100 Years of History
Through incredible challenges and storms, enduring commitments in leadership and service, and deep partnerships with families and our beloved town, Grace Calvary Church has achieved so much in its century-long history.
How? With a desire to glorify God (1 Cor. 10:31), in an environment ripe for infrastructure and ministry, with a clear vision and mission. Habakkuk 2 says,
“Write down the vision
and inscribe it clearly on tablets,
so that one who reads it may run.”
Our founders did just that—for the church, the fire department, and the town: they wrote it and ran with it!
The stories shared here are highlights and by no means exhaustive. The ties that bind run deep, especially in the early decades of our collective community.
100th Anniversary Service (Playlist)
1910s
Historical Context and Building Origins
In the midst of World War I, Long Beach Island experienced the fallout of off-coast enemy attacks on ships and a subsequent pandemic. In the meantime, culture shifted, leading to Prohibition and women’s suffrage.
There are a few differing accounts of our building’s origin. In one, salesman John Schill collected loose change from train passengers traveling from Philadelphia to LBI, which became the fund for the lot where our chapel stands today. Inspired by Billy Sunday, he began reaping a spiritual harvest.
In John Sinnamon’s version, Alfred Clark, superintendent of Water Works, was the first to suggest that Schill build it, and in 1916 gave him $10 to do so. However the building came about, we’re certainly glad it did!
1920s
Sunday School on Porches and Train Station
In the summer of 1921, before the church was built, about 22 believers gathered for Sunday School on local porches. These included those of Joseph Young Sr. on 18th Street, Mollie Robinson, and Mrs. Carl Hensley, who also held song fests and fellowship. As the Sunday School grew full in the following year, they moved it to the Beach Arlington train station after the Sunday train passed through.
Average attendance grew to about 27 from a variety of denominations. Bazaars, carnivals, and other projects continued raising funds. A Catholic friend held a dance and card party in her home and sent proceeds for purchasing the lot.
In 1922, the church established a board of trustees and building committee ahead of the purchase, and the train station was converted to the first Ship Bottom Fire Company. Union Church, as it was named, continued Sunday School there and shared the cost of dishes for events with the firehouse Ladies’ Aid. Pastors from numerous denominations spoke at services.
Fire Department and the Church
Much of the original fire department, as seen on a firehouse plaque, was active in the growing church:
Oliver Cox, Trustee/Treasurer
Joseph Baily Jr., Trustee & Assistant Superintendent, Sunday School 1934
Willard J. Miller, Trustee & Recording Secretary 1934
Bea Gurtcheff, baptized by and married William Shanklin (late 1930s–1940s)
Eleanor Gustafson donated for a pew
Robert C. Brown, President of 1922 Fire Department (may be related to T. Colby Brown, Treasurer at Union Church)
Catherine Magee, one of the first Sunday School attendees, 1921
Church Construction
With lumber provided by Conrad Brothers, the church was built in 1924 for $2,450. A bakery across 19th Street, as seen in photos, smelled delicious on Sunday mornings. According to Dave Wark Sr.’s wife, who later became a town tax collector, the church and firehouse were the community’s center of activity.
Alfred Clark helped install a 1500-pound bell alongside Mayor Willard Miller, John Pharo, Charles Cox, David Wark, and Moses Freidel, all of whom helped with overall construction. Charles Conrad generously donated the bell and a pew in memory of Wilkinson G. and Martha Conrad.
Groundbreaking Ceremony
The groundbreaking consecration took place on August 31, 1924, with 300 attendees. John A. Schill was Master of Ceremonies and read the church’s history.
Rev. U.J. Smiley (D.D. of Dormont Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh) made an address and raised $850 with a plea for funds. Rev. A. Parseles of the Methodist Evangelical Church of Beach Haven read Scripture, followed by the singing of the Harvey Cedars YWCA.
After Rev. Smiley prayed, John Schill received a silver-plated shovel with a gold plate inscribed with the date. He dug the first spade of dirt and each trustee followed. The event included a patriotic procession from the firehouse with children marching and singing “Onward Christian Soldiers.”
In 1925, Bonnie Beach, Bonnet Beach, Edgewater Beach, Beach Arlington, and Ship Bottom incorporated to become Ship Bottom-Beach Arlington. The first mayor and council met in the firehouse before moving to the Andersons’ garage. Here, too, was an overlap of names associated with the church: Willard Miller, Raymond Cox, John R. Pharo, William Petzelt, Harry Cox, Alfred Clark, and Chris Gurtcheff.
