Calvary Church Grand Rapids — Church Directory

Quick Facts

Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable Jim Samra (Senior Pastor, succeeded Ed Dobson)

Founded Unknown

Denomination Non-denominational evangelical

Service Times Sundays 8:10 AM, 9:40 AM, 11:15 AM, 6:00 PM

Men's Ministry No

Kids Ministry Yes

Website calvarygr.org

10-Point Theological Scorecard

Christology

Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)

Not stated on available sources — verify in person.

Caution

Scripture

Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?

Not stated on available sources — verify in person.

Caution

Men's Discipleship

Intentional formation for men?

'Men's ministry' listed as ministry area; no details.

Caution

Soteriology

Faith alone? How is salvation presented?

Not stated on available sources — verify in person.

Caution

Gender / Biblical Design

Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?

Not stated on available sources — verify in person. Senior Pastor Jim Samra (male).

Verify

Caution

Leadership Structure

Male elders/pastors? Accountability?

2026-04-23 audit: homepage references Tom Olsson preaching (John 20:22, 'Power,' April 2026); Jim Samra senior-pastor status not confirmed on homepage. Elder plurality/structure still not published publicly.

Caution

Preaching Style

Expository or topical/therapeutic?

Not stated on available sources — verify in person.

Caution

Mission Clarity

Great Commission central?

Not stated on available sources — verify in person.

Caution

Cultural Alignment

DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?

Homepage shows no DEI/CRT/affirming language; extensive ministry slate (kids/students/adults/mercy/hospitality/missions/Jerusalem Project). No red flags but insufficient confessional evidence for green flip.

Caution

Accountability Structure

Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?

Non-denominational Christian church — no confessional accountability. Yellow per rubric.

Caution

Assessment

Calvary Church Grand Rapids — non-denominational megachurch. Senior Pastor Jim Samra, who succeeded the legendary Ed Dobson (1987-2005, died 2015 of ALS). Dobson mentored many including Rob Bell. Located at 707 E Beltline Ave NE (close to listed 777). Four Sunday services including an evening service — traditional programming. $28.5M expansion noted. Strong evangelical heritage through Dobson's legacy. Samra was mentored by Dobson. Evening service is a positive traditional indicator. Needs verification on current doctrinal direction under Samra.

#non-denom#grand-rapids#michigan#batch-21-enriched

MOOP Engagement Tracker

How this church was personally verified by the MOOP directory team:

✓ Researched church website

Sources & Evidence

These are the URLs consulted to arrive at this church's scoring. Score-note claims are synthesized from homepage content, denominational directories, and public statements of faith at the time of review. Church websites change frequently; we're progressively adding Internet Archive snapshots to prevent link rot.

[1] Live source calvarygr.org/about

Transparency note: MOOP ratings are researcher judgments about publicly available theological and ecclesial evidence. They are not infallible. If a church's public posture has changed since our review, or if we've mis-read evidence, tell us — we publish corrections.