09
Aug '17
Our Story
09
Aug '17
A QUICK HISTORY
Word of Grace Fellowship began as most churches in the New Testament did…in someone’s home. This was the early 70’s when a bunch of young couples and students heard the call of God to meet. Those days were wonderful times of worship and getting into God’s word together. As the Bible study grew, and after seeking the Lord together, a church was formed. In miraculous ways God helped the church find a place to meet regularly and then afford to buy their own place ( currently at the corner of 5th and Grant streets in Indiana, PA ).
Through the years, many things have changed. We’ve seen mountain tops, we’ve seen deep valleys, and through it all God has been faithful to lead and correct us on the way. He used several ministers to help this church grow to where it is today. The church was formerly called “The Way” and then “House of Yahweh” between 1976 and 2009. The church was relaunched as Word of Grace Fellowship in 2009 with a new eldership team which subsequently brought on a full-time pastor, Judah Thomas, in 2013.
WHAT WE CALL “CHURCH”
We think church is more than a building or the thing we do on Sunday. We’re a gathering of people who are committed to following and worshiping Jesus while helping each other grow deeper in our devotion to Jesus Christ every day. Jesus and His fame is at the center of what we do here at Word of Grace, so we meet regularly to be taught from the Bible, worship with songs, and pray together with the sole aim of celebrating Jesus and seeing Him glorified . Under that sole aim, we seek to see each person- young or old, educated or uneducated, rich or poor, extroverts or introverts- ALL being a part of what God is doing in our church family. We heed the call from scripture to ensure that church gatherings are not times to receive from just one or two people’s ministries. Church gatherings are times to see the family of God built up in love as each person supplies out of what God has uniquely placed in them. While there are typical elements like preaching or worship, we make room for God’s Spirit to use every person in our times of fellowship through encouragement, testimony, prayer, song, etc.. Our meetings are open to the whole family. We have a baby play area and nursery available for those who need it, and age appropriate activities for kids as well. In doing all these things, we seek to serve Indiana’s community as part of the wider church as the Bible portrays it; which meets across this county and the world.
OUR PASTORS
Our church is blessed to have a team of pastoral elders lead us. The whole team prior to 2013 served in a non-vocational capacity, until God brought us a vocational lead pastor in 2013.
- Our Current Pastoral Elder Team:
- Judah Thomas – Lead Elder/Pastor
- Allen Affolter – Teaching Elder/Pastor
- Dr. Robert Mencer – Teaching Elder/ Pastor
- Harry Carnahan – Founding Elder/ Pastor
- Frank Petrillo – Elder/ Pastor
- Nevin Saylor – Elder/Pastor