Our Story
Grace Baptist Church was founded in 1951 as Fundamental Baptist Church under the leadership of former pastor Bill Hovestreydt. The church operated as an independent church, not answering to any outside hierarchies or organizations, and standing firm in the belief that the local church should be an autonomous body.
Beginning with only nineteen members, Fundamental Baptist Church operated out of founding member Joseph Wenner’s home until 1952, when the current property on West Edgewood Street was purchased. The name Grace Baptist Church was later adopted in 1954.
Pastor Hovestreydt faithfully served Grace Baptist Church for 46 years, helping to grow the congregation, and to make a lasting impact within Sidney. After his sudden death in 1996, a call was made for a new pastor to take over.
Current Pastor Dr. James Alter came on staff in March of 1997, and has worked tirelessly to grow the ministries and outreach of Grace Baptist Church for the past 29 years. Grace Baptist is now home to a myriad of ministries, including AWANA Bible clubs, One Way Teens, and more. (Learn more about our ministries here.)
Alongside his work at the church, Dr. Alter has done extensive work researching and writing on Baptist history, creating and presenting the Purified Seven Times: The History of the English Bible exhibit, and preaching and teaching at churches and universities across the world.
In 2017, construction began on a new church building to better serve the needs of the growing congregation. A new auditorium and lobbies were constructed, as well as a full renovation of outdated areas of the building. Construction wrapped up in 2019, and the members of Grace Baptist Church have been enjoying the new amenities ever since.
Today, Grace Baptist Church remains an independent, vibrant, and welcoming place where people of all ages can come together to worship, seek after Biblical truths, and serve others in the name of Christ. Through God’s continued grace, we are celebrating our 75th year of being in the ministry! We hope to be blessed with another 75 years to serve our Savior, as well as the wonderful people of Sidney and our greater community.
