History

Grace Lutheran became an entity in about 1924 or '25, through the efforts of a Pastor Polizen from New York State, along with Mr. Paul Kautz.  Together they visited a number of folks Paul had encountered as a grocery store manager on Main Street.  Apparently there had also been some contact by a Pastor Weidman even earlier, because all of the Kautz offspring were baptized by Pastor Weidman or Pastor Galmaire from Olean, prior to 1924.

During those early days, services were held in a variety of buildings around town with the Lyceum Theater building (third floor) being mentioned by Mrs. Kautz.

In the late '30's, as the church became more organized and had more members, the little house at the corner of Florence and Boylston Streets was purchased and remodeled into some semblance of a church.

By the mid '50's, there was the need to find a better facility.  And in 1958, the Lord directed us to the building being used by the Orthodox Jews for their sanctuary.  They were in the process of merging with the other synagogue and building a new temple.

After some negotiation Grace bought the building, including the theater-style pews.  Some remodeling was required, but we held the dedication service in early 1959.  It was a wonderful experience to have a real church building in which to worship and have all the other activities.

All went smoothly as one pastor after another led our congregation.  From 1952 until 1973, five pastors wore the mantle of leadership.  This constant change may have helped to cause a diminishing membership.  The last of these men was Rev. Bill Willson, who only stayed one year.

So, in 1974, we were again without a shepherd and attendance fell to what was probably an all time low.  In frustration and fear the members had a number of meetings to decide what to do.  At one point, there was a strong feeling to close the doors permanently.  Finally, however, at the urging of Eastern District President Herman Frincke, and instigation by several members, notably, Frank Allen, it was decided to use the funds we had acquired from selling the parsonage and make another try.

President Frincke then went about the business of finding the right man to be our pastor.  The Lord chose Rev. J. Arthur Cox, a second career pastoral graduate from the Springfield Seminary.  He was installed in July 1975.

With the coming of Pastor Cox, the situation began to change.  Here is how he remembers it, "In the beginning of my ministry things were desperate at Grace.  Few, including the District President, thought that Grace would survive.  We needed to know God's plan for the congregation.  The first thing I did was promote adult Bible study initially on Sunday morning and six months later on Thursday night as well.  The goal was to discover God's vision for Grace.  We decided that God wanted Grace to reach out to the lost in Bradford and beyond with the Gospel.  The second thing that was developed was a prayer ministry.  We had the vision but did not know how to implement it so we asked the Lord for guidance.  As this ministry expanded and the adult Bible studies expanded, the Lord grew the church.  In summary, we just fumbled around, hoping that the Lord would do something constructive if we prayed and studied.  A lot of mistakes were made, but through it all, the Lord abundantly blessed the people of Grace as He promises to continue to do well into the future."

And with that, soon we were running out of space.  As we searched for ways to expand the capacity of our facility, it came to our attention that the former A & P supermarket building, standing empty for several years, would be available to us at a realistic price.

Again negotiation began and a search for funding developed.  In time these were accomplished and we made the purchase in about 1978 or '79.  An architect was hired.  More fundraisers were developed. Finally, a contractor was engaged to construct the sanctuary.  Although the plans were there, we did not proceed with the rest of the building until later.  The first service in our new sanctuary occurred on Easter Sunday, 1981.  The formal dedication was held on May 3, 1981.

Now attendance began to grow again.  We were to experience growth each year and when congregational members completed the other part of the construction, we finally had excellent facilities for the Lord's mission and ministry.

With the promise, or at least the hope, of future progress, acquisition of adjoining properties was pursued.  As of today our property has nearly doubled from its original status.  It extends from Mechanic Street to Pearl Street with far greater width than the original purchase.

In 2000 pastor Art retired, and pastor Eddie from Texas came on board.  Grace has grown steadily in recent years, approaching the 500 baptized mark last year.  The most recent records show that Grace has approximately 200 family units on its rolls.  Reflecting the local community, the membership is a broad snapshot of the area, comprised primarily of middle income families with the growing emphasis on families below the age of 40.  And the opportunities for continued growth show no signs of slowing.  New membership classes have been held on a constant schedule, rotating throughout the year.  Within the past two years more than 120 adults have joined small ministry groups, meeting on a weekly basis outside the church.  This past year Grace was recognized as one of the fastest growing, non-urban congregations in the Synod.

Three years ago the congregation built a Community Life Center for use not only by the congregation and community at large, but also by the youth in the community.  Those young people mirror the community as a whole.  They come from low to mid income families and are in need of a safe place to go after school and evenings for both recreational and spiritual fellowship.

More recently, the congregation entered into an agreement with the local YMCA to use our facilities to offer a community-wide day-care program.  This offering is balanced with a local Head Start program which also operates within the church complex.   Long-range plans include the construction of a new sanctuary and the conversion of the existing worship area into more community-focused facilities, such as a chapel and Christian book store.

In May 2006 after six successful years, pastor Eddie and family accepted a calling to Alabama.

In May 2007 Pastor John Schubert accepted the call and became Grace's current pastor.  Pastor John has a heart for sharing the Good News, and we all look forward to see what God will be doing in our midsts.  As the saying goes, pray hard, hold on, because  "With God all things are possible."