Grace Episcopal Church — Church Directory

Quick Facts

Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable Not listed on current website (contact: mail@gracechurchgr.org)

Founded 1865

Denomination Episcopal Church

Service Times Sunday Holy Eucharist 10am; Wednesday Morning Prayer 7:15am; 1st Tuesday Taizé 7pm

Men's Ministry No

Kids Ministry Yes

Website www.gracechurchgr.org/

Pastor Credentials Unknown — diocese in transition (Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan merged into Diocese of the Great Lakes 2024)

10-Point Theological Scorecard

Christology

Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)

Nicene Trinitarian via BCP; orthodox creedal Christology.

Strong

Scripture

Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?

TEC accepts higher-critical scholarship; not a "Scripture inerrant" tradition.

Caution

Men's Discipleship

Intentional formation for men?

No men's ministry listed on current site.

WARNING!

Soteriology

Faith alone? How is salvation presented?

BCP framework — orthodox creedal soteriology; sacramental emphasis.

Strong

Gender / Biblical Design

Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?

TEC ordains women to all orders since 1976 (Philadelphia 11); diocese has female priests; affirms egalitarian leadership.

TEC ordains women to all three orders (priest, deacon, bishop) since 1976.

WARNING!

Leadership Structure

Male elders/pastors? Accountability?

Rector + vestry governance; diocese in pastoral transition post-merger 2024.

Caution

Preaching Style

Expository or topical/therapeutic?

Lectionary-based liturgical preaching; not verified expository.

Caution

Mission Clarity

Great Commission central?

Diocesan and Episcopal Relief & Development.

Caution

Cultural Alignment

DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?

TEC General Convention has affirmed same-sex marriage rites (2015) and blessed LGBT inclusion; per MOOP rubric = red.

WARNING!

Accountability Structure

Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?

TEC denominationally affirms LGBT marriage + female bishops; red per rubric.

WARNING!

Assessment

Grace Episcopal Church is the historic home parish of President Gerald R. Ford and Betty Ford, who were married in the old sanctuary in 1948 and whose private funeral was held here in 2006. The parish remains beautiful and historic, with strong choral and liturgical traditions in the Episcopal style. However, for the MOOP rubric, Grace is firmly within The Episcopal Church (TEC) — a denomination that since 1976 has ordained women to all orders, since 2003 has consecrated openly gay bishops, and since 2015 has authorized same-sex marriage rites. These denominational positions place Grace at red on cultural, gender, and denominational dimensions of the rubric. The parish is in a season of transition following the 2024 dissolution-by-merger of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan into the new Diocese of the Great Lakes. Beautiful history. Significant theological distance from MOOP's confessional commitments.

#episcopal#tec#grand-rapids#michigan#gerald-ford#presidential-church#mainline#progressive

MOOP Engagement Tracker

How this church was personally verified by the MOOP directory team:

✓ Researched church website

Sources & Evidence

Enrichment Notes

Live-fetched 2026-05-16: gracechurchgr.org confirms address 1815 Hall St SE Grand Rapids MI 49506, Sunday 10am Eucharist, Episcopal denomination. Grace Church history page documents Gerald and Betty Ford's 1948 wedding in the old sanctuary and Ford's 2006 private funeral at the church. Rector name not currently listed on staff page — diocese in transition post-merger.

These are the URLs consulted to arrive at this church's scoring. Score-note claims are synthesized from homepage content, denominational directories, and public statements of faith at the time of review. Church websites change frequently; we're progressively adding Internet Archive snapshots to prevent link rot.

[1] Live source gracechurchgr.org
[2] Live source gracechurchgr.org/history
[3] Live source en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Ford
[4] Live source foxnews.com/story/michigan-episcopal-church-prepares-for-…

Transparency note: MOOP ratings are researcher judgments about publicly available theological and ecclesial evidence. They are not infallible. If a church's public posture has changed since our review, or if we've mis-read evidence, tell us — we publish corrections.