, female, families,

singles, couples – they were Calvary at its best.

Under the knowledgeable guidance and watchful eye of Phil Renfrow, volunteers were divided into work teams and accomplished a staggering amount of work. With child care provided throughout the day, work teams spent the morning in one of three ways:

Team #1: Cleaned and polished all of the woodwork on the banister and spindles of the balcony in Woodward Hall (you really must look up the next time you are in Woodward and see how beautiful the woodwork is now).

Team #2: Taped everything that didn’t move, removed hardware, washed walls and painted in Woodward Hall.

Team #3: Cleaned and polished the handrails and spindles of the stairways leading up to the Sanctuary.

Following a much needed lunch break, Phil gathered us around him and outlined the goals for the afternoon. Volunteers were crawling along floor to paint the baseboards. Volunteers were on scaffolding painting. And more volunteers were painting almost everything else in sight. As the work day was coming to a close,

hardware was polished and put back in place. Tape was removed and brushes and rollers were cleaned.

As the many who volunteered packed up their belongings and headed back to their homes, there was much talk of hot showers and lingering in the bathtub. If you were paying close attention on Sunday, May 20, it was easy to pick out who had volunteered the day before – we were the one’s walking just a bit slower that day. So, if you haven’t already done so, please take a few moments to notice all that was accomplished on our Calvary Beautification Day. We can all take tremendous pride in how our beautiful jewel of a church will sparkle especially bright during our 150th Anniversary Celebration Weekend.

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Jeff Wilson and Djuna Mitchell currently reside in Hyattsville. Jeff works as a job coach for the Prince Georges County Public Schools. Djuna works for the federal government. Jeff also teaches chess. Djuna also works as a reader for a woman who is blind. They both love to serve the community and work with children. They will be married in July and move to southwest DC. They look forward to growing in Christ and getting more involved with their new family at Calvary.

New Member Spotlight!

Michelle Harris-Love was born in Pennsylvania, grew up on a farm in Minnesota, and has lived in DC for well over a decade. In 1997, this farm girl married Michael, from East Detroit. Now she lives in northeast DC with Michael, their 4-year-old son Isaiah, a recently-arrived 14-year-old “son” Anthony, and her mother-in-law Denise… and a bulldog.

She is a physical therapist and has a PhD in Rehabilitation Science. She works at National Rehabilitation Hospital and Georgetown University as a clinical neuroscientist studying movement recovery after a stroke. Michelle still feels deeply drawn to the Anabaptist theology she grew up with, as well as the concerns and approaches of the Emergent movement – and is thrilled to have found Calvary, a place to freely question, explore, learn and grow as a follower of The Way.

A native of Guymon, O k l a h o m a , K i r s t e n Hancock is a Master of Divinity student at Wesley Theological Seminary. Kirsten graduated from Baylor University with a B.A. in Political Science and Speech Communications. She worked on multiple p o l i t i c a l c a m p a i g n s , including her hero, the late Governor Ann Richards,

with the field staff of Gore/Lieberman, Congresswoman Linda Sanchez, and interned in the Clinton White House Office of Public Liaison. The Center for Policy Alternatives (CPA) recruited Kirsten to work as their Director of Organizing and Outreach in 2006. Kirsten taught Special Education and English at Murch Elementary and MacFarland Middle School in DC Public Schools from 2008-2010.

Kirsten is a full-time M. Div. student at Wesley Theological Seminary and this semester, she interned at the USDA Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships (CFBNP) as part of Wesley’s National Capital Semester for Seminarians (NCSS). Kirsten lives near Union Station and enjoys swimming, watching the Dallas Cowboys, political satire, baseball games, cheering for Baylor, singing alto, and drinking Dr. Pepper .

Becky Huncosky is originally from Madison, Wisconsin and moved to the DC area in 2008 for g r a d u a t e s c h o o l , Sustainable Development & Conservation Biology. She now lives in Alexandria, VA and works for the U.S. Green Building Council. Mike Lloyd is a native of Maryland, having grown

up near Baltimore and lived in the state his whole life. Mike lives in Berwyn Heights, MD and just completed his PhD in Plant Science at University of Maryland. Mike and Becky met each other while at the University of Maryland. (Mike sat behind Becky in class and admired her hairstyles.) In their free time, Mike and Becky enjoy cooking, running/biking, music, and spending time out of doors. They have been active participants in Theology on Draft and look forward to becoming more involved with the Calvary family.


