Our Story: The History of John Calvin Presbyterian Church

John Calvin Presbyterian Church (JCPC) was born in a time of growth and possibility. In 1958, as Annandale and the greater Washington, D.C. area expanded, the National Capital Presbytery saw the need for a new congregation. A year later, in April 1959, the Reverend Earl Christman was called from New York to be the organizing pastor, and on December 6, 1959, the first worship service was held at Belvedere Elementary School.

The young congregation quickly found a permanent home, purchasing 5.75 acres of land at 6531 Columbia Pike in September 1960. Plans for a church building took shape, with the decision to begin with a social hall that could serve as a multi-use space for worship, fellowship, and education. When the first structure was dedicated on June 3, 1962, the building still had a dirt floor, but the vision of the congregation was clear: JCPC would be a place of faith, learning, and community. Classrooms were added in 1964, reinforcing the church’s commitment to spiritual formation.

As JCPC continued to grow, so did its need for a dedicated worship space. In 1976, the congregation made the decision to build a sanctuary, which was completed in the fall of 1978 and officially dedicated on January 29, 1979.

Nearly five decades later, JCPC’s vision of a place of faith, learning, and community continued to unfold in new forms. In Spring 2026, the congregation opened its doors wider with the launch of The Community Studio — a multidisciplinary arts initiative welcoming neighbors across the greater Annandale area to create, connect, and belong together. Through accessible, hands-on programs, The Community Studio brings people together around visual art and writing classes, embodied movement workshops, and theater and music performances. It is also home to Memory Studio, where seniors living with dementia and their caregivers can find connection, support, and moments of joy.