A Bible-Teaching Church on Rochester Road in Farmington
Calvary Chapel of the Finger Lakes sits on Rochester Road in Farmington, New York, a short drive from both Rochester and the VA hospital in Canandaigua. The church is part of the Calvary Chapel fellowship of churches that traces its roots to Pastor Chuck Smith and Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa in California. Its identity is shaped by a simple, sustained conviction: the Bible is taught verse by verse, from Genesis to Revelation, line upon line, to nourish God's people.
Today the church is led by Senior Pastor John VanScott, who succeeded Scott Gallatin after Pastor Scott's unexpected homegoing in April 2024. Pastor John and his wife Cathy continue the work that Bil Gallatin, the church's founder, began as a small home Bible study almost five decades ago.
Heritage: From Pumpkin Hook to Farmington
The story of Calvary Chapel of the Finger Lakes begins in 1977. Bil Gallatin had been serving with Pastor Chuck Smith in California when he felt called to start a home Bible study in the Farmington area. The Holy Spirit was bringing the Jesus Movement east, and what began at a kitchen table quickly grew into Maranatha Fellowship, a Bible study that met in the tiny hamlet of Pumpkin Hook.
As with many revivals, growth was rapid. The fellowship moved first to Victor, New York, and then, in 1985, to its present address at 1777 Rochester Road in Farmington. By that time the church's roots and leadership were firmly planted in the Calvary Chapel movement, and the name was changed to Calvary Chapel of the Finger Lakes.
Bil Gallatin shepherded the church until 2003, when his son Scott Gallatin assumed the role of senior pastor. In Pastor Scott's words, the mission never wavered: "With a heavy emphasis on the Scriptures, everything we do is aimed at discipleship. Jesus Christ is the Head of the church. We know we are here for a reason and Jesus has given us a very clear mission. That mission is to make disciples."
After twenty-one years of ministry, Pastor Scott went to be with his Lord in April 2024. In the grief of that loss, the church has held fast to its calling: to teach the inspired, authoritative Word of God, proclaim the good news of the gospel, and live lives that honor Jesus Christ while waiting for His return.
Sunday Mornings and Wednesday Evenings
Calvary Chapel of the Finger Lakes holds two Sunday morning services, at 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM. Both services feature Christ-centered worship and the verse-by-verse teaching that has defined the church since its earliest days. The teaching portion of the second service also airs at 11:00 on WZXV, the church's gospel radio station, and is available through WZXV's online stream. A library of recent Bible studies is hosted on Vimeo for anyone who wants to listen at home or on the go.
On Wednesday evenings at 7:00 PM, the church gathers again for a midweek service. Children's church is offered during both Sunday services and the Wednesday service for babies through pre-teens. The goal is simple: to elevate children in importance as Jesus did, and to help each young person personally know God through age-appropriate Bible study.
The School of Ministry
One of the most distinctive offerings at Calvary Chapel of the Finger Lakes is its School of Ministry, a two-year program intended for serious-minded students sensing the Lord's call on their lives. The school year is divided into fall and winter semesters (September through December and January through April), with classes meeting Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Each morning begins with devotions in which the entire class gathers, and each student is called on at some point to share what the Lord is revealing through Scripture. Mondays include a separate prayer time for male and female students. Tuition is $600 per semester, and textbooks and required reading add roughly $100 to $125 per semester.
The course of study is built around knowing God and His Word. Independent MP3 studies cover Old Testament and New Testament surveys, while in-depth studies walk through books such as Genesis, Psalms, Isaiah, Daniel, Matthew, John, Acts, Romans, Ephesians, Hebrews, I John, and Revelation. Topical courses include Attributes of God, Apologetics, Eschatology, Worship, Bible Study Methods, Cults, Pastoral Epistles, Biblical Counseling, and Holy Spirit and His Gifts.
Students are required to serve on a mission trip during their two years. Every semester the school also travels to "The Castle," a retreat property overlooking the Allegheny River in Franklin, Pennsylvania, where students serve the ministry of Life Ministries for two weeks in the fall and one week in the spring. Local outreach each Friday takes the students out into the community, whether through street witnessing or visits to nursing homes.
A Heart for Veterans
Veterans Ministry is woven into the life of the church. Many leaders and members have served in the armed forces, and the church sits between Rochester's network of veteran support agencies and the large VA hospital in Canandaigua, a location the church sees as ideal for ministering to the spiritual needs of veterans and their families.
