Grace Presbyterian Church in Crystal City is reaching a milestone this year.
The church, 105 Bailey Road, will hold a 100th anniversary celebration at 10 a.m. Sunday, May 31.
Susan DeClue, a member of Grace Presbyterian Church, said the worship service will honor where the church has been and will look ahead to its future. The service is open to the public.
She said a bagpiper will lead the choir and ministers into the sanctuary for the service and then will lead everyone out of the sanctuary after the service to the church park for a reception where cake and petit fours will be served.
DeClue said church members hope the celebration will serve as homecoming for former members to connect with old friends and make new friends.
The celebration also will highlight some of the church’s recent updates, including renovations at Fellowship Hall. She said six volunteers have been coming to the church three or four days a week since February to make the updates. They have installed new ceiling tiles and lighting and painted. New flooring will be professionally installed, she said.
DeClue said Crystal City Mayor Mike Osher will present a proclamation during the reception and a member of the Giddings Lovejoy Presbytery will also make a brief presentation. She said a professional photographer has been hired to capture special moments of the day.
DeClue said a cookbook of more than 300 recipes was compiled for the anniversary and it, along with a newly updated history book written by church member Stephen Huss, will be available for purchase at the celebration.
Proceeds from sales of the books will go to Grace Presbyterian Church.
History
Although Grace Presbyterian Church is celebrating 100 years, the history of the church goes back much further.
St. John’s Mission was established in 1879 in Crystal City as a place for workers from the Crystal Plate-Glass Company to worship. In 1891, the name of St. John’s Mission changed to Grace Episcopal Church, and Crystal Plate-Glass Company built the existing stone church on Bailey Road.
Grace Episcopal Church was a vital part of the community for many years. But when the church’s pastor left, services were only held once a month and attendance fell to an all-time low.In 1926, a group from the Festus Presbyterian Church made a request to create a new church, and Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company (PPG), which had acquired Crystal Plate-Glass Company and all its holdings, offered Grace Episcopal Church for their use. PPG also offered to provide upkeep of the church, the care of the yard surrounding the church, lighting, heating and janitorial services, a residence for the pastor and $1,000 toward the pastor’s salary.
On May 30, 1926, Grace Presbyterian Church officially started with 41 charter members.
DeClue said she considers 2026 to be the church’s second 100th anniversary.
“This is sort of our second 100th anniversary, because in 1991 we celebrated 100 years of the actual church building.”
To this day, the park at the church remains a popular attraction for residents, with many people taking pictures there for special events, such as school dances, senior photos, and engagement and wedding photos.
The park contains a fountain, twin turrets, walkways and many mature trees.
Future
DeClue said Grace Presbyterian Church has around 70 members. She said attendance peaked during the 1980s and 1990s with more than 250-300 members on the books and typically more than 100 people in attendance on a weekly basis. However, she said attendance started to wain around 2015, and then, like many other churches, took another large hit during the COVID pandemic.
DeClue said many of the members of the church are senior citizens and the church is facing a shortage of young families and children. DeClue is hoping this is something that will change in the future.
Jeff Buck, who is the director of ministry at Grace Presbyterian Church, will be taking over as head pastor in June, after the current pastor, Vicky Michaels, retires.
Buck said he hopes to draw back in those who have fallen away from the church for the ceremony and have them reconnect to the other members during the reception afterwards.
Buck said he hopes the anniversary celebration will be the first step in revitalizing the church and strengthening its connection with the community. He said the church is planning to host more community events, such as a proposed “Praise in the Park” live music event.
“We do a lot of things, but we’re very quiet about it,” Buck said. “And I think we can be more clear about what we’re doing and be more intentional about what we’re doing with the community.
“We have a wonderful, loving, committed congregation, and we want to reach outside the walls of the building with that love out into the community.”