Our History

In the fall of 1982, Pastors Les Bartley and Mike Keator were sent by Valleybrook Community Church, (Columbia, Maryland), to plant a new church in Baltimore, Maryland. Their heartbeat was to "Attempt something so great for God, that it's doomed to failure unless God be in it." Initially the church began as an outreach to Towson University. Students were challenged with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and called to live for His glory and purpose. Several members during those early years are still with the church today.

In 1986, Pastor Herschel Martindale, along with a small team from Texas, joined the church and helped develop a stronger community outreach as a focus. Eventually Herschel moved on to strengthen other churches, and eventually on to foreign missions. In 1988, Mike Keator and his family moved on to plant a new church in Columbus, Ohio, and Pastor Greg Gill and his family were called by God to join the leadership of Baltimore. Greg's experience had included church planting in both the Eastern U.S. as well as overseeing the start-up of several churches in Asia. Under the leadership of Greg and Les, the church experienced significant growth, especially in the communities of Parkville and Perry Hall. The Lord confirmed to the church at this time that the churches' future home would be on a 16-acre plot on Belair Road in Kingsville, Maryland. Since then, the Lord has been faithful to raise up several pastors to serve in the development and leadership of Grace Community. In 1998, Pastor Les Bartley felt moved to pursue God's will for his life in Columbus, Ohio.

Today, Grace Community desires to be a God-centered church, focusing on reaching the northeast corridor of Baltimore, using a contemporary ministry style. Our desire is to have a strong, growing adult singles ministry, as well as equip families for God's glory. We are convinced that we must pass the baton on to the next generation, and therefore, we take very seriously the responsibilities (by God's grace) of raising the children God has entrusted to us.

In 1996, we began meeting in the Perry Hall Community at Perry Hall Middle School.

Our study of the Scriptures led us to convictions that are 'essentially reformed' in doctrine, while holding to believer's baptism by immersion. We believe that baptism of the Spirit occurs at salvation, yet we recognize that all the gifts of the Holy Spirit are available today and earnestly to be desired and expected.

In 1998, our journey with God led us to understanding more clearly, the calling on our church. We summarized this calling in the following statement: "To radically transform our culture through lives and families that are consumed with a passion for God and His glory, that results in a passion for the church and a passion for the lost." For a number of years this was our church vision statement.

As time has gone on we have shortened and simplified that original statement to our current church mission statement:

Passionately proclaiming and living the Gospel

In November, 2001 we moved into our new worship facility in Kingsville, which currently seats 500 for worship in the sanctuary, We hope to add 400 seats in our balcony at a later date. We are excited to see the blessing of God in this adventure, and truly believe that the "rest of our days will be the best of our days!"

The Lord has given us a desire and opportunity for outreach and missions here at Grace Community. Through an outreach in August of 2001, we have developed a primary role in the development of leadership and resources with nearly 350 churches in Western and Northern India. Since that time we have been involved in bringing Wilson Baria over to the US for equipping, networking, and fellowship. Yearly, we support pastor's conferences for the leadership of these churches to further train them for pastoral ministry.

In addition, one of our former pastors, Dan Dubell, started the "I CARE" foundation that aids families in adoption of foreign children. Dan also initiates outreaches to China for gospel outreach and as well as mercy ministry to orphanages (Philip Hayden Foundation).

Over the last several years the pastoral team has sensed God's leading to shift our emphasis from a model associated with church growth to a model that places a greater emphasis on building a church that upholds the centrality of the message of the gospel and is more God-centered rather than focused on the needs of people.

In order to better lead the church, we also felt the need to recognize Don Sharpe as the Senior (presiding) Pastor of the pastoral team. In order for Don to be better equipped, the church sent Don, Margaret, and their family to Sovereign Grace Pastors' College in Gaithersburg, MD. Don returned in June, 2003, and was installed as Senior Pastor with his new responsibilities.

In our desire to be more accountable, better equipped, and to more effectively fulfill our churches' Vision and Mission Statements, we officially joined Sovereign Grace Ministries in the Fall of 2003. It is our desire to join with other like minded churches as we seek to glorify God and fulfill his purposes for our church!