Grace Baptist Purpose Statement
Grace Baptist Church exists to REACH nonbelieving individuals, to CONNECT them with other Christians believers, to help them GROW in their faith and to challenge the growing to DISCOVER their ministry and HONOR God with their lives.
Grace Baptist Church exists to REACH nonbelieving individuals, to CONNECT them with other Christians believers, to help them GROW in their faith and to challenge the growing to DISCOVER their ministry and HONOR God with their lives.
Grace Baptist Church History
In December of 1989 Pastor Oliver Sandahl and his wife Ann came to Virginia to begin the ministry of Grace Baptist Church. They saw this building was for sale and parked outside and prayed that the Lord would provide them this building for the ministry of Grace Baptist.
In January of 1990 the services of Grace Baptist Church began. The beginning services were held at the 7th Day Adventist church just down the block from our current location. In March of 1990 the Lord answered the prayer of the Sandahls and the ministry of Grace Baptist moved into our current location. Through the generous efforts of an individual loan the church was able to purchase the church building and parsonage.
On July 15 1990 Grace Baptist Church was incorporated. The charter of the church was signed by 8 individuals.
In 2003 the Lord led the Sandahls to retire from the ministry of Grace Baptist and they moved to Hutchinson Minnesota to assist in the ministry of Shepherds Fold Baptist church.
After a 9 month search for a new pastor Pastor James Kane became the second pastor of the church. The Kanes ministered at Grace Baptist until 2005.
On May 6, 2006 the congregation voted unanimously to call Todd Williamson as their new pastor. July 10 2010 the church had the privilege of ordaining Pastor Williamson.
In December of 1989 Pastor Oliver Sandahl and his wife Ann came to Virginia to begin the ministry of Grace Baptist Church. They saw this building was for sale and parked outside and prayed that the Lord would provide them this building for the ministry of Grace Baptist.
In January of 1990 the services of Grace Baptist Church began. The beginning services were held at the 7th Day Adventist church just down the block from our current location. In March of 1990 the Lord answered the prayer of the Sandahls and the ministry of Grace Baptist moved into our current location. Through the generous efforts of an individual loan the church was able to purchase the church building and parsonage.
On July 15 1990 Grace Baptist Church was incorporated. The charter of the church was signed by 8 individuals.
In 2003 the Lord led the Sandahls to retire from the ministry of Grace Baptist and they moved to Hutchinson Minnesota to assist in the ministry of Shepherds Fold Baptist church.
After a 9 month search for a new pastor Pastor James Kane became the second pastor of the church. The Kanes ministered at Grace Baptist until 2005.
On May 6, 2006 the congregation voted unanimously to call Todd Williamson as their new pastor. July 10 2010 the church had the privilege of ordaining Pastor Williamson.
What We Believe
Concerning the Holy Scriptures
We believe that the Bible, consisting of a total of sixty-six books in the Old and New Testaments, is without error in the original manuscripts. (1) The author of the Bible was God the Holy Spirit (2) using spirit guided men as authors without distorting their persons of character (3) so that the writings they produced were verbally and plenarily inspired (4). By His singular care and providence they have been kept pure in all ages and are therefore the authentic Word of God today (5). We believe that the Bible is the sole authority for faith and practice (6).
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(1) Prov. 30:5-6, John 17:17. (2) II Pet. 1:19-21; Heb. 1:1-2. (3) II Sam. 23:2 with Acts 1:16; II Thess. 3:17. (4) Matt. 5:18; John 10:35; II Tim. 3:16. (5) Matt. 5:18; I Peter 1:23; Ps. 119:89, 152, 160. (6) Acts 17:11; I Cor. 10:6-12; Eph. 6:17; II Tim. 3:15-17; I John 4:1
Concerning the True God
We believe that there is only one living and true God (1) who is an eternal, self existing, perfect Spirit (2). He is a personal Being and the Creator and Upholder of the universe (3). Though one God, He exists in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (4). These Persons are equal in essence and in every divine perfection (5), but each has His own distinct work to perform (6).
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(1) Deut. 6:4-5; Jer. 10:10. (2) Hab. 1:12; John 4:24; Jas. 1:17. (3) Gen. 1:1-25; Heb. 1:10; Col. 1:15-17. (4) Matt. 3:16; 28:10; II Cor. 13:14. (5) John. 10:30; 14:10; 17:5; I Cor. 8:6; Phil. 2:5-6. (6) John. 14:26; 15:26; Eph. 1:3-4, 6-7, 13-14.
