Our Past
The GBC Story
"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men" (Titus 2:11)
In 1949, Dr. Edwin Spahr, an ABWE missionary, led a small group of Christians for Bible studies and prayer. About 15 people attended that first Bible study in Tanduay street. They began inviting their family members, relatives and friends to attend. When the Bible study group grew to forty members, they formed Grace Bible Chapel, which later became the Grace Bible Church.
In the beginning, church services were held in English. Later, a separate worship for the Chinese-speaking congregation was needed, and with the assistance of a missionary from the China Inland Mission, the Chinese-speaking congregation was born. That congregation later became a separate church, Grace Gospel Church, which is now one of the recognized Chinese churches in Manila. The Tagalog service was started in 1973, and it continues today. After several years, the Vesper Service was introduced. In the late 80's, under the leadership of Rev. Andrew Tenefrancia, attendance in GBC Sunday Services grew to 450. It was also during this time that the Lord used the church to begin several congregations in Metro Manila and in Northern Luzon and established campus ministry through the Living Circle.
The church, however, struggled through the 90's. There were difficult experiences, times of instability, painful decisions that the Lord, in His wisdom, allowed the church to undergo. For most of those years, GBC was without a senior pastor. More importantly, we lost God's vision for us and our sense of purpose. But by His grace, we continue to exist and He is now renewing our passion for Him and His kingdom.
Grace Bible Church is a mission-oriented church whose first offering was offered to missionaries. The purpose of the church reads, "the formation of this church is to do our part in fulfilling the Great Commission of our Lord and Savior... and desire to use every possible Scriptural means of evangelism." And this is what we want to pursue NOW.
Thus, our vision is to see the world reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ, and people grow to full maturity in their love and knowledge of God as found in Matthew 28.18-20 and Colossians 1.28. The Scriptures state all Christians are called by the Lord to be ministers. Each believer is commissioned, endowed and empowered by God to minister to those in the church, to spread the Gospel and to disciple others.
God has called us to fulfill the Great Commission. We welcome all who are willing to share the same vision with us for His glory.