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Palm Sunday and Easter 2012

Clockwise: Pastor Edgar baptizes his granddaughter, Sara Settels; Children open the “Alleluia box with Pastor Leah; Betty Mein honored for her 90th birthday; members and friends gather for the potluck; Jubilee and Maria dye eggs; Liubov Russell and Dee Robbins share conversation; the congregation celebrates as four new members join, Becky Huncosky and Mike Lloyd, Djuana Mitchell and Jeff Wilson; Beautiful worship and fellowship in the sanctuary!

The following is an excerpt from Tony Cartledge’s article in Baptists Today. The article has been edited for space.

Edgar Palacios, associate pastor of Christian education at Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., was named as the 2012 winner of the BWA’s Denton and Janice Lotz Human Rights Award. Palacios, whose work was highlighted in the January 2012 issue of Baptists Today, is a native of El Salvador. Trained in theology, sociology, economics, and political science, Palacios worked as a pastor and advocate of social justice during the years prior to and during the El Salvador civil war 1980-1992.

As a widely respected pastor and voice for El Salvador, Palacios helped to organize the Permanent Committee for the National Debate for Peace, a group of religious and social organizations seeking change, and was chosen to be its leader. Palacios’ social activism led to his being targeted for assassination by government agents, but he continued to speak out despite the danger. In November 1989, after six Jesuit priests were murdered by a government-sponsored “death squad” and FMLN forces advanced on San Salvador, Palacios made his way out of the country and to Washington, D.C., where he and his wife Amparo lobbied the U.S. Congress to end military aid to the El Salvadoran government.

Palacios later returned to El Salvador, where he continued to lead the National Debate for Peace, urged the United Nations and the Organization of American States to press for a just and peaceful solution, and assisted in the negotiations. In recognition of his important role, Palacios was invited to be present when peace accords were signed in 1992. Palacios continues to advocate for social justice for the poor and for immigrants in Washington, D.C., and also travels often to El Salvador, where he remains active as a trusted consultant to both church and governmental officials in El Salvador.

Rev. Edgar Palacios Honored with BWA Human Rights Award

By Tony W. Cartledge, Contributing Editor, Baptists Today


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El Salvador Mission Immersion 2012 Jason Smith, Director of Youth Activities

Calvary’s Youth are so excited to be travelling to El Salvador this July 30 to August 6, to participate in a unique intercultural immersion. Five chaperones and Seven college students and youth will visit San Salvador and assist Shalom Baptist Church in their inner city sports ministry program. We also will have the opportunity to assist with constructing a home for a family in need at Shalom Baptist Church, will visit with our own Shalom Scholars and will have the opportunity to tour different significant historical sites guided by our own Pastor Edgar Palacios. If you would like to donate to our special mission fund or to the Shalom Scholarship Education fund, please send me an email with details. Thanks, and I hope you will support the youth with your prayers as we look forward to telling you about our experience!

Right Photo: Pastor Edgar visits with the bakers at Shalom Baptist Church; Shalom offers free bread to the community on Sunday mornings. Left photo: Pastor Edgar stands alongside Pastor Luis Ernesto Nerios Villacorta and participates in a ceremony symbolically presenting a house to the family of Any Pereira.


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Mission and Christian Education Boards Carol Blythe, Mission Board Co-Chair

Shalom Scholarship – we had a wonderful and meaningful Good Friday concert April 6, and raised approximately $2,000 towards our goal of $10,000 in 2012. Many thanks to Susan Sevier and Cheryl Branham who organized this event. A luncheon will be held Sunday, July 15, to support our Shalom scholars in El Salvador.

Ecumenical Advocacy Days was March 23-26, with a theme: Is This the Fast I Seek? We learned about economy, livelihood and our national priorities through the lens of Isaiah 58. Yolanda Appiah-Kubi, Rick Goodman and Carol Blythe attended, and Rachel Johnson was present at a booth during part of the meetings.

Carol Blythe and Rick Goodman attended the Alliance of Baptists Convocation in Austin, Texas April 11 to 15. Carol was elected to a second term as President of the Alliance and serves as VP of the Justice & Advocacy Commission of the National Council of Churches

of Christ .

Local Mission Projects – if you are interested in helping teach ESL, speak to Myra Houser. Classes can be arranged anytime to fit your schedule. Downtown Social Club (a program for residents of St. Elizabeth’s hospital) which meets on the first and third Thursdays will have a picnic at Camp Fraser, June 7, before taking a break until next fall.

Several members of Calvary participated in a 48-hour prayer vigil at the Supreme Court in advance of the oral arguments on an immigration case. Thanks to Leah and Susan for organizing the group and leading in song.

On April 29, we were privileged to hear from Annette Martinez and Diego Alcala on the status of immigration regulations in our country. Annette & Diego started out by noting the many discriminatory actions against Muslims that have occurred since September 11, 2001. We also learned a lot about the Secure Communities program and all the problems with that regulation, as well as the Arizona law that is being challenged in the Supreme Court.