Concerning Creation
We believe that the Genesis account of creation is to be accepted literally and not figuratively (1). We believe that the six days of creation mentioned in Genesis chapter one were solar days (2). We believe that all animal and vegetable life was made directly and that they follow God’s law in multiplying “after their kind” (3). We believe that the entire human race sprang from one man, Adam, and one woman, Eve, literal people, who were created directly in God’s image and after His likeness and did not evolve from any lower form of life (4).
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(1) Gen. 1:1-2:25; Neh. 9:6; Ps. 33:6-9; John. 1:3; Heb. 11:3; Col. 1:16-17. (2) Exod. 20:11; 31:17. (3) Gen. 1:11, 12, 21, 24, 25. (4) Gen. 1:26-27; 5:2.
Concerning the Lord Jesus Christ
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God (1) who is today both truly God and truly man (2). His literal human body was miraculously conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and He was born of a human mother who was a virgin (3). At conception He became the God-Man with two natures, divine and human (4). After His birth He lived a sinless life on earth, died on the cross as a substitute for sinners, bore the judgment of their sins, and was raised on the third day bodily from the tomb as a testimony to the sufficiency of His sacrifice and as a guarantee of His people’s future and resurrections (5). He now is in heaven as the great High Priest of His people (6). He will return at the rapture for His church, and later to the earth to reign following the tribulation period (7). We believe in the blessed hope which is the personal, visible, pretribulational, premillenial and imminent return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (8)
_____________________________________________________________________________
(1) Heb. 1:1-2; Ps. 2. (2) Phil. 2:5-8. (3) Is. 7:14; Lk. 1:26-38. (4) John. 1:1-2; John. 8:58; Phil. 2:7-8. (5) Lk. 24:1-6; I Pet. 2:21-24; Rom. 4:25; I Cor. 15:1-7, 23-26. (6) Heb. 4:14. (7) I Thess. 4:16-17, I Cor. 15:51-52, Matt. 24:30-31; 25:31. (8) 1 Cor. 15:53, 1 Thess. 4:14-17, Titus 2:13, 1 John 3:2-3
Concerning the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is an eternal and divine Person, coequal with God the Father and God the Son (1). He was active in creation (2). He convicts men of sin (3). He indwells each believer (4). He performs various ministries such as regenerating, sealing, guiding, teaching, sanctifying, and strengthening (5). Each believer has been sanctified positionally in Christ, is being sanctified by the continuing work of the Spirit, and ultimately at Christ’s coming will be completely sanctified (6). While the believer can have victory over sin through the power of the Holy Spirit, his sin nature will not be eradicated in this life (7). The Holy Spirit bestows a spiritual gift(s) upon every believer; this gift(s) is a special ability for service. Some gifts, such as tongues, prophecy and healing, were temporary signs or revelatory gifts and have ceased (8). It is the believer’s privilege and responsibility to be filled with the Holy Spirit and thus to produce fruit unto God and to live a joyous and productive Christian life (9).
_____________________________________________________________________________
Concerning the Way of Salvation
We believe that salvation is made free to all by the gospel (1). It is initiated by God and is accomplished by grace apart from any human works (2). It is the duty of all persons to accept it by personal faith (3). All who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are forgiven, regenerated, and justified (4). The perfect righteousness of Christ is imputed to them (5). They are given spiritual life, which is manifested in their growth in grace (6). True believers are saved forever and can never be lost (7).
______________________________________________________________________________
(1) Rom. 3:24; I Tim. 2:4; 4:10. (2) Eph. 2:8-9. (3) John 3:16; Acts 16:31. (4) Rom. 5:1; Eph. 1:7; I Pet. 1:23. (5) II Cor. 5:21. (6) I Pet. 3:18. (7) John 10:27-30; Phil. 1:6; Rom. 8:35-39.