John A. Schill’s Legacy
John Schill lived in the second cottage behind the church. He remained a member and served on the board as treasurer and Sunday School Superintendent. The Silver Jubilee anniversary included a memorial to him, noting he “finally attained a reality of his favorite text: ‘I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus’ (Phil. 3:14).”
1930s
The Great Depression brought widespread property tax delinquency and home loss while the township submitted to the state for emergency relief for 13 families.
Pastor John Sinnamon
Rev. John Sinnamon, a deeply-rooted trustee, became Union Church’s first ordained pastor. Born in Belfast in 1864, his memory was phenomenal—he could recite Scripture until his death. Nicknamed “Pious John,” as a friend of “Pious” John Wanamaker, he was an outspoken industrialist and evangelist. Sinnamon preached powerful, comprehensive sermons on Revelation. His wife Caroline played the organ and piano.
Church Growth with John Sinnamon
During Sinnamon’s tenure, the church was incorporated and named Union Church Beach Arlington-Ship Bottom. Bylaws amended the board to 13 members. The building was painted, the bell and heat stove upgraded, and the front area paved. Russell Sinnamon presented a wooden sign that was placed near the entrance in 1933. The church also purchased fire insurance and hired a custodian in 1934.
Men held a fundraising turkey dinner that netted $291 as the Ladies’ Aid group raised outreach funds for those in need and for fellowship activities. There was discussion of trussing inside the church, but it is unclear whether this work was completed. Sinnamon took an ocean voyage in September 1935 and resigned that January, but he attended the 25th anniversary as Pastor Emeritus. He passed away in 1960.
The church held services Sunday mornings and evenings. Its first wedding was performed on June 17, 1930. In August 1932, the bank note on the property was paid and a new deed obtained. Discussion began in September about an expansion to the side featuring a kitchen, drop table, and two toilets, estimated at $600.
In 1935, James and Clara Lawson painted a mural inscribed with Psalm 107:23-24: “They that go down to the sea in ships… These see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep.”
Pastor Jack Kilbert
John “Jack” Kilbert was a graduate of Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. After serving as assistant pastor at Geiger Memorial Church for two years, he began ministry at Union Church in April 1936, promoting it as “everybody’s church.” His salary was $150/year plus expenses as he traveled to and from Philadelphia. He personally cleaned the church weekly and rented Mrs. Anderson’s home.
The 40th-anniversary program states that “one cannot think of the hymn ‘Rescue the Perishing, Care for the Dying’ without remembering Jack administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to save a dying child. He donated his life’s blood in many attempts to save not only souls, but lives.” He didn’t have Rev. Sinnamon’s oratorical gift, but he had a way with young people. He used social hours to raise funds for refreshments, and baptized many in the bay who remained members with their own kids.
During Kilbert’s tenure, revised bylaws required church members, not trustees, to elect new trustees. In addition, he upgraded the building through generous donations. He raised funds for a lavatory as trustees converted the backroom stove to coal and purchased two oil burners. He also led an organ fund, replaced pews, and encouraged the dedication of new ones. The church advertised through a large donated sign on the Causeway, while Grace Day donated bells, and 50 donated chairs were used for fundraising dinners.
During this time, Mrs. Aga Johnsonian served as pianist, Mrs. Buchwald and Clara Hollings carried on children’s ministry through the winter, and Mr. Seward continued Wednesday and Sunday night programs. In 1936, the church held a Tom Thumb Wedding and musicals to draw people in with entertainment.
It is unclear if Mrs. Marlin was a benefactor or a banker, but she seems to be the person the church turned to for short-term loans with quick notice. She is recorded to have given back interest payments for the purchase of pews. We have a pew dedicated to Arthur Marlin by his mother Anna.
Jack Kilbert resigned in August 1940 to marry in Washington state. After he died as Chaplain in World War II at the Battle of the Bulge, the church was heartbroken but knew his soul was with the Lord. They held a memorial service for him on July 1, 1945, where Rev. Emeritus John Sinnamon prayed, and good friends James Shanklin, George Harrison, and Mr. Bradway spoke. The second pew was dedicated in his memory. Many friends, relatives, and visitors attended.
