OUR HISTORY
God has a unique purpose for HIS church, and remembering is vital.
​Grace Congregational Church was founded on December 7, 1973 by the late Bishop Richard LaFayette Finney, Sr., his devoted wife, Betty Perkins Finney, and a group of 33 charter members. They met in the home of the late Brother Walter, Sr. and Sister Geraldine Turner, on Perry Street in Houston, Texas. These brave-hearted saints established Grace Congregational Methodist Church of Houston, Texas, Incorporated. Grace was later recognized by the state of Texas and the US government officially being charged in 1976.
Grace Church was Born . . .
Greater insight led Bishop Finney to drop the “Methodist” part of our name, and we became “Grace Congregational Church,” or simply “Grace Church.” The group of faithful people who met on that historical night, were determined to have complete freedom in their worship without being held to the doctrines and disciplines of man or the Methodist Conference. Our experience with God and His plan for us has been distinctive and simply put, BLESSED.
Souls were added to the church, and it continued to grow. Grace established a sanctuary building on Coffee Street. As the vision grew, Bishop Finney felt a fellowship of believers should do more than just meet to worship. He wanted us to EXPAND to educate children and adults, feed and clothe the needy, and offer housing for those who needed it. Thus, the R.L. Finney Comprehensive Learning Center and Bible College, Inc. was born in 1977. Later Grace Garden Apartments became a reality, helping to provide affordable housing for members of Grace, and later to those in the community. God’s Little Supply House was also established to provide subsistence for the Grace family.
An outreach prison ministry was established, allowing the Word of God to be preached and taught to incarcerated men. Several of the men have since been released and are now living transformed lives through the Holy Spirit. Some have made the decision to join the Grace family and others remain in contact.
Under the leadership and ministry of Grace, several church conferences were established such as the Infinite Way Churches of Christ, and the United Christian Fellowship Alliance, to name a few. The friendships and fellowship born through these conferences have proved to be invaluable to the GCC family.
GCC has participated in several mission trips to other countries over the years to include Belize, Israel, Russia, and Africa. We have sewn into the lives of many (men, women, and children), meeting educational and temporal needs. We have served several countries to include the British Virgin Islands and Haiti. God has truly blessed us to be a blessing.
We give thanks to the many “Grace-ites” who stayed faithful throughout the years and persevered during difficult times. On occasion saints were asked to make special financial sacrifices towards the mission and vision of Grace. AND THEY OBEYED.
Grace Continues On . . .
In October 2010, the Lord blessed us to have Bishop Walter Turner, Jr., a founding member, installed as senior pastor, a humble man after God’s own heart. With a mindset to do great feats for the kingdom of God, Bishop Turner, and his lovely wife First Lady Leanda Turner, have pushed forward with a vision from God to preach the gospel uncompromisingly, so that people would continue to be saved and eager to serve God in whatever way they can. Under his leadership, the Lord has blessed us and poured out His spirit upon us bountifully. The church continues to stand on the strong foundation of the Truth of God, abiding and expanding in Jesus the Christ as the “House of Prayer.”
Bishop Turner remains committed to the effort of reaching the world in this generation by creating opportunities to build a strong and competent body of believers. Bishop Turner has implemented various Outreach impact opportunities such as the yearlong Hurricane Harvey Relief Effort, Drive Thru Prayer, Door-To-Door Witnessing, Assisted Living Community Visits, Quarterly Food Distribution, Television Broadcasting and Live Streaming.
Bishop Turner continues to implement Spiritual Education opportunities to equip the saints, such as Summer Enrichment Classes, Evangelism Education Sessions on Prayer and How to Witness, Weekly Fasting, and Corporate Prayer. These programs equip the saints to be good witnesses for Jesus the Christ while reaching the community both near and far. Lives are continuously being transformed through salvation.
The Grace Church ministry continues to seek opportunities to strengthen the Body of Christ at large by sharing and supporting fellow churches in advancing the cause of Christ. As National Secretary of the United Christian Fellowship Alliance, Bishop Turner and Grace Church continue in friendship and fellowship.
Bishop Turner has always had a passion for young souls. The youth and children of Grace, continue to benefit from our Sabbath Life Group sessions. In these sessions, GCC assists parents and guardians in emphasizing the principles of the Bible, which the participants enjoy, and it carries long lasting impact.
May we as a church family, stay humble so that we can continue to be of service to the Lord and He will say “Well done my good and faithful servants.” Always keeping in mind that since its beginning, Grace Church has been and will continue to be “an idea in the Mind of God."
FOUNDING PASTOR
Bishop Richard L. Finney, Sr.
CHAIRMAN OF THE DEACON BOARD
1976 - 1990
Fitch Andrus, Sr.
CHAIRMAN OF THE DEACON BOARD
1991 - 2009
Glenn Martin
