About Us
Our Story
Receiving the Mantle,
Embracing the Legacy
Believing that great service could be rendered by all who were concerned, the Rev Charles L. Stokes and a few followers agreed to formulate a church whereby those who wished to have a place of worship could do so. He knew this was the begining of the LEGACY of GRACE COVENANT!
A group of people met in the summer of 1975 at 950 Cascade Ave. to formulate plans to form the Grace Covenant Baptist Church. The final plans were made and the initial organization was Sunday, December 12, 1976 at 10:00 a.m. at 775 Hunter Street ( now known as M. L. K. Jr Dr.) in the bluilding known as the old West Hunter Street Church where the Rev. Ralph Abernathy served as pastor was eventually owned by Grace Covenant. The Rev. James H. Sims and Rev. Williard Bolden were on hand to share in the session. The Rev. C. L. Stokes, Founder and Organizer, presided over the session.
From that point Grace Covenant has become involved in affairs on the National, state and local level. Pastor Stokes was one of the founding members of the Vine City Ministries and the C.B.C. Grace Covenant has made itself positive in the social and political communities, producing some of the city's outstanding leaders of which we are humbly proud. We take great pride in our church and it's rich history as it reaches out into the world to do His Will.
In 1976 Rev. Stokes consumated the closing and purchasing with a payment that was above the required amount and far ahead of schedule. The late Dr. Martin Luther King Sr. then spiritual advisor / father to Rev. C. L. Stokes preached on the grand entrance Sunday of March 7, 1976 at the 11:00 a.m. hour and the late Pastor Ralph Abernathy preached at the 3:30 p.m. service.
In 1978 Grace Covenant grew to approximately 650 members and a budget of $128, 000 dollars.
In 1983 Pastor Vincent Thomas met Rev. C. L. Stokes as he was dating his daughter Kameshia Stokes. It was the very same spot, city, school campus that Rev. Stokes met his wife Mrs Gwinne Stokes. The same place Kameshia Stokes' grandmother met her husband. Rev. Stokes became a father figure to then young Vincent Thomas as well as a spiritual father. He admired him and began to glean wisdom, in 1976 he became a member and sat at the feet of Rev. Stokes for approximately 20 years. During that time he was ordained as a deacon by his pastor Rev. Charles L. Stokes
In 2001 Pastor Thomas answered his calling and did his first sermon under the leadership of then interim pastor ( of Grace Covenant Baptist Church Inc. ) and civil rights leader, Dr. C. T. Vivianne. Rev. Vincent Thomas and his wife Mrs. Kameshia Stokes were licensed, ordained and catechised by then pastor Rev. C. L. Stokes, the renowned Dr. C. T. Vivianne and the late Rev. L. W. Jay. Pastor Vincent Thomas was then appointed by Rev. Stokes as the first Assistant Pastor in the history of Grace Covenant Baptist Church, and any other church pastored by Rev. C. L. Stokes.
Due to his decline in health, in 2003 Rev. Stokes called Rev. James H. Sims, of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church as supportive pastor, the leadership, and members to request the acceptance via vote to appoint Rev. Vincent Thomas as Pastor of Grace Covenant Baptist Church. The vote was unanimous. Rev. Thomas who sat at the feet of the teachings of Rev. Stokes as a spiritual father figure and later as pastor, accepted the position of Pastor of Grace Covenant Baptist Church. The baton was passed and the installation service was celebrated with Dr. Aaron Parker as speaker, then Mayor Shirley Franklin with greetings. The Words of inspiration were by Bishop Dale C. Bronner, the spiritual father of Rev and Mrs. Vincent Thomas with Dr. Nina Bronner also in attendance. Rev. C. L. Stokes served as Pastor Emeritus and continued his support in membership and sharing the wealth of his wisdom until death. God continued the legacy of the outreach ministry as Pastor Thomas birthed and founded Thy Will Christian Ministries which caters and is a blessing to communities today.
But Grace Covenant has proven to be more than bricks, stones, mortar, wooden timber, nails and cement. It is a movement, motivated by the Power of God, respondent too, by a Fellowship of His believing and obedient children. It is a day in the Lord for people who vowed not to be conformed to this world but who are determined to be so transformed that still others will become disciples of Jesus Christ. Grace is a spiritual hospital for the sin sick, it is direction for the lost and it is hope for the hopeless, it is the house of the Lord.
~ Receiving The Mantle and Embracing the Legacy!
