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The congregation of Calvary Baptist Church of Morristown is getting ready for a celebration 100 years in the making.

Calvary Baptist Church, located at 706 Rosedale Avenue in Morristown, will celebrate its Centennial on Sunday, March 29, one day before its actual anniversary on March 30.

Included with the service will be displays of the last 100 years, presentations from the City of Morristown, Hamblen County and state dignitaries. There will also be recognition from the Tennessee Baptist Convention and the Nolachucky Baptist Association.

Dr. Larry Parrott, who has served as Calvary’s pastor since Easter Sunday 2013, celebrated 50 years of ministry in 2022.

“This is a quite a special event. About the history, you learn from it or repeat from it,” Parrott said. “I think every pastor should have the privilege to pastor a church like Calvary once in their ministry.

“I’ve enjoyed a phenomenal time here with a great ministry with great people at a great church,” he said.

While working at Colboch-Price Funeral Home in Rogersville as manager until it was sold in the early 2010s, he received a call from Calvary Baptist about coming to preach.

“They asked me if I could come preach that Sunday,” Parrott said. “I said, ‘Why sure, I will.’ When I finished that Sunday morning, they asked me what I was doing that evening. I told them that I had no plans, then I came back.”

This went on for around three months from September until December until the church asked him about becoming its full-time pastor.

“One of the members drove up and asked me if I would consider becoming their pastor,” Parrott said. “I said, ‘Tell you what I’m going to do. It’s Saturday, right? I’m to preach for you Sunday. I’ll tell you next Wednesday what God’s told me.’”

Long story short, Parrott accepted the pastorate at Calvary Baptist Church on Easter Sunday, 2013 and he’s been there ever since.

Something unique about Calvary Baptist Church is that three congregations meet under one roof. The main sanctuary has Calvary Church, the original sanctuary houses a Hispanic congregation and a Micronesian congregation meets in the fellowship hall.

“God has been phenomenal blessing all three congregations with additions and blessings, so we’re blessed of God,” Parrott said.

Parrott has served on mission trips three times during his journey, including 1984 in Jamaica, 1987 in Caracas, Venezuela, in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina and Reynosa, Mexico, a short drive across the U.S. border from McAllen, Texas.

Pastor Larry and his wife and best friend, Jeanie Parrott, are natives of Rogersville.

They are both graduates of East Tennessee universities. Jeanie graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1975.

The have two children. Their oldest daughter Carrie, a registered nurse, is married to Jason Hawkins and they are the parents of Jackson, John Isaac and Jonah Hawkins of Andalusia, Alabama.

Their youngest daughter, Katie Parrott, is an attorney in Birmingham, Alabama.

A History of the “Three Crosses of Calvary”

Parrott compiled a history of Calvary Baptist Church which was provided by the church.

Calvary Baptist Church was organized on March 30, 1926. The 1920s were known for their excesses in more ways than one. Morristown was known as the “Chicken Capital of the United States” with train cars filled with chickens and turkeys going out.

God granted a vision to the 23 charter members to start a church across the railroad tracks, near the Rheatown community. Members came from First Baptist Morristown, Montvue Baptist and the old Second Baptist churches. According to the history, God didn’t begin a work without resources. One of those with the vision supplied the funds and a new building was built for the new church, where Calvary worshipped for the first decade of existence.

Sixteen men have served as pastor of Calvary Baptist Church.

The Rev. Marshall Hoover was called as Calvary’s first pastor. Hoover loved to play the piano and sing before preaching The Gospel. Hoover was succeeded as pastor by the Rev. John Ogan, followed by the Rev. J.C. Davis, both serving a year each.

When the country entered Black Thursday on October 24, 1929, everything changed as the country was thrust into the throes of the Great Depression. These days led the church into prayer.

The Rev. James Lyle was called as Calvary’s pastor in 1930 and served for four years. Things culminated with a 10-week revival in which 38 people were saved. The following years, Lyle also led the church to begin services at Fernwood Mission, which led to the birth of Fernwood Baptist Church. Meanwhile, three men, were called to preach at Calvary during Lyle’s term as pastor: Howard Harville, Coy Coffee and Sharlie Ailshie.

