Cowpens Calvary Baptist celebrates 60 years Oct 12 2025

 Cowpens Calvary Baptist Church was founded (planted) by my parents,  Rev. Gene and Martha Franklin in 1965.  My sister Deborah and  I  were  one of the founding members. This Oct 12th, will be the 60th anniversary Homecoming Day service.  

The church's 3rd pastor will be preaching, Pastor Jeff Jones.  The current location is at 451 Pleasant Valley Rd Spartanburg, SC 29307  (click to view map)

Thankful for my home church

Thankful for the church that my dad "planted" in 1965 

Cowpens Calvary Baptist Church

Photo from local newspaper from the 2nd year anniversary

Now with their 3rd pastor, Jeff Jones, the church is still preaching the Word of God!

Walking on streets of gold !

 Today Preacher Henry  Coley, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Cowpens, went home to be with the Lord and Savior , Jesus Christ! 

He is walking on the streets of gold, no more night, no more pain ... 

I can  just imagine .... him and my dad Preacher Gene Franklin hugging each other!  

This picture was from the 50th anniversary of the church in  2015. My dad, "Preacher Franklin" started the church in 1965 and  "Preacher Coley" took over in  1985 and pastored the  church for almost 37 years.  He will be missed by all (we are still missing my dad too)  

Note cards, prayer cards, priceless!

Mom found a stack of cards that my dad had saved , that he used back in the early years of ministry, early to mid - 1960's.  

There were about 100 cards and each card has a different name of a friend, family member, or church member or pastor friend that he prayed for.  

Each card has a number of marks representing each time he prayed for them.  

What a priceless memory! 

50 years of memories

50 years of memories....

Mom and Dad, 

Gene and Martha Franklin, 

were the honored guests at the 

50th anniversary homecoming of Cowpens Calvary Baptist Church.

October 11, 2015  

Memory Lane - memories of a "PK"

Calvary Baptist Church celebrated its 50th anniversary last Sunday, October 11th, in Cowpens, SC.   When God planted this church in 1965, he used my Dad, Gene Franklin,  to start it and we met in this little store-front building owned by Mr. Robert Murph.   I cannot remember how many were there on the charter Sunday, but I do remember my mom and dad, my two sisters and myself.  I was 10 years old so I am not sure if I was old enough to be a "charter member" on the list.  




Back in 2010, I took the photo above and posted my memories of this "preacher's kid," growing up in Cowpens SC.  There are three posts about those memories on my family blog "Our Journey of Life" and you can click the links below to read them...

When God uses a man part one...

When God uses a man part two...

When God uses a man part three...