Calvary Lutheran Church is a distinct and independent entity, — a non-profit organization incorporated under Pennsylvania law. Calvary was officially chartered in 1924, although its roots go back four or five years before the official charter date. Calvary was begun through the efforts of church officials and local residents who believed there should be a "Lutheran presence" associated with the college, the West Chester Normal School. In its early days, Calvary was supported by the Synod, by the national church’s campus ministry board and by local residents, demonstrating the extent to which Lutherans are interconnected. The following is how Calvary is connected to other Lutherans today:

Chester Conference: There are fifteen Lutheran congregations and one mission congregation (Community of Love Lutheran Church, New London) located in Chester County. These churches comprise the Chester Conference. Professional staff — pastors, associates-in-ministry, deaconesses — gather regularly to develop collegial relationships and, when appropriate, cooperative ministry initiatives. Each Conference is served by a Dean, a pastor, who is involved with congregations when they seek to fill a pastoral vacancy. All Deans serve on the Committee of Deans that advises the Bishop in this task.

Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod: There are almost 190 congregations and mission congregations located in the five-county Philadelphia area (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties). These churches comprise the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod. Clergy and lay delegates from each congregation gather for a yearly Synod Assembly. The Synod receives financial support from individual congregations, and Calvary has long been a strong supporter of the Synod. In turn, the Synod supports Lutheran Social Ministry agencies, specialized ministries, Bear Creek Camp (in the Pocono Mountains) and the Philadelphia Lutheran Theological Seminary.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA): The ELCA came into existence in 1987 through the merger of three Lutheran bodies: the Lutheran Church in America, the American Lutheran Church and the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches. The history of Lutheranism in America is complex: suffice it to say that when Lutherans came to the states (colonies), they primarily congregated in ethnic churches (Norwegian, Swedish, German, Finnish, and Danish). Secondarily, they congregated along theological lines (i.e., conservative vs. liberal, pietistic vs. liturgical). This resulted in many Lutheran synods that eventually joined together to form larger Lutheran bodies over the course of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Presently, the three largest Lutheran bodies in the United States are: the ELCA; the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod; and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.

The ELCA is comprised of nearly 11,000 congregations organized in 65 Synods. The ELCA has offices in Chicago and is served by a Presiding Bishop and staff, along with various Divisions, Commissions, Offices and other units that support the congregations in their missions. The ELCA conducts official dialogues with religious bodies from other denominations and faiths.

The ELCA has a governing constitution, as do the Synods that make up the ELCA and the individual congregations that belong to a synod of the ELCA. All of these constitutions contain the Confession of Faith.

Lutheran World Federation (LWF): Lutheran bodies from countries throughout the world have voluntarily joined together into the LWF. There is a great diversity among the many churches that form the LWF, some, for example, do not ordain women. However, all must subscribe to the Augsburg Confession, the document produced by the reformers in 1530 as a statement of their beliefs. The LWF coordinates some missionary activities. In fact, the relief arm of the LWF, Lutheran World Relief, has been very active in providing disaster relief and economic development support to peoples and countries throughout the world. Lutheran World Relief has given Lutherans the ability to penetrate borders and politics and channel resources of money and supplies to needy people.