Grace Church was founded in 1961 by a man named Warren Slaughter who was certain that the Lord was leading him to start a Bible-believing church on the west side of Normal. The first church met in the basement of the Slaughter home at the corner of Grove and West Hovey Street-just one block from the current church. Eleven people were in attendance that first Sunday morning and three of the founding members are still part of our church family today. The Original name was Grace Baptist Church -- even though it was not affiliated with any church.
It was not long before the group outgrew the basement and moved to nearby Oakdale School to hold services. It was at this time the first pastor was called, the name of the church was selected, the articles of incorporation were drafted, and the first parsonage was purchased. In late 2002 the Church voted to rename to just Grace Chruch since we are "non-denominational" and open to everyone seeking God and his only Son.
Our views of the Bible, God, and Jesus Christ are foundational to our beliefs. We accept the Bible as truth and believe that it is God's message to us and is relevant to our lives today.
The Bible teaches that all of us choose to rebel against God (sin) and consequently are separated from God in this life for all of eternity (Romans 3:23, 6:23). As in the past, people today are attempting unsuccessfully to bridge this gap in many different ways. But there is only one path leading to God: through His Son Jesus Christ.
Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of the world (John 3:16). It is only through personal belief in him - acknowledging that the Christ died for you - that you can receive forgiveness for your sins (Acts 16:31) and experience the peace that comes only from a relationship with God (John 17:3). We invite you to contact the church to learn more about how you can begin or renew a personal relationship with God through Jesus the Christ.
A more detailed description of our beliefs may be obtained by clicking the following link:
Doctrinal Statement