Church celebrates a century

Sally Sutton was just a baby when she first attended Grace Bible Fellowship, which was only a "little older" than its newest parishioner.

That was back in 1936.

Today Sutton is one of Grace Bible Fellowship's eldest members and she's getting ready to help her beloved church celebrate its 100th anniversary.

"We were trying to surmise the other day how many ministers I've been through," the Yuma woman said, chuckling. "I really don't know! I would be afraid to say."

But Sutton isn't afraid to sing the praises of her church, which is preparing for a major public celebration Friday through Sunday.

"I just feel God is really in this church," Sutton said, describing the church's longevity. "I hope people come (to the celebration). They will find that we are a very loving church, with God in the forefront."

Grace Bible Fellowship will swing open its doors to share the anniversary celebration with the general public. Events and activities are open to the entire community, with a special focus on past parishioners and families living in the church's neighborhood.

For its 100th anniversary, Grace Bible Fellowship will celebrate a different time period each day.

"On Friday we will celebrate the past. Then we will celebrate the present on Saturday and the future on Sunday," said Pastor Rick Seltzer. "We just invite people to come celebrate with us. It should be a great time."

Seltzer added that he believes that Grace Bible is the oldest evangelical church in Yuma proper.

The church is located at 300 S. 4th Ave. For more information about events, call 783-0133.

Friday will consist of a reunion, calling back all past members or anyone who has ever been influenced by the church. That event will begin at 6:30 p.m. Friday. A photo display will be shared and the main speaker will be Pastor Clyde Speas, who led Grace Bible from 1966 to 1972.

A uniquely planned meal will follow. Organizers have broken the church's 100-year history into 20-year increments and will be cooking up dishes from each period.

A big block party is planned for Saturday's celebration of "the present."

"We will be reaching out to our neighbors, just to bless our neighborhood," Seltzer said. "Our church is very much about community, about trying to make a difference and providing healthy values and healthy morals in our community."

The Saturday event will start at noon and run through 4 p.m. The free event, which is open to the general public, will offer food, games, prizes and activities for kids.

A highlight of that day will be a visit by a professional Christian skateboarding team. A community skateboarding competition is planned for 2:30 p.m., followed at 3 p.m. by the King of Kings Skateboard ministry performing and doing demonstrations.

"We have a lot of skaters in the North End and we're trying to teach out to those kids," Seltzer said.

Sunday's celebration of "the future" will start at 9: 30 a.m.

"We are going to celebrate the future and talk about the future of this ministry, where we're going," the pastor said. "We are going to be celebrating children and the mission of the church and our passion to honor the Lord in this community."

A free meal will follow the service.

Grace Bible Fellowship has always worshipped at the same location, although the original building is no longer there. The current building was constructed in 1956.

Grace Bible was founded 100 years ago by another church.

"Valley Baptist is still here and will be honored for its vision," Seltzer said, adding his take on the church's ability to thrive for 100 years. "I think it's because of a deep commitment to glorify God and uphold the word of God and the message of the gospel, that people's lives can change. And this church has been an outreaching ministry since its inception."

Grace Bible has sponsored missionaries to Mexico and Guatemala. Locally the church has hosted service projects around town, including Make a Difference Day. Sutton, for example, is active with a ministry that makes quilts for people who are ill or otherwise housebound.

Sutton is also involved with the church's clothes closet ministry, which distributes free clothing and food every Monday.

To underscore how much she loves her church, Sutton tells the story from "a long time ago" when she actually considered leaving Grace Bible. But a higher authority had different plans. She recalls how the church was experiencing some problems then and she had begun exploring other churches - until a divine message was delivered.

"I heard a voice speak to me, just as plain as I am speaking now, and it said to me 'Who are you going to church for?' And I stayed. This is a wonderful church. I'm still here and these days they couldn't pry me out!"

**Click here for a slideshow: http://yumasun.com/sections/slideshow/?id=1479903