calvary chapel

     

Calvary Chapel is a non-enominational, Evangelical fellowship of churches which began in 1965 in Southern California. The term "fellowship of churches" is used in contrast to a denomination. Churches who apply and qualify for affiliation through an extensive and thorough application process, are then free to use the name "Calvary Chapel", but in no way are required to do so. Calvary Chapel has over one thousand such congregations worldwide. The original Calvary Chapel is Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa which is pastored by Chuck Smith. Doctrinally, Calvary Chapel is evangelical, pretribulationist, and strongly committed to the Reformational principle of sola scriptura.