1940s
A 1944 Ship Bottom photo shows mayor Willard Miller in the municipal office with trustees and involved in the town for many years: John Pharo, Fred Klein, William “Scotty” Ackland, Joe Baily, and Charles Moore.
The Kleins were persistent workers in the church and gifted lights in memory of Fred’s wife, the mother of future mayor Frank Klein.
Scotty Ackland, a tax collector and treasurer known for his hearty handshake, brought many to the Lord, taught Sunday School, and started the LBI Festival of Lights.
Joe Baily became council president in 1954.
Charles Moore, a trustee, became mayor in the 1950s.
Long Beach Island and World War II
During World War II, German subs sank ships off the coast. Barbara Shinn Wick shared, “Our beaches looked like clay. We had Crisco at the back door to get the stuff off our skin. It was like a marble cake with all the oil coming. It was a good number of years before the beach looked clean.”
As subs surfaced and rafts rowed to shore, Barbara’s husband performed horse and beach patrols. She continued,
“They had key posts every so many blocks where they had to phone in. If they didn’t phone in, they came to look and see.” “I was babysitting our doctor’s family two blocks up and a body washed up…”
“At Barnegat Light a German sub had come in right in the middle of one of our ships and the boys that were in it were taking showers and when they came in they were naked and just covered with oil. Yeah, it was real.”
On February 21, 1943, Pastor Bradway asked mayor Willard Miller and council to join the church for a patriotic evening service. Miller urged everyone to attend to celebrate the Battle of Stalingrad, where the last of the German 6th Army surrendered.
The town sent a representative to Amherst College to attend the 10th Class War Department Civilian Protection School and learn about gas bomb effects, self-aid methods, health emergency welfare, and air raid warden services.
On Easter, soldiers from the New Gretna army camp invited organizations to hear them perform spiritual songs to a large audience. Elsa Bartlett of Tuckerton was their pianist. Private 1st Class Charles Walker and Private John Jones were featured soloists.
Sunday evening programs continued all summer. At the end of the war, July 4 events in town included aerial bombs, a baby parade, swimming, pie-eating contests, a bather’s parade, and a firehouse dance, held on Central Avenue between 25th and 26th Street.
Pastors and Development in the 1940s
Arthur Downer and Chris Gurcheff, representing the town’s men’s club, petitioned to change Ship Bottom-Beach Arlington to Ship Bottom. Various itinerant pastors served not only Union Church but also multiple other local churches.
George Harrison was appointed temporary pastor from August 1940 to 1942 and addressed the physical foundation and paint. Organizations included Ladies’ Aid, Young People, Sunday School, and an oyster supper fundraiser. He also had an orgatron delivered from Philadelphia for $845, toward which Ladies’ Aid and Sunday School funds contributed $250.
Due to winter fuel shortages, Pastor John Bradway (1942-1946) suspended Sunday evening services. On VJ Day, August 14, 1945, the church prayed and declared August 19 a day of prayer.
William Salverda (June 1946—January 1949) was a 6’7” student preacher who purchased lots adjoining the church for $3,000 in late 1946 to 1947. Sunday School contributed $500, Ladies’ Aid $700, and the rest was raised. He also installed an oil stove. When he got married, the church gifted him $200, and Rev. Jim Shanklin stood in during his honeymoon. On July 25, 1948, the church held a groundbreaking for a new Sunday School and parsonage.
Rev. Jim “James” Shanklin became acting pastor in February 1949 after Salverda’s short-notice resignation and was ordained in July. A dear friend of Jack Kilbert, he purchased insurance for the buildings and took a loan to finish them. He previously helped the youth ministry during the three prior pastorates and started a vested youth choir.
During his tenure, Shanklin discontinued programs from September to Palm Sunday. He met his wife, Bea Gurtcheff, when she came to Christ through his preaching. Her mother was a faithful member of the church, and he asked Bea out to dinner while baptizing her. Shanklin later served at Manahawkin Baptist Church.
Union Church gave gift baskets to the needy, candy canes and oranges to all at Christmas programs, and distributed canned food for Thanksgiving while holding music and prayer services.