The Rev. T.T. Lewis took over as pastor for the next two years before Lyle returned as pastor. During this time, the church divided with one side getting the church building and the other getting the church furnishings, with Calvary still having that original pulpit. Calvary rented an unpainted two-story store building, with the downstairs serving as a sanctuary and the upstairs serving as Sunday School space. The Rev. Cecil Mills lived in the upstairs space during this time.

In 1938, the Rev. L.W. Vandergriff became pastor for the next four years. Despite having an artificial leg, this didn’t slow him down. Vandergriff led the church to purchase a red clay lot at the corner of Rosedale and Harrison Streets. A tent was set up for worship with a concrete block machine eventually being located at the back of the tent where blocks were made onsite for a new building. Hamblen County sent a road grader to dig a basement, but left after two days when someone complained. Members brought two teams and slip scoops to finish the basement. Church members did the work to finish the church. The building was completed by 1939.

As World War II started, many of the men and boys went off to war. Through God’s providence and members’ prayers, these men made it back home.

Meanwhile, Vandergriff preached how to win people to Jesus Christ which has served the church well since.

S.D. Rhodes was called as pastor on July 4, 1942. Parrott believes that Rhodes was the youngest pastor called by the church. Rhodes started the longer ministries of pastors at Calvary.

The Sunday School wing, choir space, the front porch and steps were added in 1952. Three deacons were added to the church, J.B. Gulley, Dugan Norton and Harold Gilbert. Gulley, who later owned Westside Chapel Funeral Home, and Norton, were both called to preach.

Calvary Church helped to launch two other Morristown churches, Calvue Baptist and Morningside Baptist, both of which serve God today.

The Rev. Eugene Moore became pastor of Calvary in 1959. When Moore became ill, the Rev. Darrell Seal helped in ministry. At this time, the church purchased a parsonage.

To begin the 1960s, the Rev. Carl Triplet was called as pastor. During this time, church growth was steady and Sunday School was growing. Triplet challenged the church to have 400 in Sunday School. Triplet and Sunday School Director Harold Gilbert said they would eat a chicken dinner on the church roof if this goal was met. Both men followed through with their promise.

A bus ministry was also launched during Triplet’s term as pastor. Starting with one bus, Gulley was charged as director of the bus ministry. Under Gulley’s stewardship, 13 buses left the parking lot each Sunday. Calvary Baptist held the largest Vacation Bible School in Tennessee in 1976.

As a result, Calvary Baptist needed more space.

Starting in the late 1970s, a building program leading to the current sanctuary was completed leading to dedication in 1979. After Triplet left that year, Dr. Clyde Martin was called as the next pastor and led the church in retiring the debt from construction. More than 250 people were saved and baptized during Martin’s Calvary ministry.

Music Leader Vernon McCray became Calvary’s first staff person. McCray was followed by the Rev. Ross Woody, who was later called to preach. Woody pastored churches in Loudon and Hamblen counties for many years, including Morningside Baptist, which began as a Calvary mission.

Other Calvary Baptist preachers, the Rev. Joe Lynn and the Rev. John Ricketts, were called to other churches. Doyal Long and Harshell McCurry were also called to preach.

The Rev. Mike Henegar was called as pastor in 1988, and served for four years. More than 80 people were saved and baptized. The Rev. Jim Fanning was called as pastor in 1993 and served for five years before stepping down due to health issues. The Rev. Sidney Nichols served as pastor for a time before times of struggle and difficulties led him to step down. Henegar returned as pastor in 2001 and served until 2012.

Current Pastor Dr. Larry Parrott was called on Easter Sunday 2013 and has filled the pulpit ever since.

“Sixteen men have been blessed to shepherd God’s Flock here at Calvary,” Parrott said. “For one hundred years Calvary has shared God’s heart with her community. We are so blessed.”

Weekly services begin with Sunday School at 10 a.m., followed by Morning Worship at 11 a.m. The Wednesday night worship service begins at 6 p.m. with Youth services at 7.