Concerning the Church
We believe that the Church, the Body of Christ, is composed of all true believers who are placed into the Body by the baptizing work of the Holy Spirit (1). The Church is distinct from Israel (2). We believe that a local, visible church is an organized congregation of immersed believers (3), associated together by a common faith and fellowship in the Gospel. Such a church is to be governed by the Word of God (4), and to observe the ordinances of baptism (the immersion of true believers only) and the Lord’s Table (5). Its Scriptural officers are male believers referred to in Scripture as bishops or pastor and deacons. The qualifications of the church officers are defined in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus. (6) A local church is autonomous, is not to be subject to the control of any outside persons or organizations, and has the power and right to confess its own faith and conduct its own affairs in accordance with the teachings of the New Testament. On all matters of membership, polity, government, discipline, and benevolence, the will of the local church is final (7). We believe that both believers baptism and the Lord’s Supper are each a symbolic memorial service and a prophecy (8). We believe that believers baptism is a single immersion of the believer in water (9), in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (10). It shows forth in solemn and beautiful figure, our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, and our death to sin and resurrection to a new life (11). Baptism is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and participation in the Lord’s Supper (12). At the Lord’s Supper, which is not optional for the church member, the members of the Church, by the use of unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine, commemorate together the death of Christ (13). This commemoration should always be preceded by careful self-examination (14). The church and its members should have as primary goals the evangelization of their own area, the extension of the gospel to the ends of the earth through biblical missionary methods, and the edification of believers (15).
_____________________________________________________________________________
(1) Matt. 16:18; I Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:22-23. (2) Eph. 3:3-6. (3) Acts 2:41-42. (4) II Tim. 3:16-17. (5) Matt. 28:19- 20; I Cor. 11:23-24. (6) I Tim. 3:1-16; Titus 1:5-9. (7) Matt. 18:15-18; Acts 6:3-5; I Cor. 5:4-5, 13; I Tim. 3:15. (8) Rom. 6:3-4; I Cor. 11:26. (9) Acts 8:36-39. (10) Matt. 28:19. (11) Rom. 6:3-4. (12) Acts 2:41-42. (13) I Cor. 11:26; Matt. 26:29. (14) I Cor. 11:28. (15) Acts 8:4; 11:20-21.
If you would like more information on what we believe as a Church please contact the church and we will share that with you.
Concerning the Holy Scriptures
We believe that the Bible, consisting of a total of sixty-six books in the Old and New Testaments, is without error in the original manuscripts. (1) The author of the Bible was God the Holy Spirit (2) using spirit guided men as authors without distorting their persons of character (3) so that the writings they produced were verbally and plenarily inspired (4). By His singular care and providence they have been kept pure in all ages and are therefore the authentic Word of God today (5). We believe that the Bible is the sole authority for faith and practice (6).
______________________________________________________________________________
(1) Prov. 30:5-6, John 17:17. (2) II Pet. 1:19-21; Heb. 1:1-2. (3) II Sam. 23:2 with Acts 1:16; II Thess. 3:17. (4) Matt. 5:18; John 10:35; II Tim. 3:16. (5) Matt. 5:18; I Peter 1:23; Ps. 119:89, 152, 160. (6) Acts 17:11; I Cor. 10:6-12; Eph. 6:17; II Tim. 3:15-17; I John 4:1
Concerning the True God
We believe that there is only one living and true God (1) who is an eternal, self existing, perfect Spirit (2). He is a personal Being and the Creator and Upholder of the universe (3). Though one God, He exists in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (4). These Persons are equal in essence and in every divine perfection (5), but each has His own distinct work to perform (6).
_____________________________________________________________________________
(1) Deut. 6:4-5; Jer. 10:10. (2) Hab. 1:12; John 4:24; Jas. 1:17. (3) Gen. 1:1-25; Heb. 1:10; Col. 1:15-17. (4) Matt. 3:16; 28:10; II Cor. 13:14. (5) John. 10:30; 14:10; 17:5; I Cor. 8:6; Phil. 2:5-6. (6) John. 14:26; 15:26; Eph. 1:3-4, 6-7, 13-14.
Concerning Creation
We believe that the Genesis account of creation is to be accepted literally and not figuratively (1). We believe that the six days of creation mentioned in Genesis chapter one were solar days (2). We believe that all animal and vegetable life was made directly and that they follow God’s law in multiplying “after their kind” (3). We believe that the entire human race sprang from one man, Adam, and one woman, Eve, literal people, who were created directly in God’s image and after His likeness and did not evolve from any lower form of life (4).
_____________________________________________________________________________
(1) Gen. 1:1-2:25; Neh. 9:6; Ps. 33:6-9; John. 1:3; Heb. 11:3; Col. 1:16-17. (2) Exod. 20:11; 31:17. (3) Gen. 1:11, 12, 21, 24, 25. (4) Gen. 1:26-27; 5:2.
