Through the grace of God to help each person experience God's love and guidance.
Grace Church escaped the extensive destruction of Galveston's 1900 Storm. Thousands of lives and hundreds of structures were lost. Grace not only withstood the storm, it was used as a place of refuge for many. The original wooden church, which had been moved behind the stone church, was washed away. In a report to the Diocesan Council in 1901, it was noted that Grace lost 93 of its members as a result of the hurricane.
After the 1900 storm, the Galveston Seawall was built and over the next several years the grade of the entire island was raised. Through an ingenious system of hand-turned jacks, Grace was raised four and a half feet. Not one stone of the building was cracked in the process. In the 1907 photograph below, notice the heavy timbers placed under the walls as the Sanctuary is being raised to its new floor elevation
A decline in membership in the years following the storm and Mollie Rosenberg's death in 1917 resulted in Grace's return to mission status in 1923. Shortly thereafter the church was closed and members attended Trinity. In 1927 Grace was reopened as a mission. By 1944, Grace was once again a separate parish and its congregation celebrated the Golden Jubilee of the building. In 1995, the centennial anniversary of the church's consecration was celebrated and the cornerstone was opened. Inside were old newspapers, coins, and the remains of a Confederate flag. These items were returned to the cornerstone, as well as some new items including a present day church directory.
Present day parishioners work hard to maintain the priceless woodwork, stained glass, and other furnishings of brass, silver and bronze. It is a little church with a strong and devout sense of its own history. The spirit of all who have worshipped here is ever present among its members and in the loving outreach they extend to newcomers and visitors