Proclaiming Christ to the Community and the World

GRACE CHURCH CONGREGATIONAL

Committed to the Sovereignty of God, the Authority of the Scriptures, and the Lordship of Jesus Christ

What We Believe

As we are a Congregational church with Presbyterian roots (actually historic Congregationalism and Presbyterianism were very close) we have our feet in Reformed theology. We hold dear those historic Reformed confessions such as the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Savoy Declaration, and believe them to be an accurate reflection of the Bible’s teachings.

Our Statement of Faith

We believe that the Scriptures, contained in the Old and New Testaments, are the Word of God, and that as such they are the all sufficient rule of faith and practice for the individual believer and the church.

We believe there is only one living and true God, subsisting in three distinct persons equal in power and glory, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that this triune God created, upholds, and governs all things to His own honor and glory.

We believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary.

We believe that man was created in the image of God; that in Adam he sinned so that from henceforth all men are born in sin, being by nature incapable of pleasing God and inclined to all evil; and that he is therefore subject to death and the eternal anger of God.

We believe that Jesus Christ is the only Savior, Who, through His sinless life, the shedding of His blood in death, and His bodily resurrection, made atonement for sin, secured the pardon of sins, and obtained fellowship and eternal life with God for every believer.

We believe that faith in Jesus Christ as personal Savior and acceptance of Him as Lord is the only way by which men can have eternal life.

We believe that the Holy Spirit convicts men of sin, leads them to repent, regenerates the soul, and gives faith in Jesus Christ; and that He thereafter indwells every believer, comforting and guiding him throughout his earthly life.

We believe that the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper were instituted by Christ and were given to the church to be observed until He comes again.

We believe that Christ will return to this earth visible and bodily, in power and in glory.
We believe that every true believer is eternally secure and that nothing can separate him from the love of God which is his by faith in Jesus Christ.

We believe that the church must actively obey the command of Christ to go and make disciples of all nations.

 

History

In the 1950’s Dr. Herbert Mekeel, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Schenectady, NY, while passing through Pittsfield one day, prayed, “Lord, raise up a strong evangelical church in Pittsfield which is warm in its witness to Jesus Christ and yet has in its worship the dignity to which New England is accustomed.” In 1959 a number of families from General Electric’s Schenectady plant were transferred to Pittsfield. Under Dr. Mekeel’s encouragement they began to meet for Bible study. Then on September 2 of that year, thirteen individuals signed a charter to establish Grace Church Congregational. Since that day Grace Church has sought to maintain that original vision—to be a voice for the gospel in our local community as well as to “the uttermost parts of the earth.”

Who We Are

Purpose

Our sole purpose is to bring honor and glory to the Triune God, which we do through worship, evangelism and the nurture of individual believers.

Vision

Our vision is to represent Christ with integrity and compassion. The two really go hand in hand. It goes without saying that integrity involves both personal and corporate morality, but that is only the beginning. It also means that we must be willing to move beyond a proclivity to the superficial. Jesus was not afraid of the hard questions. We must not be afraid of them either. If the gospel is really true, then it will stand up to every test.

Goal

It is our goal to see men, women and children come to a personal saving relationship with Jesus Christ, for we believe that there is no other hope in a fallen world. It is also our desire to see every believer nurtured in their faith so as to increasingly reflect the character of Jesus in all their dealings and relationships.

Style

We believe that worship must have a Godward direction first, and be experience oriented only second.

The Conservative Congregational Christian Conference

We are a member of the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference. 
 
“The Conservative Congregational Christian Conference is a theologically conservative denomination believing strongly in the autonomy of each local church under the headship of Christ. Our member churches include those who are Congregational, Christian, and Evangelical and Reformed in their background, as well as independent Community churches. Our member ministers also come from diverse backgrounds. Though we are solidly committed to the basic doctrines of the Christian faith, we allow for diversity in many areas where Christians have tended to disagree. Though our members hold strong biblical convictions, we do not believe that Christians should divide over secondary issues. As an evangelical denomination, in obedience to Jesus Christ, we work together to advance the kingdom of our Lord through evangelism, church planting and missions.”