Besides the Shalom Scholarship Luncheon on July 15 – watch the bulletin for more information about these summer-time Mission/Christian Education events and programs: 1 June 10 - PRIDE festival - Courtney Rice will organize volunteers to staff our booth at the PRIDE festival.

Please speak to Courtney if you would like to participate in the fun and profound experience. 2 June 15 to 17 – Calvary Kids’ Camp aka Vacation Bible School at Camp Fraser - Danyelle Robinson,

Eugenia Reyes and Pastor Edgar, coordinators. All children are welcome, the youth will be assisting again, and adult volunteers are also most welcome!

3 June 27, July 11, July 18 – special three week study on justice in Palestine/Israel – at the church. Supper at 6:30 followed by a program from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Presented by Rick Goodman.

4 July 1 to August 19 – Sunday morning – Adult Summer Sunday School – organized by Pastor Edgar.

Quarterly Business Meeting and Ice Cream Social Join us, Wednesday, July 25, at 6:00 p.m. in Shallenberger Hall for an Ice Cream Social, followed by our Quarterly Business Meeting at 7:00 p.m.

As announced at the April 2012 Quarterly Business Meeting the Council will be making a motion to amend our Constitution and Bylaws.

Article III of this constitution shall be amended to read: “Recognizing Jesus Christ as the only head of the church, this Church shall seek to ascertain and to obey the will of our Lord in all matters of faith and practice. Authority to reach decisions for governing the affairs of the Church being given to us by Christ, we hold that such authority and responsibility is vested in the active membership of the Church. In carrying out the wider ministry for which Christ has made his church responsible, we will affiliate with other organizations as deemed appropriate by the Church Council, and approved by a vote of the members of the Organization.”


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Summer Birthdays

June 3 Kyaw Min Oo James Clubb 5 Parker Brown Kimberly Sisk Rosemary Stafford Efrain Tejada 6 William Michael 7 Wallace Shipp 8 Katherine Harvey 9 Najung Kim 10 Peggy Sugiyama Ellen Sulerzyski 11 Hannah Butler 13 James Goon 14 Allyson Robinson Ernest Williams 15 Leonard Downes 16 Camilia Fitzgerald 18 Burl Whitmer 19 Samuel Butler

Terry Hlaing Langston Jones 20 Brian Toense Michael Lloyd 21 Christina Abbasi

(Mein) 22 Molly Carr 23 Cathy Cooper Juan Carlos

Benavides 25 Julia Nelson Judith Russell 27 Erin Cline 30 Paul Rosstead

July 2 Susan Blythe-

Goodman Lance Mitroff 4 Berniece Harward 6 Amelia Din Ling Zeng 8 Sandra Auman Naw Hla Kyi 10 Maria Nuñez-Pereira Sara López Dana White 11 Brooke Robbins 12 Brenda Shaw Nielsen Meagan Wray 13 Kathleen Lansing 14 Dorothy Rosstead Daniel Oo

15 Fernando Fuentes Edgar Palacios Jared Vásquez 16 Mark Alves 17 Eric Mein Cin Cing 20 Grace Evans Barbara Hoffer Dee Robbins 21 Patricia Belbusti Penelope Meier 22 Soren Dayton Colin Jones 23 Wilson Canales 24 Sheri McFarlane William Harward 25 Sarah Settels 26 Edward Meier 27 Nancy Thayer 29 Carleen Crespo 30 Clyde Morton Marcela Estrada Richard Goodman Courtney Rice 31 Jade Kearney Htoijan Maran

August 1 John Goon 2 David Pereira-

Decorado 3 Saw Htoo Phillip Renfrow

4 Jose Reyes Jubilee Robinson 5 Sebastian Tejada 6 Troy Goodman Kimberly Durham-

Bates 8 Jack Robbins 9 John Mein Kyin Oo David Quinlan 10 Virginia Lucas 11 Paul Burneston 13 Liubov Russell Helen Alzate 14 Allan Hughes Nancy Renfrow Susana Reyes 16 Margaret Edmunds David Lansing Stephen Morton 17 Ruby Bradley-Cain 19 Eva Powell 20 Harold Stone 22 Janice Glover 23 Amy Dale 25 Hugh White Connor Renfrow 26 Grady Renfrow 27 Gretchen White Jeanette Mortzfeldt 30 Rachel Johnson

Calvary Richmond and Civil War Tour, May 5 On May 5, five Calvary folks made a day-trip to Richmond to enjoy a Civil War History Tour, part of our 150th Season of Celebration. Francene Blythe, Cheryl Branham, Kathie Lansing, Keevin Lewis and Nancy Renfrow carpooled early in the morning to enjoy a full day at the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar, followed by a bountiful picnic lunch by the James River, and a visit to the Museum of the Confederacy and White House of the Confederacy. Fascinating exhibits and good friends—what a great combo!