In September 1949, the church held a 25th-anniversary service and dedicated the new Sunday School rooms. The service, with a message on Facing the Future, featured a reenactment of the original consecration. Shanklin presented John Sinnamon with an 85th birthday gift, and Mary Buckwald, an early trustee, received the golden shovel for the first scoop of soil. She still served alongside Mrs. Pharo and Mrs. Klein teaching Sunday School.
1950s
In the post-war economy and baby boom, Union Church kept growing while facing challenges among governance and pastoral changes. A grade school opened in town, and a new parkway and four-lane bridge increased access to the island. Trustee Charles Moore became mayor in 1952.
Pastor R. Mortensen (1951–1954)
R. Mortensen was hired after Shanklin resigned in 1951. He added a vestibule to the front entrance and installed a new heating plant, roof, and siding for about $4,000. Three board members died within a short time, presenting issues in the replacement process. Appointments and legal advice resulted in rewriting bylaws. Mortensen stepped down in 1954 but remained a member.
Pastor Albert Runge (July 1954–1955)
Albert Runge was appointed for the summer of 1954 but agreed to step aside if a candidate desired a Sunday. He was ordained in March 1955 as the church explored options for a parsonage. Opting for empty lots on 15th Street, it was completed in January for $8,845. The vote for Runge split 27-23 amidst issues over invalid ballots and his qualifications.
Pastor William Bentley (January–December 1957)
William Bentley’s pastorship was described as “controversial.” The highlight of his year was a visit from Mr. Saint, the father of one of five martyred missionaries who lost their lives to the Waorani tribe. Membership dropped from 77 to 52.
Pastor Albert Morris (1957-1962)
Albert Morris and his wife Lily were well-loved. As his successor wrote, “he strongly advised the purchase of two buildings adjacent to the church. He was a theologian of stature whose philosophy was tempered with great common sense and an uncanny ability to take the pulse of the times.” He and Lily passed away shortly after the March storm of 1962.
1960s
Union Church prevailed through destructive storms and pastoral loss in the tumultuous 1960s. In 1964, the church celebrated its 40th anniversary. Frank Klein, son of Fred and Irene, was mayor.
Pastor William Magsam (1962–1967)
William Magsam of Bayville became pastor after Albert Morris’ death. His voice was reflective of “old-time religion” and “the faith of our fathers.” His singing was strong and forceful. He called himself a country boy and loved flowers, so he had them planted in front of the church.
During the 40th-anniversary service, a hymn was dedicated to him:
“Open wide the gates of Union;
Welcome, Christian passing through;
Joyous are saints, in sweet communion;
Brethren in Christ are we with you.
Enter with praise, this congregation,
Sing with joy of his love so true,
Welcome to each denomination:
A glad reunion to you!”
In 1965, the front steps were removed to build a narthex. Magsam’s tales, always beginning with “when I was a boy…,” were often remembered in following years. He served as Pastor Emeritus and attended the 50th anniversary, and passed away in Bayville in 1980.
Pastor Magsam highlighted some “old-timers” still around during his time:
Oliver Cox enhanced the church and landscape.
Rose Welch, an original trustee, planned for the 40th anniversary.
Clara Lang’s son placed flowers at the altar in her memory.
Charles Lang served as Associate Welfare Board Assistant under borough clerk Helen Ludwig in 1951, president of the fire department, and Zoning Board of Adjustment in 1956.
T. Colby Brown and Joseph Baily passed away, but Colby was remembered for his kindness and generosity. Mr. Baily had quiet dignity and common sense. His son Joseph, who had a boatyard business, attended the anniversary.
Mrs. Dawson Burns, who wrote the original history of the church at the 25th anniversary, was still a member. The Young People’s evening service flourished under her leadership.
Pastor Duane Johnson (1968–1973)
Duane Johnson, a student at Eastern Baptist Seminary, started his tenure with a review of potential affiliation with the American Baptist Churches. Increased membership enabled his pursuit of numerous projects.
A youth fellowship called The Lighthouse met on Saturday evenings, and Hobby Crafts for children carried on into winter. Johnson suggested making a study in the building and allotted funds for expanding the altar and choir loft, carpeting the floor, refinishing pews, and installing an amplifier. Upon graduation, he was called to pastor a Baptist church in Ohio, but returned to Union in 1975.
1970s
The 1970s were marked by rising terrorism, political upheaval, and cultural change. The church, fire department, and town marked the 50th anniversary ahead of the nation’s bicentennial and end of the Vietnam War. Robert Nissen was mayor for 23 years.
