Category: Calvary Chapel

The congregation at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, California, were stunned last Sunday when Pastor Chuck Smith, its senior pastor, announced during his Sunday morning services that he has lung cancer and will have a biopsy on Tuesday and surgery the following week.

Chuck Smith, now in his eighties and the father of the Jesus People Revolution in Southern California, said that he has never smoked in his life.

Pastor Chuck Smith, 82, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, California, and the father of the “Jesus People” phenomenon in Southern California, has suffered a “minor stroke” and is in a local hospital.

Greg Laurie, senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, Riverside, California, said on his blog “Last night, Pastor Chuck Smith was taken to the hospital and had what was described by his doctor as a ‘mini-stroke.’ His doctor expects him to make a full recovery.”

For Pastor Chuck Smith, the big issues are undebatable. For Chuck Smith Jr., also a pastor, it’s not so crystal clear. Something had to give. From his pulpit in Santa Ana, Chuck Smith’s voice thunders with certainty. He denounces homosexuality as a “perverted lifestyle,” finds divine wrath in earthquakes and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and promises imminent Armageddon in a deep, sure voice. If his message is grim, the founder of the Jesus People and the Calvary Chapel movement bears the ruddy good cheer of a 79-year-old believer who insists he has never known a day’s doubt or despair.

Former pastor still pulled strings years after his departure, Calvary of Albuquerque members claim. Members of one of the largest churches in New Mexico are fighting to bring accountability to church elders who they believe are mishandling church property, misusing their authority, and covering up misbehavior. Two groups formed after Pete Nelson resigned in February as senior pastor of the 14,000-member Calvary of Albuquerque, affiliated with the Calvary Chapel network of 1,300 independent churches, mostly in the West and Southwest. Nelson said he wanted “to pastor and lead a church and to be accountable to that local church.” He was

Parishioners Speak With Action 7 News’ Rod Green ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — On Sunday, church leaders at Calvary Chapel of Albuquerque tried to explain last week’s sudden departure of Senior Pastor Pete Nelson. Action 7 News’ Rod Green broke the story and talked with parishioners who were puzzled by his resignation. Green also reported that the church brought in some area religious leaders to calm any discontent within the community. The Rev. Franklin Graham was asked to come to the congregation in the wake of Nelson’s departure. “What we hope to see is a spirit of healing and reconciliation,” said Paul

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Officials at the Calvary Chapel of Albuquerque released a statement Monday about the seemingly sudden resignation of its pastor, the Rev. Pete Nelson. An announcement during Sunday services that Nelson, who replaced founding pastor Skip Heitzig in 2004, shocked the congregation of more than 14,000 members. “The Board of Directors of Calvary of Albuquerque has accepted the resignation of Senior Pastor Pete Nelson effective immediately,” the church said in a news release. “Nelson made the announcement at the Sunday services at Calvary on Feb. 19. He has served as senior pastor for two years, assuming responsibilities in

Many young Americans don’t find relevance in the church, says Chuck Smith Jr., because they can’t accept the answers “that the church has been trained to give.” Mr. Smith is pastor of Capo Beach Calvary in Capistrano Beach, Calif., a church catering o young Christians. The 54-year-old pastor has co-written a book with Matt Whitlock, 27, called Frequently Avoided Questions: An Uncensored Dialogue on Faith (Baker Books, $14.99.) The book is aimed at people who are “asking new questions that test the boundaries of faith,” such as, “Do I have to go to church?” and “Do good people go to