I have had the privilege and honor of being an active part of this church for quite a few years as a member of the Body, a youth pastor and now Senior Pastor. What I've noticed over the years was the consistency of hurting people looking for hope as they come through our doors. When I took over the role of Senior Pastor in 2012 my wife and I began praying about changing the name of the church. We were originally called "Calvary Chapel Gilroy", a name that either brings a lot of security if you know about the Calvary Chapel movement or a lot of confusion if you don't know anything about it ("where is the chapel exactly?")
While we have no intention of leaving the Calvary Chapel family, I really felt like the name of the church should be a representation of what the Church is and not just who we are affiliated with.
So, after two years of prayer, counsel and seeking the Lord, we felt like God continued to show us The Anchor. 1st century Christians used the symbol of an anchor to identify themselves and to proclaim a message of hope in the face of persecution. Archeologists have found anchors engraved in catacombs, prison cells, martyr's tombs, and various other places. The anchor helped people identify themselves as Christians and encourage others facing persecution. It was a symbol that no matter how bad life got, no matter how big or terrifying the waves, we have an anchor in Jesus Christ. We have safety and hope in the storm. Jesus is going to come and make all things new and life is not always going to be like this.
Throughout the prayer process, I grew more and more confident that The Anchor was the perfect representation of what the Church should be: a symbol of hope. We should desire to be known, not for our affiliation, but that we make much of Jesus...the source of our hope.
"We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." - Hebrews 6:19-20
I am incredibly stoked about the direction that the Good Lord is leading us in. While foundationally nothing has changed, with the new name there is a clearer picture of what the church is and our mission in our great city: to proclaim hope in what is truly a hopeless place. In the midst of the storms our city faces and how lost we may become, there is one anchor. There is one Hope for the world.
His name is Jesus.
Trusting In His Grace,
Justin Richter
Below are some FAQs about the name change. Feel free to contact the church office if these don't answer your questions and you'd like to talk to someone in leadership.