Pastor Gary Moore (1973–1974)
Gary and Linda Moore came from Eastern Baptist Seminary, where he graduated in 1974. The church was rarely empty in the evenings as it grew in both number and enthusiasm. There were group meetings for Bible study, prayer, Ladies’ Aid, choir, men’s fellowship, and other functions. Upon graduation, Moore accepted a position out west, leaving Union Church without a pastor.
Throughout the 1970s, Union grew from a seasonal resort church to one with all kinds of year-round activities. Scotty Ackland, a chairman of deacons, still taught adult Sunday School at 93. Union Church was blessed richly and looked toward a bright future with plans to expand. Moore specialized in helping churches transition in difficult times and also served as an interim pastor in Vermont, Massachusetts, and Maine.
Pastor Duane Johnson (1975-1982)
Duane Johnson returned and formed a building committee who presented a two-story building featuring a fellowship hall and Sunday school separate from the original structure. One of the Sunday School cottages was demolished in 1978. Other work included re-siding, and the 1935 mural was covered with drywall as there were not enough funds to restore it.
Sunday evening services ran from May to August. In June 1979, Union Christian Academy approved the use of the ACE curriculum, and Johnson received training for it in Dallas in April 1980. The church was robust with trustees, elders, deacons, and a missionary council as mission giving doubled.
In the 1978 directory, Johnson left an encouraging message for the future, closing with:
“Let us face the future with great expectations—conscious that God lives and loves, that Jesus Christ seeks and saves, that the Holy Spirit indwells and empowers those who believe and receive him.”
1980s
A strong US economy spurred the “yuppie” decade. Union Church became Grace Calvary Evangelical Church and faced difficulties as the Iron Curtain crumbled.
In 1982, Doris Marine thanked the town for setting up Easter service benches, and Patrolman Miller for leaving a positive impression on members after responding to a call one Sunday. The church completed its last addition in 1983.
Pastor Jack Hurley (1982–1989)
Jack Hurley was a Vietnam veteran and jet pilot from Omaha with a BS from University of Omaha and MS from Trinity College. He was selected as pastor with a 3/4 congregational vote and a unanimous elder vote in August 1982.
The new Sunday School was completed in 1983. Mr. Rahn, whose wife was a principal, ran Union Christian Academy as a church ministry in 1980. Its support waned, however, and there was discussion about moving it to the telephone building, but the congregation ultimately voted to close it in 1984.
In 1986, Union Church was renamed Grace Calvary Evangelical in a heavily-favored vote.
In 1987, the church ran two services. Activities were on a single-event basis as membership declined. The budget had no mission allocation, so the congregation voted to tithe. Hurley’s salary and retirement allotment were restructured due to tax changes and house assets. His new home provided him equity. He sold the parsonage in January 1988.
Purchase Discussions
In 1984, the church received an inheritance of $400,000, prompting discussion of purchasing property on the mainland. Property consisting of 16 acres between Hilliard Boulevard and Beach Avenue was deeded for $150,000 and plans were drawn in 1986.
The congregation carried a motion to sell the church and parsonage to Ship Bottom and save the proceeds to build a home for Pastor Hurley. It was advertised for sale at $850,000.
In October 1987, Hurley addressed the congregation regarding governance, presenting elder governance as biblical. A revised constitution was approved in February 1988, but division grew. Hurley proposed a relationship with a Marlton church through joint fellowship and special speakers.
In January 1989, a realtor suggested dividing the Manahawkin land and selling a part. Hurley expressed that God did not intend for them to sell the church. Instead, he considered ways to leverage it as a bookstore or conference center or to lease it so they could rent on the mainland.
By September, Hurley announced receipt of a contract on the church for $550,000, feeling the “lampstand of authority to operate a church in the area had been removed,” and that the church should reconsider moving to Phoenix, Arizona. The congregation split. For a time, dissenting congregants gathered at the BHW Rec Center, and later the Holiday Inn. As the conflict grew, Hurley and his wife left for Arizona and sold the home they built on Hilliard.
Following their leave, the congregation worked to keep unity to ensure the church would continue serving its community. However, trustee Doris Marine, who spearheaded the dissenters, noted, “I cannot say Mr. Hurley is all wrong. He is a wonderful Bible teacher. His gift is teaching. He studies the Hebrew and the Greek and is continually researching.”
