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A Brief History of Grace United Church of Christ
Adapted from text by Tom Williams
The beginning of our present Grace United Church of Christ can be traced back to March 10, 1843 when a group of dedicated Christians stated formally... We are now a branch of the Church of Christ under the terms of the "Uniontown new German reformed Church." Development of the church was slow, tedious and difficult for many years.
In about 1876 the congregation was united significantly to build the Sanctuary on Church Street that was to be our home until we out grew it. In 1960 we purchased the property on which we are now located. High to the West, and low and marshy on the front, the land was leveled, piling driven, and on May 20, 1962 an educational unit, the first stage of an envisioned three-stage building program, was dedicated.
For a short time we held Sunday School in the new unit, and church in the old sanctuary. However, this soon evolved into moving completely to the new building in 1969.
In 1978 our present sanctuary was added to the educational wing, following very closely the vision of the congregation in 1960.
Today we are contemplating embarking on the third phase first conceived almost forty years ago. At that time we had no idea that we would be the epicenter of such a building expansion that is bringing new families to our area.
Many of these new neighbors will be in need of a church home. The unit we are planning to build will enable us to offer an expanded ministry for the whole family.
Our church has a long history of meeting and overcoming adversity and confronting and surmounting challenges. Each success has results in a stronger congregation, better equipped to offer Christian leadership to both our parishioners and the wider community.
Let us accept and promote the vision of our predecessors so that we might continue the concept of Christian Brotherhood. It is incumbent on each member and friend of Grace Church to determine what is that commitment to the future of our church.
For a long time this church has served the Uniontown Community. Some of us remember the white church building up on the hill as our first church. In 1960, the land that we are on was purchased. In 1961, the fellowship hall and Sunday School rooms were built. The fellowship hall was used as the sanctuary with chairs and a pulpit set up for services. The sanctuary has been paid for 10 years now. Since then, a new organ was purchased, five-octave set of hand bells, new sanctuary roof and many other general maintenance items. Now it is time for a challenge. It is time to take the next step that was outlined by our forefathers back in 1960. It is incredible how closely the church resembles their vision.
Grace United Church of Christ
Church Office E-Mail: graceutown@aol.com