Warren County Iowa Genealogical Society

Greenfield Township Grace Baptist Church

Grace Baptist Church, 112 County Line Road, Des Moines, Iowa (in Greenfield Township (Northeast corner of section 4), Warren County, Iowa, phone (515) 285-8871 http://www.gracecares.net/

History of Grace Baptist Church in Greenfield Township of Warren County, Iowa is copied from their website at http://www.gracecares.net/our-story/our-story.html

Grace Baptist Church began as an outreach to the south side of Des Moines sponsored by First Baptist Church of Des Moines. It started as a Sunday afternoon Bible class in 1925. The following year, regular Sunday services began at SW 9th and Herold. For several years, the church was known as the Baptist Tabernacle. In 1939, the church became independent. The name was changed to Grace Baptist Church in 1945.

We are affiliated with CBA (Conservative Baptist Association of America), A fellowship of 1200 churches united for the purpose of ministry and proclamation of the Good News of Jesus both in the United States and around the world.

A brief history of Grace Baptist Church in Greenfield Township is copied from The History of Warren County, Iowa, compiled by the Warren County Genealogical Society, Curtis Media Corp., Dallas, Texas, 1987

Grace Baptist Church had her beginning as a Sunday School, an outreach ministry of the downtown First Baptist Church in the early 1920’s. On March 1, 1925 the first Bible School was held in the new Baptist Tabernacle at Ninth and Herold Streets. The first building had no basement and was heated by four wood heaters, one in each corner. The total cost of the original building, including the cost of the land was $5,000.00. In May of 1930, Rev. L. P. CASSELL came as the first resident pastor. From that humble beginning the church progressed through several building programs until our former building at 4626 S. W. Ninth Street was completed. The church took action on November of 1975 to relocated and is now at 100 S.W. County Line Road. On May 1, 1977 ground was broken for the Grace Baptist Church. Today we dedicate this fine building to the Glory of God and the continuance of the proclamation of His Word.

Former pastors are Rev. L. P. CASSELL, Rev. Henry VAN KOMMER, Rev. Hugh SAWYER, Rev. Robert FREDERICH, Rev. Donald BARNHILL, Rev. Harold SANDERS, Rev. Orval D. TERRELL Jr.