June 1999, 25 Years Ago–There was a friendly roar of men talking and laughing as they waited for breakfast to begin at the East Coast Pastors Conference in Sandy Cove, MD. The crowd made a path to allow Pastor Chuck Smith to pass through. The beloved Calvary Chapel founder was searching for someone. Typically, Pastor Chuck would have happily stood at the back of the line and been the last one served. He approached the group where I was standing. “Aren’t you the fella that handed me that little magazine yesterday?” Pastor Chuck asked me specifically. “Yes sir!” I stammered. “What did you think about it?”

“I loved it!” Pastor Chuck said enthusiastically. “I have sensed we have been needing a publication like this for a while. We need to let our new pastors understand how our churches are reaching the world for Jesus. This would encourage them to get involved.” The breakfast crowd around us quieted as everyone wanted to hear what Pastor Chuck said. He went on to relate that he had taken the inkjet pamphlet to his room and read it in its entirety. He said that he liked the idea that we were going to have a lot of compelling photographs that SHOW the missions work, and not just simply tell the story.

“Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa will take 6,000 magazines of each issue for our congregation,” Chuck specified. “Other churches should order for their congregations. Let’s do four issues a year. And I sensed the Lord saying that you were to be the editor of the publication.” Pastor Chuck hesitated and asked, “What’s your name?”

He began to walk away and circled back. “I’m going to ask Joe Focht (pastor of Calvary Chapel Philadelphia, PA) if he would help you raise seed money to print the first magazine,” Chuck added. At that point I was confused as to how this could work. I asked, “What do I do next?” Pastor Chuck put his arm on my shoulder and prayed that I would receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Pastor Chuck said, “Tom, just pray that the Lord would show you what to do next. Don’t worry about things you don’t have control over and things coming up. Just know that there will be a lot of bumps along the road—but that is all they are, just bumps in the road,” Chuck encouraged as he was walking away. “Don’t forget to just do the next thing that the Lord shows you to do, check in with Joe, and keep in touch,” he yelled over his shoulder as he disappeared in the crowd.

I have often shared this story of the time in June 1999 when Pastor Chuck gave me the green light to start a publication for Calvary Chapel. It certainly demonstrates one of Pastor Chuck’s most amazing attributes—his willingness to take chances on people. He didn’t have a clue who I was, when I had handed him a rough 28-page ink-jet version of my vision for what we called at that time, Calvary Chapel Missions Magazine. But what led up to that was significant, too, as I sensed the Lord’s leading along the way.

A Tempting Alternative

After returning to my home church in Fredericksburg, VA, a message was waiting for me from Paul White, the director of photography at USA TODAY, saying he had something particularly important to discuss. Paul had been my early mentor at the Baltimore newspaper where we had met when I was an intern from the University of Maryland. He trained me to be a news photographer and shoot baseball games at the Baltimore Orioles’ stadium. He later moved to head the USA TODAY photo department.

Paul had been lifting my name up to management to become one of USA TODAY’s main photo editors. The starting annual pay was high. Paul had mentored and guided me since 1974 as a young intern; I had followed his advice in the 25 years of my career as a photojournalist. But this was a dilemma. I hated to disappoint my old mentor, but I sensed I had been commissioned by the Lord to lead an effort to launch a magazine documenting the mission work of this family of churches.

Paul traveled down from Northern Virginia to convince me it would be a major mistake to decline this offer. I told him I needed to go where I felt God was leading me, rather than to what seemed like a promising career move. Paul responded that he might be able to get the pay a bit higher. “Look, Tommy, I’ve known you for 25 years, and I’ve watched you grow into a strong news photographer. But this is a bad career move,” he warned. He stopped and asked, “How much money are they offering to start this magazine?”

I winced, as I knew this was coming. “Actually, there is no money being offered. But I can live off my 401K (retirement savings) until money comes in.” Paul looked at me with his mouth wide open, exclaiming, “No way! Are you turning down this lucrative offer to chase a dream?”

I weighed my words carefully. “A Calvary Chapel pastor in Philadelphia has been asked to raise seed money for the first issue,” I reasoned with my old mentor. “I am certain that God is leading me to take this on. Otherwise, I would spend the rest of my life wondering what might have happened if I disobeyed God.”

Paul sighed, “Well, Tommy, you know I don’t have the same relationship with God that you do. But you can take this job I’m offering at USA TODAY and do this magazine on the side, until you see if it’s going to work.”

I responded, “Paul, I have had this vision for this magazine for three years now. It cannot be done in my off-time. The Holy Spirit has shown me that this is His will for my life, and I must throw everything I have at it!” I knew my choice was either to follow God and trust Him for the finances or to go after what would seem to be a secure career move with a stable income.

