Our Mission

We are a church committed to God’s Word as given to us in holy scripture. We are called to be a reflection of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ by reaching our in love and compassion in our community and world beyond.

Our Motto

“Loving God, People, and Serving the World”

Who we are

Our prayer and purpose is to continue to grow in common unity and fellowship with Stone Creek and the surrounding community, learning together to walk with the Lord.
“Home is where the Heart is.” Home is where your heart finds rest, comfort, peace and protection. It is where we are safe to be ourselves and everyone has a part in making the “whole” a better place. We hope you feel at “home” when you visit us.
Our mission is to offer to our community a place where people can celebrate true joy with others and also encourage each other as we labor with life’s burdens.
We believe we are called to honor Jesus in our life and living. We do this in Christ centered worship, service and living holy lives. But we also believe we honor Jesus best living in relationships loving each other better than we love ourselves as Jesus taught.

My prayer is that Grace Community Church is helpful and encouraging to you along life’s journey. We are preparing to meet you and make your visit pleasant so you to will feel at home. God Bless!

-Pastor Bill Mallernee

Get to know pastor bill

Greetings Friends, I am Pastor Bill Mallernee, Tuscarawas County born and raised, growing up in the Bolivar area. I am married to Pat who serves as a local store manager. I am an ordained minister in the Church of God (Anderson, IN). I have been serving as pastor of GCC since 2019.

Pat and I recently moved back to Tuscarawas Co. to be near our family. Which includes 9 grandchildren.
Prior to coming to GCC I have served as Pastor in Dover, Minnesota and Xenia, OH. I have also served several congregations as an interim pastor.

My hobbies are fishing, hunting, reading and archaeology and our grand kids.

I believe as a Christian, “We are called to meet people where they are and help them get to where God wants them to be.” I believe that this is the call or purpose of every Believer to help each other get through life’s storms and hurdles. I believe that if each one of us takes this as their life challenge, we would see a great change in our homes, our families and our community. If we are to make a difference in our community it is through the power of God, in Jesus name working in us.

To follow this line of thought I am looking forward to meeting you and seeing how God will use our relationship so we both, “get to where God wants us to be.”

Meet our leaders

  • Jonna  Cronebaugh - President

    Jim Wherley Sr. - Vice President

    Zane Swaldo - Secretary

    Cynthia Stevens

    Pam Walker

    Ted McMannis

  • Jim Wherley, Sr (Chair)

    Bob Spittle

    Edwin Gilmore

    Scott Swaldo

    Al Tanner

    Sue McMannis

    Elsie Campbell

    Pauline Lanzer

    Jim Wherley, Jr.

    Dan Wherley

  • Norm Lanzer

    Keddi Spittle

    Sally Wherley

    Cynthia Stevens

articles of faith

We acknowledge the absolute supremacy and lordship of Jesus Christ, and believing that His word and will must be final in all matters to those who claim to be Christian, on His authority we affirm the following truths as the basic faith and teaching of this Church:

1.     The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as originally given of God, are the infallible record of the perfect, final and authoritative revelation of his work and will, together sufficient in themselves as the rule of faith and practice.

2.     The one true God, perfect and infinite in his being, holiness, love, wisdom and power; transcendent above the world as its creator, yet immanent in the world as the preserver of all things; self-existent and self-revealing in three divine persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, who are equal in power and glory.

3.     Jesus Christ the Eternal Son, revealer of the invisible God, who became incarnate by virgin birth, lived the perfect human life upon earth, gave himself in death upon the cross as the Lamb of God bearing sin and its penalty in our stead, was raised and glorified in the body in which he suffered and died, ascended as our only Savior and Lord into heaven, from whence he will come again personally and visibly to raise and translate his waiting Church, establish his kingdom fully over all the nations, and be the raiser and judge of the dead.

4.     The Holy Spirit, third person of the Godhead, the divine life-giver and artist in creation,
history and redemption, who indwells, seals, empowers, guides, teaches and perfects all those who become children of God through Christ.

5.     That man and woman were the direct creation of God, made in the divine image, and that
by transgression became fallen creatures, alienated from the life of God, universally sinful by nature and practice, and having within themselves no means of recovery.

6.     That salvation is the free gift of God's grace, received through personal faith in the Lord Christ, in whom all those who believe have eternal life, a perfect righteousness, adoption in the family of God, membership in the body of Christ, and every spiritual blessing needed for life and Godliness; but those who reject the gift of grace in Christ shall be forever separated from the presence of God.

7.     That Christian character and conduct are the expression of one's relationship with Christ and one's life in the community of Christ; and therefore Christians are bound to honor Christ's word, to walk as he walked, to keep his commandments and ordinances, and thus bear the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness and self-control, against which there is no law.

8.     That the teachings of the Bible declare that the sanctity of human life at every stage is based on our creation in the image of God and our election by God for service of the Kingdom. Additionally, the Bible provides guidelines for human sexuality: chastity outside of marriage, lifelong fidelity and holiness in marriage on such matters as marriage, divorce, and the family are of permanent value and obligation.

9.     The mission of the Church is to spread the good news of the Gospel of salvation in every word and deed. We are sent by Christ into all the world to bring every person into a life of faith, discipleship, and submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Evangelical Association Core Beliefs

  • The Trinitarian name of God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

  • God has revealed Himself fully and decisively, as attested in Holy Scripture. We believe the Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired and authoritative Word of God. The Scriptures are the guide of faith and life.

  • There is only one way to salvation – through Jesus Christ.

  • That the mission of the Church is to spread the good news of the Gospel of salvation in every word and deed. We are sent by Christ into all the world to bring every person into a life of faith, discipleship, and submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

  • The sanctity of human life at every stage based on our creation in the image of God and our election by God for service in His Kingdom.

  • The biblical guidelines for human sexuality: marriage as the union of one man and one woman, fidelity and holiness in marriage, and chastity outside of marriage for the sake of the Kingdom.

As members of the non-denominational Evangelical Association of Reformend and Congregational Churches, we adhere to the core beliefs stated above. For more information on the beliefs of EA churches and about our stance on specific issues, click here.