The Reverend Harold Eymann (1938-1942) was sent to fill the pulpit from the California Congregational Church. Formal by-laws for the congregation were adopted and the church was incorporated under state law during Reverend Eymann's ministry. The church grew, the Sunday School overflowed into City Hall, the mortuary and private homes. The original manse and the social rooms were constructed. With the nation at war. Reverend Eymann felt called to serve as a military chaplain and left in 1942. Forty years later he wrote, "I have always held that the closer we came to entering our loyalty in Christ, the nearer we would be to one another, regardless of our differences of Biblical interpretation or theology. It was a great joy to see that happening at Grace Community Church."
The Methodist Church in Azusa, California sent the Reverend Winston Trevor (1942-1949) to Grace Community Church and the body of people who "in ten short years had helped build the world's largest dam, helped create a complete city in the middle of the Nevada desert, and had organized themselves into a solid interdenominational church as unique as the community they helped create." Bulging attendance forced enlarging the sanctuary, constructing a new chancel, obtaining new mahogany pews. The congregation met in the local movie theater during construction. Radio broadcasts of the Sunday services, participating in "the Heifer Project" to help rebuild overseas, and "Country Store" began. Country Store has endured as a prime fund-raising rummage sale and ecumenical event for the entire church and Boulder City.
The Reverend Olaf Stoeve came as spiritual and pastoral leader from the Congregational Church. During his ministry the youth chapel and Sunday School rooms were completed. Vacation Bible School enrolled 334 children. Rev. Olaf ministered at Grace from 1949-1953. There were 368 active members in the Sunday School.
The Presbyterian Reverend Earl Seymour Fox (1953-61) found the congregation growing and recommended that two services be held on Sunday and a building be added next to the American Legion Hall. This became Fox Hall. The by-laws were revised, six stained glass windows were installed. The Women's Association paid for the "Lamb of God" window. The 25th anniversary was celebrated. In 1959 the church library was established. In the late 1950's the federal government started to think about relinquishing Boulder City as a federal entity. The population of the city dropped as well as church membership. The Rev. Fox resigned and accepted a call to a Presbyterian Church in Brigham City, Utah.
Boulder City incorporated as a Nevada Municipality in 1960 and inherited all government land leases. The Reverend Guy Holliday (1961-1978) became the minister, and Grace Community Church entered a 50-year lease for the land under the church facility. New Allen organ, new hymnals, new members, two Sunday services occurred in the early 1960's. In the late 60's changes in attitudes were reflected as people no longer were interested in volunteering their time and efforts to church work. The teen center was dropped, the Reverend resigned, then rescinded his resignation. The church affiliated with the United Methodist Church in January 1971. The living nativity and "hanging of the greens" were established, and by 1975 a summer Youth Director was employed. In 1978 the Reverend Guy Holliday was reassigned after serving 17 years at Grace.
The Reverend Melvin Pritts (1978-1982) from First Methodist Church of Phoenix succeeded Reverend Holliday. During this time lay liturgists became standard, a Boy Scout troop was formed, and a local AA Group began to meet in Fox Hall. Many improvements, both to interior and exterior of the church facility, including the ever ongoing improvements to the heating/cooling system were undertaken. Reverend Pritts returned to Arizona for health reasons in 1982.
The Reverend M. Kenneth Criswell (1982-1985) arrived from Ventura, California in time to give support and leadership to the committee working on the 50th anniversary. He found a debt-free church and a vital, caring congregation. The Rev. Matthew Seargeant came as associate pastor in 1983. Both ministers left Grace Community Church for churches in California in June 1985.
The Reverend Dr. John J. Rousseau (1985-1990) came from serving three Methodist churches in Hawaii on July 1, 1985. The Youth chapel was rented to St. Kenneth's Episcopal Church and Grace Community Church was used as a counseling center. The Reverend Rousseau was troubled by a lack of clear definition of the relationship between The Methodist Conference and the church. By 1986 the church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. During Rev. Rousseau's ministry, the basement ramp was completed and the all-congregation birthday party was started. A retirement dinner and program was held for the Reverend Rousseau in 1990.
The Reverend Dr. Richard Smith (1990-1999) was serving Grace Community Church when the land was purchased from the City of Boulder City in 1990. The church decided to remain connected to the Methodist denomination and some members decided to form a new church - Faith Christian Church. Grace Community Church became the 3000th church to enroll in the Stephen Ministries program. The Un-Retired Renovators organized by Smokey Haist was formed to provide necessary maintenance work. Reverend Smith conducted several well-received Bible teaching classes. During this time, the Methodist denomination pressured Grace Community Church to move from the covenant connection with the denomination to become a full Methodist Church. Reverend Smith left, several members left to start a new Methodist church, and the remaining members decided to keep Grace Community Church as a non-denominational Protestant Christian Church.
The Reverend Dr. Ronald S. Freel (1999-2004), who was worshipping with and volunteering as an Associate Pastor, became the senior pastor of Grace Community Church. The Silver Lining Singers, under the direction of Carol Simak, helped set the tone of worship. Reverend Freel's loving, caring leadership encouraged all the members of the church. Grace Christian Academy, a Nevada licensed private school for grades kindergarten through six, became a church mission. Reverend Freel's unexpected death on June 4, 2004, occurred a short time before his scheduled retirement. The Associate Pastor, Gard Jameson, served the church during the interval between Reverend Freel's death and the arrival of the new senior pastor.
Pastor Kevin Roach, (2004-2008), preached his first sermon on July 18,2004. Grace Community Church celebrated their 75th Anniversary in April 2006 as the official anniversary, and again at a historic dinner hosted in June of that year, in which all prior Pastors were invited to attend. Rev. Roach resigned his position in February, 2008.
Pastor David Hugh Graham (2008 - Present) came to the Pulpit for his first sermon in November, 2008. He is committed to the growth of our church, and the investment in young families, as well as the support of our entire congregation. He has reinstituted Confirmation Classes for the youth, and guided the update of the Grace Chapel, and the refurbishing of the Prayer Room.
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