Grace RPC

Location: State College, Pa.

Presbytery: Alleghenies

Organized: 1985

Membership: 75 communicant; 42 baptized

Pastor: David Hanson

State College, the home of Penn State University, is in the center of Pennsylvania, in “Happy Valley,” which is surrounded by beautiful mountains and farms. During the school year, the town is flooded with 40,000 students.

Grace Reformed Presbyterian Church began as a Bible study group of graduate students at Penn State University. It was organized as a congregation of the RPCNA in 1985 under the leadership of Rev. G. Duncan Lowe. Gordon Keddie followed as pastor for the next 18 years. For the past three years, David Hanson has led our growing congregation.

Adhering to the great biblical doctrines of the Reformed tradition and observing a simple biblical form of worship, the church has committed to serving God through expository preaching and teaching, corporate prayer, and community outreach focused on God’s leading. Originally named New Covenant Reformed Fellowship, the church held its first service in the State College YMCA. As the Lord blessed us with growth, we passed through several meeting places until we settled near the university campus at the Airport Road facility, a small building that members of the congregation have completely refurbished. We thank God for His generous provision of this center for ministry.

In the past year, the growing congregation purchased three and one-half acres north of State College, in Gray’s Woods, as the potential site for our future home. We pray that the Lord may bless our efforts to expand to meet the needs of our growing numbers. In time, we hope that we may be His instrument in planting churches in neighboring communities.

At present, we generally have over 100 at worship services on the Lord’s Day. Because central Pennsylvania has few Reformed churches, we attract families from quite a distance—a few traveling an hour to attend worship. Some of our congregation grew up in the RP Church and trace their ancestry back to the original Covenanters; some hail from Ethiopia, Korea, and South Africa; a few members are elderly; more of our members are students and children; some are professors and support staff at the university; and others are professionals, local farmers and business owners.

Grace RPC meets twice on the Lord’s Day for worship and often gathers for another evening of Bible study. The church enjoys a fellowship lunch on the first Sunday of each month. Members invite college students to share in their family meal after worship, and the pastor plans discussion groups that meet in various homes. The women, the youth group, and others have numerous programs. Several homeschooling families meet frequently to work on projects, including play productions.

A vigorous and lively congregation, Grace is full of people who are eager to help one another in time of need, providing support from our mercy fund to those in financial trouble, as well as delivering home-cooked meals to new moms, or giving a hand with moving furniture or planting shrubs for families relocating.

Each year, a host of our students go out into the world to bless other congregations with their talents, and new members join us. As we plan the celebration of our 25th anniversary this year, we pray that we may continue to grow and to provide wise and educated young people for our denomination. The Lord has blessed our congregation in those years, and we pray the blessing continues.