Calvary Family of Churches

By Karen L. Willoughby

NAMPA/FRUITLAND, Idaho – This is not the first time God has done a good work in and through Southern Baptists in Nampa, but it’s unique in at least one aspect.

First Southern Baptist Church of Nampa, replanted in 2017 as Calvary Church Nampa, today is replanting First Baptist Church of Fruitland into Calvary Fruitland, and in another wrinkle, the Fruitland First bivocational Pastor Richard Cook is staying on at Calvary Fruitland as a fellow shepherd with Church Planter Justin Ridgway.

“We’re all in cahoots together,” Anders Snyder told UI Connections. Snyder is pastor of Calvary Nampa. “We call it family for a reason. We get to mentor and keep each other sharp.”

This is a tale that dates to 1949 – see related article – yet is as fresh as next summer’s news.

Cook, who works bivocationally in retail management, became pastor of Fruitland First in January 2011, when a dozen people attended services. The church grew to about 55 in regular attendance when in 2020 Covid strangled the congregation.

“We went two Sundays when we didn’t meet,” Cook told UI Connections. “Even after that, people were leery of hanging out with other people. Our music person left. Others left. It was a downhill spiral.”

Despite his many hours at a farm and ranch supply store, Cook had made it a point to attend meetings of the Treasure Valley Southern Baptist Association. There he met and made friends with Anders Synder, pastor of Calvary Nampa, which had been replanted just three years previously.

“It’s really neat to see this replant come about; really sweet to see through patience and change a fruitful time for the church,” Snyder told UI Connections in mid-February. “We are all disciple-makers in our community. We say, ‘Hey, try stuff for Jesus!’”

Despite Calvary Nampa’s apparent spiritual strength, Snyder took care instead to just listen to Cook, who talked about the dwindling number of attendees in a community that should have been desperate for a word from the Lord, but with his schedule Cook wasn’t able to meet the need.

Calvary Nampa had been replanted in 2017 as part of a growing number of churches in The Calvary Family of Churches, a network of 34 churches now that started in Englewood, Colo., in 2009. It is unrelated to the non-denominational Calvary Chapel network based in California. 

“In 2020 Cyndi and I were just about done,” Cook said. “However, in January 2021 Anders convinced us to go to the Calvary conference that July. We planned to do all the fun stuff in Denver after the conference, but when we got to the conference, we went in the front doors and Pastor Hallock scooped us up in his arms. Big hug. Bigger hug. I can’t remember the last time I was hugged like that. 

“In two days we were re-energized,” Cook continued. “Both Cyndi and I heard the Lord say to replant. That was July 2021. We shared it with the church, maybe 10 to 15 people there, and there was a unanimous yes to replant.”

But nothing happened. 

“In 2022 we went back to the conference with Anders and others from Nampa,” Cook continued. “During a break, my wife Cyndi, who is outspoken when she wants to be, said, ‘I have a question. Last year we came here and decided to replant. Nampa was on board but we haven’t done one thing.’

“Anders was taken aback, but Cyndi got the ball rolling. The ones there in 2022 [at the conference] got the ball rolling,” Cook said. “It’s been uphill, slow growth until last May or June. People came in new to the area, and they wanted to work.”

Cook spoke of John Chinn, a retired banker whose work had been in project management. 

“His job was to turn everything over” in the banks where he worked, Cook said. “He’s a pusher, which is what I need. By the end of 2023 we’d grown to 25 to 30.”

Synder took over the tale from the perspective of Calvary Nampa.

“We asked the questions,” Snyder said. “‘Is Calvary Nampa in a place to help?,’ and ‘Is Fruitland First in a place to be helped?’ There was a period of exploration for both congregations. Did we want to be a sending church? Were they willing to undergo replanting, to take on a new identity with a difference in governance, in leadership?”

In early 2024 some Calvary Nampa members went to First Fruitland for a time to lead worship and to be part of the congregation, even as both congregations prayed for God to send a lead pastor for what was to be Calvary Fruitland. Justin Ridgway arrived Jan. 1, 2025, as a NAMB-endorsed church planter.  

“The next phase is a soft launch,” Snyder said. “Let Justin get settled. Build a core team. Decide how to introduce ourselves to the community. Then a full launch. We want the body who are there to be well-versed as cross-cultural missionary disciple-makers bringing life and revitalization back to the church. It will take some time to prepare.”

A full launch of Calvary Church Fruitland is anticipated perhaps in June 2025; perhaps as late as fall.

“The beautiful thing about this has been Richard’s commendable humility,” Snyder said. “He has basically said, ‘I’ll move aside from the lead role and will be working together with Justin.’

“Richard is experiencing relief, rest, encouragement and the return of vibrancy and energy,” the Calvary Nampa pastor continued. “Justin is experiencing mentoring. He’s getting the help of Richard’s experience with the congregation and community, so Justin doesn’t have to figure that all out on his own.”

Ridgway and his wife Lou-Anne (an Idaho native) parent three youngsters between 1 and 6. He graduated from Moody Bible Institute in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in Intercultural Studies, and in 2023 an M.Div. degree from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. 

He was youth and family director the last two years at Calvary Church Monument near Colorado Springs, Colo. Already Ridgway is doing the bulk of preaching at Fruitland First; Cook leads worship.

“I love to sing,” Cook said.

“The Lord has given me a passion for proclaiming His gospel and helping churches grow in faithfulness to God’s word,” Ridgway said. “Replanting was a new concept to me, a church acknowledging its need for revitalization and change. 

“Sadly it’s common for churches to be in decline,” Ridgway continued. “But it’s not common to say, ‘We want help,’ and take a posture of humility. In a replant, the church lays everything at the feet of Jesus and surrenders their own preferences and agenda to follow whatever God’s plan is for them to make Jesus known.”

Ridgway spoke of churches faithfully shining the light of Christ into the world as members love one another, love their community, and take the gospel throughout the world.

“We want to make Jesus non-ignorable to the community around us,” Ridgway said. Making Jesus non-ignorable in [each of its currently 34 communities ie: Fruitland] and throughout the world is the overall motto of The Calvary Family of Churches.   

“We are in the trenches together,” the incoming church planter continued. “One of my key prayers for Pastor Richard is that this will be his most fruitful season yet. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a more sincere, humble pastor. It is abundantly clear his primary desire is to glorify Jesus. That comes out in the way he warmly loves others.”

As for Cook, “It’s been a whirlwind of activity. It’s a lot of change, and some things we weren’t ready for but that’s okay,” the bivocational and now co-pastor said. “It’s been just really good, really good. 

“The way things have been happening the last six months I would say this is exactly what God wants,” Cook continued. “It’s been amazing to see God at work. Even though our role is changing” – including his wife Cyndi in his statement – “I think we’re in a better place to see God work in this way, through the replant. It’s exciting, encouraging, knowing there will be a strong gospel presence in Fruitland once again.”