Who we are.
Mount Calvary Baptist Church is a local, Bible-believing, assembly. Our goal is to communicate the truth of God's Word and to trust the Holy Spirit to do the work of convincing men's hearts.
We are Baptistic in doctrine but not affiliated with any larger association or ecclesiastical body. We understand that the church is a local, visible, "called out" assembly of believers in Christ and our sole authority is the Holy Scriptures.
What to expect.
We would love to have you visit with us. We are currently renting from the local VFW building located right off Highway 72 just east of the 72/15 intersection. We encourage note taking and, so, we have tables and chairs set up in front of the pulpit where the Bible is taught from.
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NORMALLY, our services include the reading of a Psalm or other scripture, prayer, singing of spiritual songs, and a time of Bible-teaching.
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Oftentimes people get intimidated to come to church because they are afraid that they don't have clothes appropriate. Don't worry. While we do try to uphold the standards taught by scripture, we do not make a habit of running people off because their clothes weren't nice enough. Jesus came for the poor and needy. If you come desperate for His Word, we will welcome and help you however we can.
Why another church?
There are a lot of church buildings and small congregations scattered across the American South and so the question comes, "why start another church?" In this context, I've heard it said "it's easier to give birth than to raise the dead."
The harsh reality is that the majority of southern churches are so steeped in tradition and local politics that they have lost sight of the command of Christ to teach all of what he has commanded. (Matthew 28:19-20) When the teachings of scripture go against the practices of professing Christians then chaos ensues. It is my desire to see us return the practical, simple, Bible believing Christianity.
Why Walnut?
"Walnut seems like a town forgotten" is what one local woman said to me one day. I was asking residents how they felt about the spiritual health of the town. Another woman said, "preachers come and go" indicating that preachers hardly stuck around. I grew up riding through Walnut every week on our way to my grandparents' house. Thousands of people pass through the town every week and it seems that few are bothered by the state of things.
As with so many small towns, drugs and alcohol have come in. Local politics have put up barriers to make it difficult to get anywhere without "being somebody." Anything new is treated as suspect. Walnut is hurting in a way that only the Lord Jesus can help.
How we got started.
I moved back to Mississippi in 2020 with no real direction. I knew that the Lord had burdened me for church planting/revitalization, but I didn't know how or where to begin. Someone offered me the counsel to "look where you are" and, so, my wife and I began praying about areas around us that were in need for a Bible-teaching, Bible-practicing church. It didn't take long for Walnut to be at the forefront of our minds.
It took 4 years for my heart to get right about the deal. I wanted to come in and start the work with passion and excitement, but the Lord had to temper my flesh. I had to learn to wait on the Lord and trust in His power and not my own planning. In the summer of 2024, the door opened up for us to begin meeting at the Walnut VFW building. We took some time to lay the foundation for our doctrine and identity before pushing for outreach, but we are now setting our sights on how we can present the truth of the Bible more clearly to the community of Walnut.