History

Calvary Holiness Church of God had her humble beginnings in November of 1952 with just four families, Lester and Minnie Harmon, James and Essie Mae Smith, Robert and Onediuth Rhodes, and Hezekiah and Hattie Corbitt.  This small group of people decided to make a stand for Holiness as the Spirit had begun leading them.  Two neighbors, Minnie Harmon and Essie Mae Smith had begun discussing and marveling over the miracles they had been reading about.  Upon their earnest desire, God began to stir in their hearts to pray, for they had a hunger and thirst to know God in a very sincere way.  Minnie Harmon invited a cousin of hers from Orangeburg to come pray with them.  They had prayer that night at the Smith’s home.  The baptism of the Holy Ghost fell on them that night.  From that point on, God’s presence began to move through them mightily. Essie Mae Smith and Minnie Harmon truly became sisters in Christ Jesus that night.  Then on the next month, their husbands, Lester Harmon and James Smith were baptized in the Holy Ghost.  In the following months, Robert and Onediuth Rhodes, and, Hezekiah and Hattie Corbitt received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. 

They were taken under the auspices of the Pilgrim Glorious Church, inc. of Orangeburg, where they were organized and nurtured as Pilgrim Glorious Church in Cayce, under the overseer and pastor, Bishop Raymond Hill.  For further vision in 1963, they became independent and incorporated under the name Calvary Holiness Church of God in a small frame church (previously a house they reconstructed into a sanctuary) on Hopkins Street in Cayce, with then, Elder Hezekiah Corbitt as pastor who had been previously ordained an elder by Bishop Raymond Hill.   

This church was very well known in the community and around the state.  God moved mightily through this small group of people.  Folks were known to come from different places in South Carolina to experience this great move of God.  Folks came sick and left healed.  Some were filled with the baptism of the Holy Ghost.  Some just were curious and wanted to see what was happening.  As they were asked by some onlookers, what were they doing with this “new religion”?  Despite opposition and being ostracized, this group of people knew they were in the awe inspiring move of God, and so, they stood. 

In May of 1969, Calvary entered a newly constructed block and brick structure that God had led them under the masonry of then, Elder James C. Smith who was the only professional brick mason in the congregation.  Without selling dinners or soliciting monies through programs or borrowing from banks, but with their obedience to the Holy Spirit, did God bless this small group of people through their tithes and offerings to build a church in which the glory of the Lord could abide. Then, in the mid 90’s with tithes and offerings again, the fellowship hall was added.  By “working together in faith, in God”, they were able to get the work done, even to the addition of acquiring land and paving the parking lot as of 2012.    God is faithful to those who take Him at His word.

Calvary was blessed to have two founding pastors to stand at the helm, Bishop Hezekiah Corbitt and Bishop James C. Smith.  With all the founding fathers gone to be with the Lord, Calvary still stands, teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, with people who are still in awe of the move of God.  Calvary stands in her community as a church where the Spirit of God is alive and moving in a fresh anointing with Elder Micheal L. Jacobs as Pastor.