1990s
In a decade of continued political, cultural, and technological change, Grace Calvary continued struggling with its identity. Doris Marine enlisted Dave and Pat Wark to return and help restore the church.
Pastor Denny Barger (1991–1994)
In March 1991, Denny and Sue Barger arrived at a 16-member church struggling in brokenness. They were missionaries running Bibles behind the Iron Curtain and sharing God’s word in Cairo. As Denny finished seminary in Myerstown, PA, he heard about the opportunity to pastor on LBI. Doris Marine spoke to him by phone and immediately saw the church’s need for him. Membership more than doubled in his first year.
Doris Marine passed away that winter. The church held a memorial service with a packed house in December 1991. She served on the missionary council in the 1950s and as a deaconess in later years.
Meredith Braun reached out to 1984 Pipeline Masters Champion Joey Buran, who was in ministry in California. He came to initiate a surf camp outreach through the church connected with the surf shop next door.
Carol Thompson, 6th-grade teacher at Lighthouse Christian Academy, established the high school Ocean Christian Academy in 1994. Grace Calvary provided space for it as the borough approved finishing and using the new second floor.
About 22 people were baptized during Barger’s tenure, and 18 accepted Jesus, either in church, at a New Beginnings concert, or at a neighborhood evangelistic Bible study led by the Warks and O’Hagans.
Calvary Chapel Affiliation
As new people attended, differing backgrounds and opinions stirred up conflict. Congregants disagreed about the modern style of services and some sought more subdued churches. Pastor Barger expressed that an affiliation might help them navigate.
The elders explored affiliation options, and Joey Buran noted Calvary Chapel as a potential fit. Barger listened to them on the radio and reached out to Oden Fong. He and his wife also met Charles Smith at a conference.
When they returned to share the prospective affiliation, they renamed the church to Grace Calvary Chapel, associating it with the non-denominational evangelical churches of Calvary Chapel. Those who came through the near-loss of the church in the 1980s anxiously expressed concerns.
Barger prayed about the matter and resigned in May 1994. Assistant Pastor Alex Dodi stayed, and two-thirds of the members left. Since then, Denny has been a missionary in the Middle East, founded Saar Fellowship Evangelical Theological Seminary in Barnegat, and spoken at Calvary Chapel in Old Bridge.
Pastor Alex Dodi (1995–2002)
Alex and Jean Dodi, with a budding family, started attending Grace Calvary in 1990. Alex loved the people and preaching, played bass on the worship team, and ran the youth group with his wife. He was installed as a deacon under Denny Barger and attended Philadelphia College of Bible while working for the Dave and Pat Wark at Dave’s Appliance. During this time, the church was renamed to Grace Calvary Church.
Alex was ordained in December 1994 with a message given by Rev. Mike Estra and singing by Tom Sargent. When Barger resigned in 1995, Alex became Senior Pastor through a congregational vote. The church had 22 very active members. Alex looked to the Lord and prayed “Less of me, more of you,” wanting plurality of leadership in the church.
Throughout his tenure, Pastor Dodi focused on Ephesians and strived to stay true to the biblical roots of the early church. He and his children (Alex, Jenna, and Michaela) lived in Waretown, where both Alex Jr. and Jenna were baptized.
2000s
Pastor Dave Murdock (2003-2007)
Dave and Diane Murdock came to Manahawkin after Dave finished seminary in Colorado. While pastoring at Manahawkin Baptist Church from 1973-1982, he met Jim and Bea Shanklin, who were involved in the pulpit committee that reviewed and selected him. He then became acquainted with Union Church and met Gary Moore.
While at Manahawkin Baptist, Dave was instrumental in establishing Lighthouse Christian Academy and moved it and MBC from a brick building on Route 9 (now the library) to its current location on Hilliard. MBC also influenced the establishment of Island Baptist Church and Forked River Baptist Church.
Dave met Bob and Nancy Wick in the 1970s. In his words, Bob was “pretty amazing” and instrumental in televising and radio-broadcasting his sermons on WJRZ and WYRS.
From 1982-1987, Dave pastored First Baptist Church in Wheaton, Illinois. He was then called to First Baptist Church in La Crescenta, CA until 1995 and drew 1,200 people to church over two services. In retirement, he pastored a small church in Charlotte County, VA, near Diane’s family. When they moved back north to West Creek, Dave was approached about pastoring Grace Calvary in December 2002.
