Pastoral Candidate hub
About Grace Bible Church
A Brief History of Grace Bible Church
Grace Bible Church, originally known as Bible Baptist Church, was organized in November, 1955 with 26 charter members under the leadership of the first pastor, Rev. Melvin Keeler. In 1988, the church voted to change its name to Grace Bible Church, hoping to reduce possible negative response of having two Baptist churches within a half-mile of each other. While retaining the original constitution and doctrinal statement, Grace Bible functioned for the next 10 years as an independent, Bible-believing church with no official ties to any denomination. However, there was a growing effort to develop an interdependent spirit with all the area churches, regardless of denomination, who shared the essentials of our Statement of Faith. After several years of prayer and consideration, Grace Bible was accepted into membership of the Great Lakes District of the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA) in 1999 for a number of reasons.
Grace Bible Church Today
The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March, 2020 has forever changed the landscape for ministry not only in Marlette but certainly across the world. Grace began holding outdoor services on the lawn behind the church building during the summer of 2020 and then moved back to the sanctuary that Fall. Attendance was estimated to be about half of pre-pandemic numbers. Adding to the ministry struggles, Pastor Mike Hollenbeck also announced his pending retirement that Summer, effective October 4, 2020. Sunday morning attendance, pre-pandemic was estimated to be 45-50. Average attendance since mid-August of 2022, when tracking began again, was 29.8 for 2022 and 33.6 in 2023. Many of the Sundays this year have seen visitors, some of which have returned and become regular attenders.
In the Spring of 2022, Grace Bible Church reached out to Interim Pastor Ministries (interimpastors.com) to provide an intentional, interim pastor who could come along side and help prepare the congregation for our new pastor.
Focus of Ministry
While most evangelical churches in the U.S. desire to create a ministry that would be inviting to young adults with families, we believe that given the demographics of our community and the large number of homes without any faith involvement that our focus should be on the fastest growing segment of our population – those 65+ in age. We believe, at least in the short run of the next 3-5 years, that Grace should be looking for a pastor who is burdened for, and can communicate well with, the older adults of our community in order to start an upswing in the church’s life cycle. Grace’s next pastor must also be committed to discipling and equipping the saints to do the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:12). A team approach will be mission-critical to growing the ministry here at Grace. The current financial condition of the church will most likely require a pastor who is willing to take a bi-vocational approach at Grace or has other means to supplement his income.
Please feel free to view our Pastoral Search brochure for a more comprehensive overview of who we are, where we've been, and where we live, as well as our Bi-Vocational Job Description.
Thank you for your time! We will be happy to hear from you!
Community
Marlette’s quaint downtown storefront area is modestly active with a variety of privately-owned storefront operations. Local retail includes a grocery store, restaurants and fast food outlets, hairdressing salons, barber shops, boutiques, ice cream parlors, florists, gift shops, thrift stores, hardware and lumber supply, sporting goods, pharmacies, four major auto and diesel fueling stations, a liquid propane filling station, and a host of automotive, home building, and repair services. Several major chain store retailers are located within a short driving distance. Although a number of large manufacturing corporations have established operations within the community, Oetiker Inc., Grupo Antolin, Marlette Regional Hospital, and the community schools are currently Marlette’s largest employers.
Marlette is centrally located within 60 miles of Port Huron, Mt. Clemens, Flint, Saginaw, and Bay City, Michigan. Marlette Township owns the area’s Pilot-operated General Aviation airport located adjacent to the City of Marlette. Public transportation to all points throughout Sanilac County is available through the Sanilac County Transportation Authority. The County Seat, located in the neighboring City of Sandusky, is approximately 19 miles from Marlette.
Marlette’s public schools offer a full curriculum, remedial learning programs, pre-school, B-4K (before Kindergarten), full breakfast and lunch facilities, and free busing throughout the rural school district. As one of six school districts within Sanilac County, Marlette supports and enjoys the use of the Sanilac County Intermediate School District (ISD) facilities. Sanilac’s ISD provides training in various skilled trades, specialized programs for the handicapped, and accelerated curriculum for gifted and talented students within the County. Busing and transportation to and from the facilities for students who attend classes at the ISD is provided by each of the local school districts.
Whether you like shopping, camping, hunting, gardening, swimming, or looking for "sea glass", you can find it in or near Marlette. A short drive in any direction can take you to neighboring towns or cities for a change of pace, or a great meeting place for family and friends. Michigan has the best freshwater beaches, and the the peninsula's "thumb" has miles and miles of coast line rich with history and photo ops. So grab your gear and your camera and come explore what we have to offer.
Marlette Regional Hospital includes an extended care facility, a physical therapy center, a cancer treatment center, well-established Hospice care services, and a fully-staffed emergency response facility with fully equipped ambulances and crews of registered and trained Paramedics. The hospital opened their brand-new, senior living community called The Heartlands (theheartlandsmarlette.org), a completely contained and accessible retirement village located within the City limits.
Grace Bible Church is located in Marlette, Michigan, a rural community at the center of Southeast Michigan’s “Thumb”. Marlette is primarily an agricultural community with public schools, a variety of small businesses, moderate industry, a hospital providing complete medical care, and a broad selection of affordable housing to lease or own in and around the City of Marlette. The area’s population of approximately 1,400 residents includes a gradually increasing number of retirees and an average number of families with children. Our surrounding community defines country living and embraces Christianity with open arms.