Concerning the Lord Jesus Christ
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God (1) who is today both truly God and truly man (2). His literal human body was miraculously conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and He was born of a human mother who was a virgin (3). At conception He became the God-Man with two natures, divine and human (4). After His birth He lived a sinless life on earth, died on the cross as a substitute for sinners, bore the judgment of their sins, and was raised on the third day bodily from the tomb as a testimony to the sufficiency of His sacrifice and as a guarantee of His people’s future and resurrections (5). He now is in heaven as the great High Priest of His people (6). He will return at the rapture for His church, and later to the earth to reign following the tribulation period (7). We believe in the blessed hope which is the personal, visible, pretribulational, premillenial and imminent return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (8)
_____________________________________________________________________________
(1) Heb. 1:1-2; Ps. 2. (2) Phil. 2:5-8. (3) Is. 7:14; Lk. 1:26-38. (4) John. 1:1-2; John. 8:58; Phil. 2:7-8. (5) Lk. 24:1-6; I Pet. 2:21-24; Rom. 4:25; I Cor. 15:1-7, 23-26. (6) Heb. 4:14. (7) I Thess. 4:16-17, I Cor. 15:51-52, Matt. 24:30-31; 25:31. (8) 1 Cor. 15:53, 1 Thess. 4:14-17, Titus 2:13, 1 John 3:2-3
Concerning the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is an eternal and divine Person, coequal with God the Father and God the Son (1). He was active in creation (2). He convicts men of sin (3). He indwells each believer (4). He performs various ministries such as regenerating, sealing, guiding, teaching, sanctifying, and strengthening (5). Each believer has been sanctified positionally in Christ, is being sanctified by the continuing work of the Spirit, and ultimately at Christ’s coming will be completely sanctified (6). While the believer can have victory over sin through the power of the Holy Spirit, his sin nature will not be eradicated in this life (7). The Holy Spirit bestows a spiritual gift(s) upon every believer; this gift(s) is a special ability for service. Some gifts, such as tongues, prophecy and healing, were temporary signs or revelatory gifts and have ceased (8). It is the believer’s privilege and responsibility to be filled with the Holy Spirit and thus to produce fruit unto God and to live a joyous and productive Christian life (9).
_____________________________________________________________________________
- II Cor. 13:14. (2) Gen. 1:1-2. (3) John. 16:8-11. (4) I Cor. 12:13; 6:19-20. (5) John 3:3; Rom. 8:14; Eph. 1:13, 17; 3:16. (6) I Cor. 1:2; 12:4-7, 11; II Cor. 3:18. (7) I John 1:8. (8) II Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:4; I Cor. 13:8. (9) Eph. 5:18; Gal. 5:22, 23.
Concerning the Way of Salvation
We believe that salvation is made free to all by the gospel (1). It is initiated by God and is accomplished by grace apart from any human works (2). It is the duty of all persons to accept it by personal faith (3). All who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are forgiven, regenerated, and justified (4). The perfect righteousness of Christ is imputed to them (5). They are given spiritual life, which is manifested in their growth in grace (6). True believers are saved forever and can never be lost (7).
______________________________________________________________________________
(1) Rom. 3:24; I Tim. 2:4; 4:10. (2) Eph. 2:8-9. (3) John 3:16; Acts 16:31. (4) Rom. 5:1; Eph. 1:7; I Pet. 1:23. (5) II Cor. 5:21. (6) I Pet. 3:18. (7) John 10:27-30; Phil. 1:6; Rom. 8:35-39.
Concerning the Church
We believe that the Church, the Body of Christ, is composed of all true believers who are placed into the Body by the baptizing work of the Holy Spirit (1). The Church is distinct from Israel (2). We believe that a local, visible church is an organized congregation of immersed believers (3), associated together by a common faith and fellowship in the Gospel. Such a church is to be governed by the Word of God (4), and to observe the ordinances of baptism (the immersion of true believers only) and the Lord’s Table (5). Its Scriptural officers are male believers referred to in Scripture as bishops or pastor and deacons. The qualifications of the church officers are defined in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus. (6) A local church is autonomous, is not to be subject to the control of any outside persons or organizations, and has the power and right to confess its own faith and conduct its own affairs in accordance with the teachings of the New Testament. On all matters of membership, polity, government, discipline, and benevolence, the will of the local church is final (7). We believe that both believers baptism and the Lord’s Supper are each a symbolic memorial service and a prophecy (8). We believe that believers baptism is a single immersion of the believer in water (9), in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (10). It shows forth in solemn and beautiful figure, our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, and our death to sin and resurrection to a new life (11). Baptism is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and participation in the Lord’s Supper (12). At the Lord’s Supper, which is not optional for the church member, the members of the Church, by the use of unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine, commemorate together the death of Christ (13). This commemoration should always be preceded by careful self-examination (14). The church and its members should have as primary goals the evangelization of their own area, the extension of the gospel to the ends of the earth through biblical missionary methods, and the edification of believers (15).