2012 Officiary Moderator: Soren Dayton Vice Moderator: Chuck Andreatta Church Clerk: Claudia Moore Nominating Committee: John Taylor Council of Churches: Sarah Livingston DCBC Executive Board: Yolanda Appiah-Kubi Downtown Cluster: Laura Canfield

Trustees: Amanda Butler, Ken Butler, Julie LaFave, Paul Lansing, Francisco Pereira, Jr., Phil Renfrow, Eugenia Reyes, Kim Sisk, Ellen Sulerzyski, Victor Tupitza

Diaconate: Ashley Dalton, Meara Dietrick, Rachel Johnson, Kathie Lansing, Corina Lopez, Jay Mayfield, Pat Neighbarger, Jose Nelson Duran, Jose Nunez, Sandra Nunez, Lorena Periera, Nancy Renfrow, Roberto Reyes, Harold Ritchie, Susan Sevier, Jodi Smith, Becky Vaughn, Ernie Williams

Christian Education: Anabel Cruz, Allen Dalton, Myra Houser, Laura Lee, Mike Overby, Danyelle Robinson,

Mission: Salima Appiah-Kubi, Caroline Armijo, Carol Blythe, John Duffell, Rick Goodman, Julie Greene, Josh Keller, Jessica Lynd, Francisco Pereira, Sr., Courtney Rice, Liubov Russell, Gretchen White


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June 1 Anniversary Concert 2 Gala, Reception and Dinner 3 Homecoming Worship and

Luncheon 10 Capital Pride 15-17 Vacation Bible School, at

Camp Fraser 17 Congregational Reception for

John and Leah Davis 20 Nationals Game, Youth and Young Adults

24 New Member Dinner Passport Missions Camp DC begins at Calvary 27 Study on Justice in Palestine 1

with Rick Goodman July 1 Beginning of combined Adult

Sunday School; normal SS resumes August 24

11 Study on Justice in Palestine 2 with Rick Goodman

14-15 Youth Lock In 18 Study on Justice in Palestine 3 with Rick Goodman 25 Ice Cream Social and Quarterly

Business Meeting 29 Calvary Unplugged begins August 1-6 Youth Mission Immersion, El Salvador

On the Calvary Calendar For current information and additional details regarding Calvary programs and events, visit Calvary’s website, calvarydc.org or Calvary’s facebook page for our Google Calendar.

Passport Missions Camp returns to Calvary! From June 24 to July 13, Calvary will host dozens of churches and hundreds of people for Passport Missions Camp. Calvary began the partnership with Passport Camps last summer, and this summer will serve as the home base for church groups as they take to the community and engage in community service projects all around the region. The theme for Passport Camps this year is “Life Together” taken from Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s classic Christian text. Passport campers will call Calvary their home from Sunday evening to Friday morning, so if you run into anyone be sure and welcome them to our church community!

Rev. Dr. Amy K. Butler, Senior Pastor Harold L. Ritchie, Editor Emeritus Paul Rosstead, Church Administrator Jason Smith, Ministry Assistant 202-347-8355; Fax: 202-347-6360 www.calvarydc.org Published Quarterly POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Calvary Caller Calvary Baptist Church & Congregation 755 8th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001

Calvary Caller

Summer 2012

Calvary Baptist Church

NONPROFIT AUTO

U.S. POSTAGE PAID WASHINGTON, DC PERMIT No. 2482

Caller Available by Email

Do you have access to email? Would you like to receive the Caller as soon as it is available, in color and save paper and postage at the same time? For more information send an email to [email protected].

Gifts of Bounty for Calvary’s 150th

Are you excited for Calvary’s 150th celebration? What are your memories of joy in this place? Do you want to celebrate the history and the faith community at Calvary in a tangible way?

If so, we invite you to give a generous gift in recognition of this special occasion to the Calvary 150th Fund. Your gift will stand in honor or in memory of the good works here.

Gifts may be made online, by mailing to the church office or placing in the offering plate. Gifts made in memory or honor of someone special to you and will be listed in the bulletin.

PS – are you up to date on your annual pledge? Semi-annual statements will be mailed out in July, but if you would like to check on the status of your pledge before then you can contact Paul Rosstead in the church office.

summer caller 2012

Documents

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quarterly

shalom baptist

calvarys current

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calvary beautification

calvary baptist