Our Story

On October 22, 1941, a group of sixty-six charter members met to organize Grace Tabernacle Baptist Church in order "to study His Word together, grow in grace themselves, to lead the lost to Christ, and send the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the world." In 1944 the church moved to a building on "F" street, currently the campus of Harvest Baptist Church. While our story could be measured in things such as meetings, locations, facilities, dates, pastors, staff, and events, there are other parts of our church's history and life, which cannot be measured easily, things that come out of the relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is the history of our church's unwavering commitment to the Gospel, the Word of God, and one another that makes us a church regardless of the buildings we meet in or the times we meet or who leads those meetings!

Guided by the original vision to "study the word together," Grace has called ten pastors who have aided in fulfilling the vision. While all the pastors who have served at Grace have remained faithful to God's Word and the Gospel, a couple are worth highlighting. Under the leadership of Rev. Fred Billings, the church moved to her current location, 1114 Board Street, in 1964. Rev. Billings was known in the community as well as the church. He was able to reach many outside the church walls due to his love for the lost in our community. Under the leadership of our Pastor Emeritus, Rev. Ron Owens, Sunday Morning attendance reached 320 with baptism rates of 7 to 22 per year. Pastor Ron was gifted in pastoral care with a mission focus. In 1967 Moody Aviation officially opened just a few miles from Grace's new campus. The Grace Baptist family welcomed the new students of missionary aviation with open arms, further giving means and relationships "to send the gospel to the uttermost parts of the world."

In 2019, the church adopted a vision statement. The vision remains rooted in the original vision from 1941. A vision to see God worshiped, believers equipped for every good work, and disciples made as the Gospel goes out. We are not perfect people, and we are still growing in God's grace. We would love for you to join us as we walk in grace together. Here is our vision:
We desire everyone at Grace Baptist Church to "Embrace God's Grace” by glorifying and enjoying Him forever both individually and collectively; to "Equip Believers” by cultivating mature disciples through excellent biblical/theological training, small groups, and redemptive groups; and to "Engage the World" by being Christ's witnesses in our Jerusalem, our Judea, our Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Come Join Us and Be Part of Our Story!