By the end of 2003, the church took in $190,000 in offerings, giving it a $40K surplus. It was not only sustaining, it was growing. Murdock and Ash’s installation in January 2004 had 170 attendees. Numbers continued climbing, bringing in as many as 400 on a Sunday. Easter sunrise services had over 200 people.
Peter Gowesky started as a youth pastor in March 2004. Among others, Grace Calvary supported the missionary Monique Ladoz of Widows Might, who is Murdock’s son’s mother-in-law. Building improvements included flooring, AC, and painting.
Pastor Murdock often concluded sermons with Ephesians 3:20-21:
“Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to him be the glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever, Amen.”
Associate Pastor David Ash (2003-2007)
David Ash was raised in a Presbyterian church in Haddonfield where his father was an elder. Growing up, his family summered in Harvey Cedars. His earliest memories at Union were during Jim Shanklin’s tenure, “when the church was an L shape.” He remembers elder Scotty Ackland as a “real nice man.”
As a teenager, David bounced around churches and rededicated his life at Harvey Cedars Bible Conference. He rededicated later at Manahawkin Baptist Church, where his whole family got baptized. He married Meredith in 1965 and moved to Wyoming, where they were involved at a crisis pregnancy center. They returned to LBI with a growing family and got involved in outreach at various churches, including Union toward the end of Duane Johnson’s tenure.
Doris Marine once told David that he would be a pastor someday. He was appointed Associate Pastor at King of Kings in 1998, and Associate Pastor at Grace Calvary in March 2003, marking the first time the church had two full-time pastors.
That summer, attendance reached 225 and the church held beach studies where passersby could sit in and witness baptisms. David’s was involved in prison ministry, Genesis Nursing Home, Atlantic City Rescue Missions, Harvest Cove Bible Fellowship, Wednesday night beach studies, and building improvements. He remains an active member today.
Meredith died to cancer in 2015. David later married Elaine, a worship leader. David can be found sharing his faith just about anywhere—the beach, movies, IHOP, Home Depot, or the neighborhood. Always with a pack of tracts, he is a man on a mission to seek and save the lost.
2010s
Pastor Dan Stott (2007-2024)
Dan Stott enjoyed the longest tenure of any pastor, from 2007 to late 2024. He preached a born-again message encouraging people to take the plunge for Jesus. He attended Dallas Theological Seminary and Philadelphia College of Bible and served in Ireland.
He and his wife Lynda were blessed with four children and five grandchildren and leveraged social media to share God’s word with them.
Dan was most known for his expository teaching and reverence of Scripture. The depth of his preaching often included humor and his seasonal attire reflected his character. He once reportedly drove into a service on an ice cream scooter.
The church faced three significant challenges during Dan’s tenure:
In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy brought destruction to the shore and the church responded. Stott opened its doors as a rescue center and collected food, water, clothes, and supplies from the Red Cross and Salvation Army. The second floor housed disaster-relief teams sent by the Southern Baptist Convention, and the church held services at Holiday Inn. That December, Dan was honored to serve as Grand Marshall of LBI’s Christmas parade.
In March 2020, the state shut down public facilities due to the pandemic. While church services were suspended, Dan shortly began outdoor outreach, garnering recognition that put the church on local news. Services continued with a screen mounted outside and preaching from the pulpit. The church kept praying while practicing distancing protocol.
In 2021, Lynda was diagnosed with cancer. Doctors gave her months, but God gave her over two years, during which she saw her children and grandchildren as much as possible. She continued attending women’s luncheons and Bible studies until graduating to heaven in January 2024. She had peace that her eternal home is with the Lord.
2020s
Grace Calvary’s 100th Anniversary
In September 2024, Grace Calvary Church celebrated its 100th anniversary by sharing stories of its lasting community and its historic site. The celebration opened and closed with Onward Christian Soldiers as did its original consecration. There was a luncheon honoring Pastor Dan as he stepped down to head west to his grandchildren. Church groups sang Here’s to Pastor Dan—adapted lyrics by the eldest member Joy Houghton.
We’re thankful for Interim Pastor Glenn Snyder’s wonderful preaching during our present time of transition. He and his wife Linda are a blessing in prayer, study, and ministry.