“What happened here in 1977?” you might ask gazing at this site. This is the former location of Grace Community Church. The story of Grace Community Church in Chicago is one of faith, resilience, and community. It began as a small mission and evolved through challenges to serve a diverse population.
Grace Community Church started in 1917 as the Mennonite Bible Mission. A. F. Wiens led it. He and his wife Katharina had been missionaries in Chicago since 1906. They represented the Evangelical Mennonite Brethren. Wiens faced conflict around 1915. He had to give up his leadership role at the EMB mission. The Wiens family started an independent mission with a Sunday school in December 1917.
When A. F. Wiens died in 1937, John T. Neufeld took over. Neufeld was an architect and had married one of Wiens’ daughters. In 1939, the Home Mission Board accepted the mission. That same year the church joined the Middle District Conference.
In the 1930s, Grace Community Church welcomed a diverse membership. Germans, French, Irish, Swedish, and more all found a home here. People from Norwegian, Polish, Greek, and Dutch backgrounds also joined. The church served a diverse East European community.
On December 31, 1950, the Mennonite Bible Mission changed its name. It became Grace Mennonite Church. A devastating event struck on April 30, 1977. An arsonist threw firebombs at the church. The interior was destroyed. Pastors Lee and Betty Hochstetler were inside. Thankfully, they escaped unharmed.
The congregation rebuilt. Groundbreaking for a new building occurred in late 1979. It opened in the fall of 1980. During the rebuild, the congregation met in a converted two-car garage. Before the rebuild, the church changed its name again. It became Grace Community Church.
Grace Community Church closed in late 2014. A new church then occupied the building. It was a Spanish-speaking, non-denominational church. The New Life Community Church, also known as Nueva Vida Brighton Park, moved in.
Over the years, several pastors led Grace Community Church. Abraham F. Wiens served from 1917 to 1937. John T. Neufeld led from 1936 to 1959. Many others followed, each contributing to the church’s history.
Grace Community Church’s membership varied over the years. In 1940, it had 60 members. By 2009, the membership had declined to 21. Despite changes in leadership and membership, the church remained a presence in Chicago. Grace Community Church’s story reflects the changing landscape of urban churches. It demonstrates the challenges and resilience of faith communities.