Prior to January 2003

Some sort of Calvary Chapel presence has existed in Ocean City since 1990. Originally a home fellowship from Calvary Chapel of Vineland, the first Sunday service was held at the Strand Theater at 9th and Boardwalk on Palm Sunday of 1990. The church was officially incorporated as Maranatha by the Sea Christian Fellowship in 1991 and later became a Calvary Chapel affiliate. In the earlier years the church met at the Strand during the summer months and at various hotels in the winter including the Port-O-Call, Watson's Regency and The Flanders. The church met year round at the Strand from 1997 until it became unavailable in 2002 and then moved to one of the rooms at the Flanders. The name was officially changed from Maranatha to Calvary Chapel of Ocean City in 2001. For one reason or another, the church never really took off and in the latter years struggled and ultimately almost died with the exception of a small core of believers. During this time, application was made for a low-power FM radio station.

For some time there were a few individuals from the Ocean City area who traveled weekly to Calvary Chapel of Vineland. This small group had the vision for a similar type of fellowship in the Ocean City area. Things began to come together and in January of 2003, Pastor Frank Ippolito of Calvary Chapel Vineland started coming down to Ocean City on Thursday evenings to teach a bible study at Callahan's Cafe. About 15 people came out for that first cold, snowy January evening. Several friends from this small, but faithful fellowship sensed this was the beginning of something new. The bible study at Callahan's was well attended from its inception throughout the spring, and it became obvious that a church was to be planted. There was just a minor technicality - there was no pastor.

God was aware of this problem, and He had a solution. At the 2003 Calvary Chapel East Coast Pastor's Conference, Joe Focht, the Senior Pastor at Calvary Chapel Philadelphia approached Frank Ippolito and informed him that he had someone to lead the fellowship in Ocean City. Introductions were made and it seemed good to those involved and to the Holy Spirit that Matt Stokes should take over the leadership of the bible study and begin a Sunday morning service. Matt, a landscaper by trade, had been on staff at Calvary Chapel Philadelphia for several years and served in a variety of capacities including Junior High Bible Teacher, Worship Leader, hospital visitation/pastoral care team and Police chaplaincy.

The first Sunday service was held in Callahan's Cafe on June 22, 2003 and 50 people came out of nowhere. Matt led worship and taught from Philippians. There was a buzz of excitement in the air and several people were overheard affirming, I can feel that God is in this. Later that same day, someone pulled up to the cafe and donated a brand new sound system. The word was on the street and people crammed into the cafe for the Sunday service. It was not uncommon to have people listening back in the kitchen because there wasn't room anywhere else. Some people pulled up a bench on the sidewalk outside to listen. In the ensuing months, church members would gather at the cafe after it closed on Saturday afternoons and would transform it for the Sunday service the next morning. After service, it would be turned back into a restaurant. During the first year, Matt continued his ministries at Calvary Chapel Philadelphia and commuted to Ocean City for the Thursday evening and Sunday morning services.

At about this time, the church was awarded a construction permit from the FCC to build a low power FM radio station. By the end of the summer of 2003, the Lord had graciously provided funds necessary to build the station. Working against a deadline of late December, 92.7FM, The Voice officially lit up the airwaves in the early evening hours of December 13th, 2003 and has since been continuously broadcasting modern worship music and the Calvary Chapel-style of verse-by-verse Bible teaching. Much positive feedback has been received from the community and the station has contributed to the growth of the church.

The fellowship grew steadily throughout that first summer and fall and it soon became clear that a larger facility was needed. Several locations were considered and after much prayer, the Lord opened the door for the fellowship to meet in a larger facility at the corner of 8th and Asbury in downtown Ocean City. The stately building had originally been a bank and was more recently occupied by the Christian Science organization. To assume a monthly payment where the church previously had none was a step of faith. As it turned out, after the decision was made to move, a friend of Matt Stokes called. She had not spoken with Matt for quite some time, but, said that she had heard about the new fellowship and wanted to bless the church with a gift. Unbeknownst to her, the amount of the gift she gave that day was the exact amount of the first months rent. We do walk by faith, but it is a great comfort when the Lord gives us confirmation, particularly in special ways like that!

Next, a work party was assembled and the building was transformed in short order. Old carpet was torn up, new was laid down. Walls were painted, windows were cleaned and a new stage was constructed. The church's radio station played in the background as volunteers worked and there was just a sense in the air that God was getting ready to do something cool. More accurately, God was already doing something and it was just a joy to be caught up in the midst of that. The first service in the new building was held on Sunday, February 22, 2004 and 125 people showed up. In February! In Ocean City! The building quickly filled up, and by Memorial Day weekend of 2004 it became necessary to go to two services. Both of these services filled up and creative ways were found to squeeze more chairs into the sanctuary. An overflow room was created out of the Bookstore, Fellowship Room with the service projected live on the wall. This room was expanded to accommodate more people (Fall, 2005).

With the extraordinary growth of the church came the need for various Children's Ministries. Along with several other ministries & events, the Lord blessed this area of the fellowship, as well. Calvary Chapel Ocean City held its first Vacation Bible School at the new location in August of 2005 and it was attended by about 75 children from the church and surrounding community. With the growing need for space for children's ministry, the church was able to procure additional space in a building across the street.?This building now houses Calvary Chapel Ocean City offices and space for Children's and Youth Ministry. A game room has been added with air hockey and ping pong tables, foosballs and more!

Traditions are quickly setting in at Calvary Chapel. The church recently held its third annual Christmas Potluck Dinner. Other annual events include a Thanksgiving Potluck, Missions Night, picnics, ocean baptisms and men's & women's retreats. There are weekly men's and women's Bible studies and prayer meetings. The Lord is opening doors for numerous ministry opportunities within and through the fellowship.?Looking to the future, and with seams beginning to stretch at our current location, church leadership is seeking the Lord once again for His will regarding a larger meeting place where all ministries would fit inside one building.?Currently there are about 300 people who attend the church in the off season and about 600 during the summer months.?God sees the end from the beginning. He has a plan and we are following Him. We have been abundantly blessed to this point here at Calvary Chapel Ocean City in what the Lord has done. By the same token, we anticipate great things to come! We look forward with hopeful anticipation to "Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think (Eph. 3:20).

Great things He has done!