Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa
Encyclopedia
Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa is a Christian church
located near the boundary between the cities of Costa Mesa
and Santa Ana
in Orange County
. It is the original Calvary Chapel
, having grown since 1965 from a handful of people led by Chuck Smith
(who is still the senior pastor
of the church) to become the "mother church" of over one thousand congregations worldwide. Outreach Magazine
's list of the 100 Largest Churches in America lists attendance as 9,500, making it the thirty-ninth largest in America.
, mostly without deviation. In 1968 Smith, who was looking for a way to bring Christ to the current generation of hippie
s and surfers, invited Lonnie
and Connie Frisbee to work alongside John Nicholson and Jackie Higgins to work with the hippies in the area at "The House of Miracles
". Within a week it had 35 new converts.
Lonnie's charismatic, Pentecostal style caused some disagreement within the church, since he seemed focused more on gaining converts and experiencing the presence of the Holy Spirit
than on teaching newer converts Biblical doctrine.
This was the breakthrough that brought thousands of young people living in Southern California and beyond to Jesus Christ. This was part of what was later termed the Jesus movement
. This stirring of the Holy Spirit spread from California coast throughout the state in the early part of the 1970s, then though the US, and beyond.
As of 2009, there are more than 1500 Calvary Chapel congregations worldwide. Smith has started other ministries including Maranatha! Music
, a record label, and The Word for Today, a publishing/radio broadcasting ministry.
A lawsuit currently pending alleges that Smith and others at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa knew or should have known that a minister named Anthony Iglesias was prone to sexual abuse when they moved him from ministry positions in Diamond Bar, California
, to Thailand
, to Post Falls, Idaho
. Iglesias was convicted of lewd conduct with two 14-year-old boys in California in 2004, and the current lawsuit stems from events in Idaho, but all alleged abuse occurred in or before 2003. The Costa Mesa congregation is involved solely due to its leadership role among Calvary Chapels. To date, no statements have been issued by Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa on this matter.
Christian Church
The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
located near the boundary between the cities of Costa Mesa
Costa Mesa, California
Costa Mesa is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 109,960 at the 2010 census. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to a primarily suburban and "edge" city with an economy based on retail, commerce, and light...
and Santa Ana
Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States....
in Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
. It is the original Calvary Chapel
Calvary Chapel
Calvary Chapel is an evangelical association of Christian churches with over one thousand congregations worldwide. Calvary Chapel also maintains a number of radio stations around the world and operates many local Calvary Chapel Bible College programs. It presents itself as a "fellowship of...
, having grown since 1965 from a handful of people led by Chuck Smith
Chuck Smith (pastor)
Charles Ward “Chuck” Smith, , is the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa and the founder of the Calvary Chapel movement...
(who is still the senior pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of the church) to become the "mother church" of over one thousand congregations worldwide. Outreach Magazine
Outreach Magazine
Outreach Magazine is an Evangelical Christian periodical based in Vista, California. It focuses on activities of growing churches and is non-denominational.It is a periodical from the organization Outreach, Inc...
's list of the 100 Largest Churches in America lists attendance as 9,500, making it the thirty-ninth largest in America.
History
Chuck Smith started pastoring at Calvary Chapel in 1965 with a congregation of only twenty-five. Smith's style was to preach straight through the BibleBible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, mostly without deviation. In 1968 Smith, who was looking for a way to bring Christ to the current generation of hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
s and surfers, invited Lonnie
Lonnie Frisbee
Lonnie Frisbee was an American Pentecostal evangelist and self-described "seeing prophet" and mystic in the late 1960s and 1970s...
and Connie Frisbee to work alongside John Nicholson and Jackie Higgins to work with the hippies in the area at "The House of Miracles
House of Miracles
The House of Miracles was a series of Christian communal houses established during the early Jesus Movement under the auspices of Pastor Chuck Smith and Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, CA...
". Within a week it had 35 new converts.
Lonnie's charismatic, Pentecostal style caused some disagreement within the church, since he seemed focused more on gaining converts and experiencing the presence of the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
than on teaching newer converts Biblical doctrine.
This was the breakthrough that brought thousands of young people living in Southern California and beyond to Jesus Christ. This was part of what was later termed the Jesus movement
Jesus movement
The Jesus movement was a movement in Christianity beginning on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s and spreading primarily through North America and Europe, before dying out by the early 1980s. It was the major Christian element within the hippie counterculture,...
. This stirring of the Holy Spirit spread from California coast throughout the state in the early part of the 1970s, then though the US, and beyond.
As of 2009, there are more than 1500 Calvary Chapel congregations worldwide. Smith has started other ministries including Maranatha! Music
Maranatha! Music
Maranatha! Music began as a non-profit outreach of Calvary Chapel in 1971. The Jesus People of the late 1960s and early 1970s began to write new hymns and worship songs with a folk-rock style. Maranatha! Music was founded at this time in order to publish and promote this new type of Christian...
, a record label, and The Word for Today, a publishing/radio broadcasting ministry.
Controversy
Mainline Christian media have detailed a variety of allegations involving Smith and the leadership of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. These include financial improprieties and lax standards for sexual improprieties.A lawsuit currently pending alleges that Smith and others at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa knew or should have known that a minister named Anthony Iglesias was prone to sexual abuse when they moved him from ministry positions in Diamond Bar, California
Diamond Bar, California
Diamond Bar is a city in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 55,544 at the 2010 census, down from 56,287 at the 2000 census. It is named after the "diamond over a bar" branding iron registered in 1918 by ranch owner Frederick E...
, to Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, to Post Falls, Idaho
Post Falls, Idaho
Post Falls is a city in Kootenai County, Idaho, United States near the Idaho state line between Spokane, Washington, and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The population was 17,247 at the 2000 census, and grew to 27,574 people by the 2010 census, making it Idaho's tenth largest city.-History:Post Falls is...
. Iglesias was convicted of lewd conduct with two 14-year-old boys in California in 2004, and the current lawsuit stems from events in Idaho, but all alleged abuse occurred in or before 2003. The Costa Mesa congregation is involved solely due to its leadership role among Calvary Chapels. To date, no statements have been issued by Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa on this matter.