Our History

Over a Century of Ministry

Grace Baptist Church has been in Grand Forks since 1909, though it originally began as the First German Baptist Church. As the original name suggests, services were held exclusively in German for many years.

From that time until now, our church has been blessed with people who had a love for the Lord and for others. While we won’t give a complete history of Grace here, it is truly amazing to see how God has shaped and guided the church for over a century of ministry to the people of Grand Forks.

The church had its beginning in 1904 when a group of German immigrants from Russia made their home in Grand Forks. Led by Rev. Burkdorff, four families began to meet for prayer in their homes and later an empty auto garage.

While looking for a spiritual home for this small group of believers, they were brought in contact with the First Baptist Church. Since the immigrants spoke German, language quickly became an issue. If the immigrants were to get full benefit of the biblical teaching in order to grow spiritually, they realized they needed to hear God’s Word preached in their own language.

First Baptist Church applied to the German Mission Board for an under-shepherd to guide the immigrants in their worship. As a result, 18 charter members began the First German Baptist Church in September of 1909.

The next several decades saw the church transition from German to English services, several church buildings, and many different faithful pastors. The church became known as Grace Baptist Church in the 1940’s and after having built a new facility it moved into its current location in 1963.

In 1975 the growing congregation was running out of space, and work began on an addition that included classroom space and a full-size gymnasium. In the flood of 1997, Grace experienced a great deal of water damage – to the tune of $250,000. God was faithful in working through His people, and thanks to the generosity of current and former members and attendees the work was completed.

Throughout the years, countless people have encountered Jesus at Grace – either beginning or strengthening their walk with Him. Our history is a testament to the providence of God and we look forward to how He will continue to Grace Baptist Church in the future.

As we continue to serve God in the Grand Forks community, it is our mission to make disciples who glorify God in all that they do. We encourage you to further explore this website and hope that you will join us for worship this coming Sunday.