| Grace Bible Fellowship |
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A Historical Perspective
Grace Bible Fellowship is an
independent evangelical local church comprised of
individuals who have personally expressed faith in Jesus
Christ and who are committed to the teaching of the Word
of God. While we are not a part of a denomination, we are
associated with a movement commonly known as the
"Plymouth Brethren" or "Christian
Brethren". THE BRETHREN MOVEMENT The Brethren movement originated around 1825. At that time the barriers separating the various Christian denominations were very difficult to penetrate. The founders of the Brethren movement were a group of young men who were trying to find a way to gather together for worship and communion simply as fellow Christians regardless of denominational affiliation. It was not their intent to begin a movement or to found a new denomination for that would have defeated the purpose for which they gathered. In the early days many of these remained members of their original churches and in fact some of them were ordained ministers. But that practice could not continue long and they soon left the denominational churches. The movement spread from Dublin, Ireland, to England where the first Brethren assembly was established at Plymouth in 1831. This is where the name Plymouth Brethren came. Bethseda Chapel in Bristol, England, was another important meeting of the Brethren. It was led by Scottish Hebraist Henry Craik (1805-1866) and the German-born George Muller (1805-1898), who was best known for the orphanage he established in Bristol in 1836 and which is still in operation today. THE MISSIONARY EMPHASIS From its very beginnings, the Brethren movement has placed an emphasis on overseas missions. Anthony Norris Groves, George Muller's brother-in-law, gave up a dental practice in Exeter to become a pioneer missionary in Baghdad and later in India. That missionary movement is now evident in every continent with over a thousand missionaries. This work is registered under the designation "Christian Missions in Many Lands". The influence of the Brethren on missions is much greater than what would be anticipated from a movement of its size. THE DISTINCTIVES The Brethren movement holds to the historic Christian faith and is whole-heartedly evangelical. Its distinctiveness relates more to practice than to doctrine. Fundamental to the movement is the understanding that all that name the name of Christ are welcome into fellowship. Fellowship is based on "life" rather than "light". The centrality of Jesus Christ is seen as most important and is demonstrated by the open and regular (weekly) observance of the Lord's Supper. Along with this is an emphasis on the priesthood of all believers. There is also a plurality of elders who lead the assembly. All stand equal before God. GRACE AND TRUTH CHAPEL Before 1909 there was a small group of Christians who would meet in various homes in the St. Johns district for Bible Study and the Breaking of Bread. In their early days they were associated with the Grant Brethren. Some of the ones who met together in those years were Hans Jackumsen, his brother, Mads Jackumsen, and J. P. Andersen and his family, all who had moved west from New Jersey. Through the years they met in different homes, in rented storefronts, on North Halladay Street, on East 4th and Burnside, and even in a dance hall. In 1920 Fred Elliot, a travelling evangelist, teamed up with E. K. Bailey for a series of meetings in a large tent. Several people were saved and added to the assembly and soon there was a need for a building. On June 26, 1926, Grace and Truth Chapel purchased the Highland Congregational Church building at 602 N. E. Prescott. In 1932 the decision was made to break away from the Grant Brethren who are also known as the Exclusive Brethren and to have fellowship with the Open Brethren. That association continues to this day. The assembly met there for over 30 years until they outgrew those facilities. As a result of the vision of the leaders at that time, the present building at 12420 N.E. Siskiyou St.was erected and moved into on January 5, 1960. In the years we have been in the Parkrose area God has brought us through times of struggle and times of blessing. Many lives have been impacted by the ministry of Grace and Truth during its 85 years history. Our prayer is that God will continue to use us to change our world for Him. In 1997 the assembly changed their name from Grace and Truth Chapel to Grace Bible Fellowship.Go to top
Our Mission
The mission of Grace Bible Fellowship
is to unite together in worshipping the Lord, to bring
people to Jesus Christ, to develop them to Christ-like
maturity, and to equip them for loving service to others.It is our delight to share with people how they can receive Gods' gift of eternal life. As a gift it's free! And, it's the most wonderful possession for time and eternity. Would you like to know more? The elders/deacons would be eager to talk with you. Go to top
Statement of Values
We value our worship of Jesus Christ,
therefore we gather weekly to remember His person, life
and ministry. This comes out of hearts that are
personally devoted to our Lord and Savior. We value the Word of God, therefore we teach it and use it as the foundation for our faith and practice. We value the responsibility that God has given to men to be leaders in the home and the church, therefore we endeavor to strengthen men in their walk with the Lord and their leadership abilities. We value the cohesiveness of the family unit, therefore we provide teaching, encouragement and freedom for its proper functioning. We value proper stewardship, therefore we encourage the responsible use, both individually and corporately, of the resources God has entrusted to us. These include the use of our time, money, gifts and abilities. We value the proclamation of the
Gospel, therefore we prepare ourselves to be witnesses
for Christ in the communities in which we live, and we
encourage and support those from our church family who do
this cross-culturally. Go to top
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