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9b

Living With What is Provided

I did live off my 401K for 2½ years, erasing my savings of 25 years as a daily news photographer. Pastor Chuck asked me at the 2001 missions conference (at Murrieta Hot Springs, CA) how the Magazine was doing financially. I told him I was personally struggling. I had run out of my 401K and had fines to pay for early withdrawals. Chuck was very aggravated.

He was not frustrated with me, but with those who had worked with me and had not been concerned. “Tom,” Chuck proposed, “Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa can give you $2,500 a month, which adds up to $30,000 a year. But I am sorry it’s not more.”

I countered, “Pastor Chuck, that seems like a million dollars right now.” So finally, I began to receive a paycheck. After that, Costa Mesa sent a check to the Magazine each month for my salary.

Some in leadership at CC Costa Mesa had wanted me to move the entire Magazine operation there, the main Calvary Chapel. “Sorry,” I would insist, “I need to stay here and be a godly influence for my two sons.” But when they realized my youngest was starting college, the clamor grew louder. It was not that I had anything against Costa Mesa—I loved my visits there. But when I prayed, I sensed very clearly that the Lord did not want the Magazine moved to Southern California.

It came to a head in the dining hall at the Murrieta Hot Springs campus with Pastor Chuck and two leaders from Costa Mesa. They argued that running the publication would be much more effective at the “mother church.” While the two staff pastors made a passionate case to move the operation, Pastor Chuck never looked up as he played with the remaining food on his plate.

After their plea was exhausted, silence overwhelmed the table. Pastor Chuck finally looked up from his plate and considered, “Well, I guess now that we have begun something in the Spirit, we should perfect it in the flesh?” Chuck waited for a reply—there was none. “You know, I always loved the idea that the publication for Calvary Chapel came out of a little church in Virginia that didn’t have a lot of resources. That way, we know it is a work of the Holy Spirit and not of man,” he concluded.

While I remained poker-faced, inside I was rejoicing and praising the Lord for Pastor Chuck’s wisdom and insight.

Reaching Russia with Jesus—April 1996

The burning desire to begin a publication detailing the work of the Lord through Calvary Chapel began in April 1996. The small churches on the East Coast rarely heard firsthand reports of all the missionary work going on through the ministries of Calvary Chapel. I had just returned from doing news coverage of the U.S. Army’s presence in Bosnia as peacekeepers as the three-way war between the Serbs, Croats, and Bosniaks slowly ground to an end. More than 100,000 people had perished in the fighting and ethnic cleansing that ensued.

On my first Sunday back in the States, Pastor Jack Hibbs of CC Chino Hills, CA, was speaking at our little church of 150 souls. Jack had befriended the pastor and come to help. From the pulpit, Jack shared about all the miracles the Lord was doing in the former Soviet Union.

My heart leapt in excitement while he shared. This was the same Russia from whom we hid under our desks as elementary school kids when the possibility of atomic destruction governed our lives like a dark cloud. As a child I remembered watching the news when the Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev, banged his shoe at the United Nations, proclaiming, “We will bury you!”

Jack shared, “God is doing an amazing work in the former Soviet Union and its satellites, but we don’t know how long this opportunity will remain open.” Time is of the essence, Jack proclaimed, before the door closes again.

Knowing of my interest as a news photographer, Jack invited me to accompany his team on an upcoming mission trip to St. Petersburg, Russia. He knew another Calvary Chapel church was going to be in Moscow several weeks before, so it became possible to document both outreaches to Russia. During that extensive trip and my time with Jack in St. Petersburg, the Lord gave me a strong vision— putting it on my heart that a publication was needed to showcase the Calvary Chapel mission work around the world. As we flew back to the States, Jack encouraged me to carry this vision through. It would share amazing testimonies of how the LORD is working through our movement for Jesus, using ordinary people to do extraordinary work.

The desire to follow up on what I sensed God telling me to do began growing stronger until I could put it off no longer. Looking back, I can see the Lord’s guidance. I still just try to do “the next thing”, as Pastor Chuck advised me. Believe me, he was right when he said there would be bumps in the road. But I would have missed an incredible experience with God had I taken the easy job and money at USA TODAY. Yes, we still struggle financially, but I can say I’m rich in experiencing an abundant personal relationship with Jesus.

There have been so many faithful believers, pastors, photographers, editors, writers, and encouragers who have helped make this publication a reality, both the print and online versions. I have enjoyed the blessing of countless folks I have met through the years. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness and the guidance of His Holy Spirit through 100 issues and 25 years of Calvary Chapel Magazine.

As we were led by the Lord, Calvary Chapel Magazine moved its main headquarters to Calvary Chapel Reno Sparks, NV, in May 2021

Calvary Chapel Magazine has recently published a one-of-a-kind book on the history of the Jesus and Calvary Chapel Movements. It includes heartwarming stories of late founder Pastor Chuck Smith and his wife, Kay, and early Calvary pastors. Learn about how you can purchase one, in support of the Magazine, at calvarychapelmagazine.org/book

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