pictures of the church
Map to the church
Leona Thiele
Grace Presbyterian is the result of a merger between Bethel
Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church. This merger
took place officially on July 27, 1952 with 101 charter members.

The first Session meeting was held on August 12, 1952 with
the Rev. Robert Axtell, interim pastor, moderating.   At the
September 1952 Session meeting the elders voted to seek National
Mission Aid for the church and in October 1952 the new
congregation conducted its first every member canvass to seek
pledges for the coming year. The first annual meeting was held on
January 6, 1953 and a budget of $5,000.00 was adopted.
In its first year along with the education of its members,
through mission presentations and subscription to Presbyterian
Life, the denomination's magazine, the practical matters of a new
pastor, house of worship and manse were considered. Property at
Broadway and Franklin Streets was purchased from the J. R.
Watkins estate for $15,000.00. On September 20, 1953 the Rev.
Layton Jackson was installed as the first pastor and was given the
charge by Sheldon Jackson Presbytery. Construction began on the
first unit of the church in October 1955.  It was estimated that
when completed - the building, fixtures and lot will have cost
about $80,000.00,
Grace Presbyterian had been worshipping in the former
Bethel Church (at 5th and Franklin Streets) since its organization
in 1952 and the former Bethel manse next door to the church was
the pastor's residence.
The first service in the new building was held on the last
Sunday in August 1956- The church, having received mission aid
since its formation, voted at its annual meeting in January 1956 to
strive to be free of mission aid by 1960.  However, this did not
happen until 1971.
In January 1959 the budget had increased to $8,550.00 and
members voted to ask for additional mission aid for 1960 in the
amount of $1,500,00 for salary and $895.00 for manse payment.
In 1961 the budget was set at $8,137.00. Mission aid requests for
1962 were increased by $500.00.  By 1965 mission aid was
decreased to $600.00.   1965 was the year the congregation
adopted its by-laws and authorized construction of the present
manse. The congregation authorized a cost of up to $22,000.00
including a maximum loan from National Missions of $8,500.00.
The new manse was dedicated on January 9, 1966 and was open
for public inspection on January 16.   The manse on West
Broadway was then sold.
A budget of $16,308.00 was approved at the annual meeting
in January 1967.  In the late 1960's and early 1970's movement
began into the community by projects such as flood relief, college
student dinners and union services. Financial problems forced the
church to seek avenues of service in the community through union
with another congregation, and on March 17, 1971 the session
appointed members to a committee to start to draft a plan to unite
with First Congregational Church of Winona.  After several
months of discussion the congregation decided to seek a pastor
and the union discussions were dropped.
In 1973 the budget was set at $17,500.00 and in that same
year it was decided to expand the ministry to shut-ins and others
in need. As a result the Board of Deacons was instituted.
By 1976 Grace Presbyterian had moved into the local and
world community by offering volunteer and monetary services.
Also, in 1976, our mission giving to various causes was $1,890.00
of a $23,920.00 budget.  In the late 70's and early 8o's we
continued to move ahead with an increase in our budget, an
increase in mission giving, and also an increase in special
offerings.  1981 saw a new roof and siding added and in 1983 the
grounds were landscaped.  In 1985 our approved budget was
$47,800.00 - $4,800.00 of which was pledged for General
Missions. That $4,800.00 was almost our total budget in 1953.
In the late 198o's it was decided that we needed more space
and so a building project was discussed. Plans were drawn up to
add Sunday School rooms on the north side of the building and to
enable us to have separate offices for the pastor and secretary.
The first of our building fund drives was conducted along with our
regular pledge drive in September 1989 with payments to start in
January 1990. We had a building pledge drive every three years as
each building drive was for that term of commitment. We had
hoped that we would have three building pledge drives and have
all loans paid in nine years.   However, we did have to go to a
fourth three year pledge drive to pay off our loans,
In 1994 after we had over $200,000.00 in onr Building Fund
we proceeded with the project. We received loans in the amount
of $112,500.00 from the Synod of Lakes and Prairies and from
General Assembly. We started to pay back these loans in April
1995 and the last loan payment was made in July 2001,  Once
again we were loan free. The remainder of the costs of the building
improvements came from our pledges, CD investments, projects
and more projects, donations and memorials.
Our building project enabled us to add Sunday School rooms,
separate offices for the pastor and secretary, install handicapped
rest rooms, install air conditioning, install a speaker system,
enlarge the kitchen and we now have a full basement. We are also
a handicapped accessible building. As part of the project we were
able to pave the parking lot.  The approximate total cost of the
project was $361,000.00.
Our most recent project, in April 2002, has been the
renovation of the sanctuary. The pews have been replaced with
chairs, new carpeting has been installed in the front halls as well
as the sanctuary and we now have movable risers.  Our sound
system has also been upgraded.
Grace Presbyterian Church started out as a mission church
and now we support local and world missions with approximately
12% of our budget. Our budget for 2002 is $88,973
Grace Presbyterian  remains  a small but vital church
important locally and worldwide as we reach out to others. We
have had and continue to have great leadership from our pastors,
and we have been most fortunate in our members and friends,
both past and present, who have given so willingly of their time,
talents and monies to help us in our growth over the last fifty
years.
As we move forward into the future let us faithfully continue
to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and continue to spread the word
to all the world as the Holy Spirit moves us.
 

List of Pastors

Rev. Robert Axtel               Interim
Rev. Layton N. Jackson    September 20,1953 to may 1, 1959
Rev. Layton N. Jackson     July 26, 1959 to January 22, 1961
Rev. William T. King         June 4, 1961 to September 11, 1966
Rev. Jerry D. Benjamin     June 18, 1967 to June 27, 1971
Rev. Lynn R  Davis          September 24, 1972 to August 29, 1976
Rev. C. Richard Mills       October 5, 1977 to  February 28, 1991
Rev. Gordon Aldridge     Interim
Rev. Scott H. Jansen       January 28, 1992 to September 8, 1997
Rev. Glen Bickford           Interim
Rev. Hugh H. Drennan   February 14, 1999 to December 31, 2003
Rev Al  Kleinsasser        January 1 2003 to July 31,2006  (1/2 time ) (is pastor of First Baptist Church)
CLP Doug Rosendahl    January 1, 2004 to December 31 2008   (1/2 time)
Rev James Scaife           August 1,2006  to??                               (1/2 time)
 

pictures of the original churches