Church History

During the 1970s, while he was serving as pastor of Redeemer Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Dayton, Ohio, Lawrence Eyres began leading Bible studies in Columbus. On July 27, 1977, he wrote to interested people there, "It has been a growing conviction of several people interested in our work among you that it is time to upgrade this work into what we hope may ultimately become a congregation." He called a meeting for the following Sunday to discuss the idea.

A small but enthusiastic number of families began holding regular Sunday evening services after that first meeting. They hoped to launch a full-fledged ministry of the OPC in Ohio's capital city. They met first in a private home, then at a Holiday Inn, and later the group was given the privilege of gathering in the basement of a bank building, rent free.

The church called Robert Y. Eckardt to serve as its organizing pastor in March 1978. At the time of his call, Mr. Eckardt was a senior at Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia). He accepted the call and began his duties that June, under the oversight of the Redeemer OPC session.

Grace Church became a particular church, with twenty-eight adults and nine children as charter members, in July 1979. At last the blessing of a church that held forth the full-orbed Reformed faith had come to Columbus.

By 1982, the group had outgrown the bank building. In God's providence, they were able to rent the Seventh-Day Adventist building in Worthington, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus. This location provided needed space to expand the church's ministries, and the Lord blessed us with continued growth.

In 1985, with a solid foundation laid, Pastor Eckardt accepted a call to Matthews, North Carolina. Grace Church then called Larry Wilson to serve as its next pastor, and he began his labors as undershepherd in September 1985.

The church began to explore the possibilities of acquiring its own building under Pastor Wilson's leadership. The deacons drew a map and pinpointed the geographic center of the congregation. In God's marvelous providence, the church was able to purchase six acres of property right at that central point. With help from the OPC's loan fund, and with extensive labors by the deacons and others, the church broke ground in April 1990 and had its own facility built. A year later, on May 3, 1991, the new church building was dedicated with thanksgiving to our Lord.

With faithful preaching undergirding our growth, Grace Church called two associate pastors, one full-time and one part-time. Steve Igo served especially in the area of Christian education, and Joe Keller served especially in the area of outreach.

Pastor Larry Wilson received a call to be the General Secretary for the Committee on Christian Education for the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. He assumed his new responsibilities September 1, 2000. Steve Igo accepted a call in April 2002 to be the organizing pastor of a new congregation in Hudsonville, Michigan. Pastor Keller recently accepted a call to pastor a church in the Dallas, Texas area, and will be moving there soon.

Bill Kessler was installed as our new head pastor in the summer of 2003, with great joy and thanksgiving. Previously, the Kesslers were recently missionaries to Ethiopia and Eritrea, and we are certainly happy to have them with us.