Calvary Chapel St. Petersburg is a fellowship church of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, California, pastored by Chuck Smith. Chuck Smith founded Calvary Chapel in the late 60's during a time when most traditional churches were turning away the "hippies" of that era because of the length of their hair and the counterculture lifestyle which they practiced. Driven by a burden for that generation, Pastor Chuck reached out to them with love and understanding without compromising Christian principles.

Thirty years later, with more than 900 national and international fellowships, Calvary Chapels are still reaching out to the lost with the love of Jesus. They are best known for their strong emphasis on teaching through the Word of God (book by book, verse by verse) and the application of that Word to everyday life. High importance is also placed upon praise and worship, designed to put believers in a place of intimate communion with God and ready their hearts for His Word.

In August 1982 a small group of believers in St. Petersburg, Florida gathered together in an apartment with a young single pastor to form a new church.  This group gradually grew and called themselves “Calvary Chapel.”  The pastor and a few others in the church had attended the same Christian college in Virginia.  One of their college friends, Danny Hodges, came down for a visit to play drums in a church-sponsored concert and was asked to consider joining the church to work with junior high students. After accepting the invitation to become the new youth pastor, Danny made a permanent move to the St. Petersburg area.

Several months later, through an unexpected turn of events, the pastor of Calvary Chapel was led to return to his home town, and Danny was asked to become the pastor of this small group that wanted to continue meeting together.  After much prayer and consideration, and believing this to be the specific call of God, Danny accepted the position and became the new pastor of Calvary Chapel in April 1984.

Three years later, as a result of numerous visitors from other churches called "Calvary Chapel," Pastor Danny attended a pastor's conference in Costa Mesa, California and was introduced to Pastor Chuck Smith and the Calvary Chapel movement. Feeling an immediate sense of being "at home" and grateful that God had led him to this fellowship of churches that upheld a simple, biblical philosophy of ministry and a well-balanced doctrine, Calvary Chapel St. Petersburg soon became a fellowship of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa.

Since that time, God has continued to bless and increase the ministry. Calvary Chapel St. Petersburg has grown steadily from a handful of mostly young single adults to a church full of families where all ages are represented; from a small, one-room bingo lodge to a large, beautiful facility; from one weekly meeting to multiple Sunday services and various meetings almost every day of the week; from a fledgling piano player to several complete praise bands; from one volunteer secretary to a staff of several pastors, secretaries, and other employees.