_____________________________________________________________________________
(1) Matt. 16:18; I Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:22-23. (2) Eph. 3:3-6. (3) Acts 2:41-42. (4) II Tim. 3:16-17. (5) Matt. 28:19- 20; I Cor. 11:23-24. (6) I Tim. 3:1-16; Titus 1:5-9. (7) Matt. 18:15-18; Acts 6:3-5; I Cor. 5:4-5, 13; I Tim. 3:15. (8) Rom. 6:3-4; I Cor. 11:26. (9) Acts 8:36-39. (10) Matt. 28:19. (11) Rom. 6:3-4. (12) Acts 2:41-42. (13) I Cor. 11:26; Matt. 26:29. (14) I Cor. 11:28. (15) Acts 8:4; 11:20-21.
If you would like more information on what we believe as a Church please contact the church and we will share that with you.
About our Pastor
Pastor Todd is Minnesota born and raised. Pastor grew up in a small farming community in Southwest Minnesota of Tyler. Growing up Pastor wanted to be a farmer. When someone would ask him what he wanted to do when he grew up being a farmer was his answer.
Pastor grew up in a Christian home and always says that he does not remember a time when he was not in church. At a young age he made a profession of faith but on April 23 1980, as a junior in high school he realized that he that he was not saved and made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. As his senior year approached and a decision to go to college needed to be made Pastors idea of what he wanted to do when he grew up changed. In April of 1981 he felt the leading of the Holy Spirit to go into some form of ministry.
After graduating from high school Pastor went to Pillsbury Baptist Bible College to train for the ministry. In his freshman year he felt lead by the Holy Spirit to train for the Youth Ministry. After graduation in 1986 Pastor moved to the Twin Cities area to begin attending Central Seminary to continue training for the ministry. During the next twenty years in the Twin Cities area pastor was involved in some form of Youth Ministry.
In January of 2006 Pastor was asked to come preach at Grace Baptist of Virginia while they searched for a Pastor. After the service Pastor was asked to consider candidating to be the pastor of Grace Baptist. In May of 2006 Grace Baptist called Pastor Todd to be their next pastor. In July of 2010 Grace Baptist Ordained Pastor Todd for the gospel ministry.
When Pastor is not doing something for the church he can be found at our local Target store stocking shelves or on a golf course.
Pastor Todd is Minnesota born and raised. Pastor grew up in a small farming community in Southwest Minnesota of Tyler. Growing up Pastor wanted to be a farmer. When someone would ask him what he wanted to do when he grew up being a farmer was his answer.
Pastor grew up in a Christian home and always says that he does not remember a time when he was not in church. At a young age he made a profession of faith but on April 23 1980, as a junior in high school he realized that he that he was not saved and made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. As his senior year approached and a decision to go to college needed to be made Pastors idea of what he wanted to do when he grew up changed. In April of 1981 he felt the leading of the Holy Spirit to go into some form of ministry.
After graduating from high school Pastor went to Pillsbury Baptist Bible College to train for the ministry. In his freshman year he felt lead by the Holy Spirit to train for the Youth Ministry. After graduation in 1986 Pastor moved to the Twin Cities area to begin attending Central Seminary to continue training for the ministry. During the next twenty years in the Twin Cities area pastor was involved in some form of Youth Ministry.
In January of 2006 Pastor was asked to come preach at Grace Baptist of Virginia while they searched for a Pastor. After the service Pastor was asked to consider candidating to be the pastor of Grace Baptist. In May of 2006 Grace Baptist called Pastor Todd to be their next pastor. In July of 2010 Grace Baptist Ordained Pastor Todd for the gospel ministry.
When Pastor is not doing something for the church he can be found at our local Target store stocking shelves or on a golf course.