The ministry publishes a monthly newsletter with contact information, prayer requests, and words of encouragement. It points members toward resources like Mighty Oaks Programs, Shield of Faith Missions, Frontsight Military Outreach, the Canandaigua VA Chaplain's Office, the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Veterans Outreach Center, and state and county veterans service agencies. Recommended reading includes Eric Blehm's Fearless, Robert Boardman's C-Rations for the Warrior's Heart, and Blaze of Light, the story of Medal of Honor recipient Gary Beikirch of Rochester.
The ministry's calling, drawn from 2 Timothy 2:1-4, is to support veterans as "soldiers of Jesus Christ," men and women who once served their country and now serve the King of Kings and the Prince of Peace.
Men, Women, and Marriage
The Men's Ministry gathers on Saturday mornings at 7:00 AM in the cafe for a time of prayer. Its purposes are straightforward and biblical: to encourage men to live fruitful, productive lives for Christ, to stimulate continuing growth in spiritual graces, to promote Christian service, and to provide godly fellowship with like-minded disciples.
The Women's Ministry carries on a heritage stretching back to Kay Smith and to Rosemary and Shannon Gallatin. Women gather on Tuesday mornings from 9:00 to 10:00 AM for prayer, both in person at the church and on an online platform. A fall women's Bible study meets every other Monday at 6:30 PM, working through books of the Bible such as Titus. A group called the Piecemaker's Quilters meets on Fridays from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM, making baby quilts for mothers who choose life through Care Net Wayne County in Newark and Caring Choices Pregnancy Help Center in Rochester.
Marriage Ministry exists to assist, equip, and encourage couples to come to a fuller understanding of the covenant God has designed. The goal is for marriages to reflect the love relationship Jesus has with His Father, bringing intimacy with Christ and with each other and giving the Lord all the glory. Periodic marriage dinners bring couples together for food, fellowship, Bible teaching, and prayer.
Young Adults, Teens, and Children
The Young Adults Fellowship gathers high school graduates ages 18 to 30 on Monday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 PM for worship, Bible study, and fellowship. Anchored in Hebrews 10:24-25, the group is built around the conviction that the Christian life is not meant to be lived in solitude.
Teens ages 14 through 18 meet in the cafe on Friday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 PM for a time of worship, study, and fellowship. A separate Junior High Bible study for students ages 11 to 13 meets during the second Sunday service; students worship with their parents in the sanctuary and then gather in the lobby for their own study.
Children's church is offered during both Sunday services and the Wednesday evening service. The goal is for each child to feel seen and to grow in a personal relationship with Jesus, whether they are babies or pre-teens.
Missions: Jerusalem to the Ends of the Earth
The church understands missions in four concentric circles, beginning in its own community. In "Jerusalem," the church runs a food cupboard, sends a choir and students to visit elderly living centers, supports the Father's Heart mobile bus that provides meals, clothing, and the gospel locally, and reaches children through Vacation Bible School.
"Judea" extends the church's reach beyond Farmington through partnerships with other churches in Buffalo, Elmira, and elsewhere, and through the gospel radio ministry of WZXV. In "Samaria," the church sends teams to serve at Life Ministries, also called "The Castle," in Franklin, Pennsylvania, and at Answers in Genesis in Kentucky.
The "uttermost part of the earth" has taken the church to long-term workers like Matt Fantley in Serbia, and short-term teams to Peru, Caneille in Haiti, Backa Topola in Serbia, Cakovec in Croatia, Chennai in India, and various parts of Israel including the West Bank.
WZXV: The Gospel on the Airwaves
WZXV is the church's gospel radio station, broadcasting throughout the Rochester area and beyond. The station extends the church's Sunday morning teaching and other Bible teaching far beyond Farmington. Live streaming is available online through the WZXV player.
What the Church Believes
The church's statement of faith begins with one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God created the universe by His spoken word in six literal days for His glory. Jesus Christ is fully God; He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died as the atoning sacrifice for sin, rose again, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return in glory and power.
The Holy Spirit dwells within every follower of Christ, enabling the Christian life and giving gifts to the Church for its work. Salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible is the inerrant, God-breathed Word, the source of all things of faith and practice. The music sung in church is for God. The saved and the lost will both be raised, the saved to the resurrection of life and the lost to the resurrection of damnation. The Church's primary mission is to display the glory of God, carrying out that mission as His loving example and the voice of His truth.
Getting Connected
First-time guests find a bookstore, The Chapel Store, that carries doctrinally sound books, Bibles, music, commentaries, and study reference materials, plus a cafe for fellowship before and after services. Online giving, an events calendar, and a mobile app round out the ways to stay connected during the week.