Grace Community Celebrates Grand Opening

Story by Violet Cox

Allegheny West Conference's (AWC) Grace Community church, located in Euclid, Ohio, recently celebrated its grand opening. This was a momentous occasion for Myron Edmonds and Regina Johnson, lead pastor and associate pastor, respectively, as well as more than 700 members and friends who were accommodated into two services that Sabbath morning.

Attendees included the mayor and council members of the City of Euclid; AWC President Marvin C. Brown, III; AWC Vice President Joel E. Johnson; AWC Chief Financial Officer Keisha Bone; and many other conference officials. In addition, visitors traveled from across the country to attend, and some even watched online from the Caribbean, Europe and South Africa.

“The grand opening of Grace Community Seventh-day Adventist Church is the largest opening in the history of the Allegheny West Conference,” Brown shared at the event. 

Edmonds stated that the vision of Grace Community is to make an impact in the lives of 10,000 families over the next three years through its mission of “helping as many people as possible experience God’s grace before Christ returns.” Furthermore, he continued, “This building project is the culmination of the crazy and radical faith shown by our members. It is a physical reminder that God can do anything.”

Special recognition was made to Edmond’s wife, Shanee, who worked behind the scenes in providing the creative, decorative touch to the building. In somber reflection, Edmonds pointed out that many members of the former Glenville church who saw the need to spread the gospel in the city of Euclid and who started this “wilderness journey” were laid to rest before seeing its completion. Most notable was the late James Davis, a pastor and staunch supporter of Grace Community’s vision.

Congregants share that this historic moment was indelibly etched in their minds through the sermons delivered by Vandeon Griffin, associate youth director of the North American Division, and John Coaxum, pastor of the Hilltop Community Worship Center, in the first and second services, respectively. The church members are excited and eager to live out the church’s name to bring grace to the community of Euclid.