Grace United Methodist Church sits on a quiet block of Harvard Boulevard in northwest Dayton, in a stately English Country Gothic sanctuary completed in 1921. A century later, the congregation gathers under the banner of "Grace: A United Methodist Community," a name that captures its long-running commitment to an inclusive, questioning, and diverse faith. Children laughing, applause from the pews, scripture told from memory, and visitors in jeans are all part of a Sunday morning here.
The congregation's motto is short and direct: "Loving God, loving neighbor, living in community." "We believe that it is good to question and to seek," the parish explains. "We may not always believe the same as one another, but the people of Grace Church believe in God's love and one another. Grace is for everyone!"
Grace is a dynamic and welcoming community that has been serving Dayton for more than a century. The congregation supports ministries with and for all ages and backgrounds, partners with a neighborhood school, writes letters to incarcerated men and women around the country, welcomes returning citizens, teaches cooking through Dayton Cooks!, and gathers a prayer team every week that prays daily for individuals, the community, the nation, and the world.
A Sanctuary Since 1921
The Sanctuary seats up to 600 on cushioned pews, with light passing through forty-one stained glass windows. Music for worship and concerts is anchored by a Casavante pipe organ and a Steinway grand piano, and the Dayton Philharmonic has used the Sanctuary for a stained glass concert. For smaller gatherings, the Bishops Chapel offers seating for forty beneath sixteen stained glass windows, with piano and air conditioning. Other interior spaces have names that hint at the parish's daily life: the Gallery, where coffee is poured after Sunday worship; the Ladies' Parlor, where study groups and women's meetings gather; and the Blue Room, where prayer and adult study meet through the week. A spacious, air-conditioned bridal dressing room, complete with a thirteen-foot vanity, a wall of mirrors, a three-sided mirror, and a full-length mirror, hosts weddings and other major events in the building.
Events That Bring Dayton to Grace
The historic facility is in regular use far beyond Sunday morning. Grace has hosted the Day of Caring Pancake Breakfast, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Annual Prayer Breakfast, the University Row and Dayton View Neighborhood Historical Associations, PechaKucha events, International Women's Day, blood drives, candidate forums, community meetings, line dancing, Zumba, and basketball. The Sanctuary, Bishops Chapel, and other rooms are available for weddings, concerts, recitals, meetings, dinners, and receptions, and the parish opens its grounds to neighborhood partners including the Miami Valley Immigration Coalition.
Joyful Reverence on Sundays at 10:30
Sunday worship is held at 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary. The style is described as "joyful reverence": a blend that welcomes different music styles, dance, and video clips while keeping the focus on the biblical story. Scripture is recited by heart every Sunday, applause and laughter are common, and children are present in the pews from start to finish. "We leave the sanctuary energized and knowing that we do not go alone; God is with us!" Holy Communion is celebrated during worship with an open table, and everyone is welcome to partake.
After the pastor's Children's Moment, children and youth are invited to step out for their own time of worship in the Bishops Chapel. Children and youth may also serve as acolytes or take other visible roles in the service.
Sunday Morning at Grace
The doors open early. From 8:00 a.m., coffee and fellowship fill the Gallery, where members and visitors mingle before worship. At 9:15 a.m., the Sabbath Study gathers in the Ladies' Parlor (or the Blue Room on some weeks) for an adult-ed hour before the service; recent topics have included the United Methodist Social Principles. By 10:30, the Sanctuary is full and the livestream is running. The rhythm is unhurried but full: a place to drink coffee, study Scripture, hear the Good News, and stay for a long conversation with whoever happens to be walking out at the same time.
Worship on YouTube
Worship is livestreamed on the Grace Church Dayton channel on YouTube, and the same channel holds a growing archive of past messages. Anyone unable to attend in person can follow the service live or catch up later. Past messages from the church are collected on the same channel, so newcomers and long-time members can revisit a sermon at any hour of the day.
Mondays at the Blue Room
Monday is the weekday home of two long-running groups at Grace. At 10:00 a.m., the prayer group gathers in the Blue Room and prays daily for individuals, the community, the nation, and the world. At 11:00 a.m., the Adult Study takes the same room for a deeper dive into theology and tradition; recent series have included "Images of the Deity in our Christian Tradition." Grace by Heart Biblical Storytelling meets twice a month (the second and fourth Mondays) at 6:30 p.m. in the Ladies' Parlor for a potluck dinner and storytelling practice, where members learn to tell scripture passages from memory. The Hope Letters District Quarterly Meeting keeps the wider prison-letter effort coordinated over Zoom.
Dayton Cooks! in the Parish Kitchen
The most distinctive outreach program at Grace is Dayton Cooks!, a free ten-week culinary training held in the parish's commercial kitchen. Professional chefs and skilled classroom instructors teach basic kitchen skills, and students receive job-readiness support, apprenticeships, help applying for jobs, and preparation to take the ServSafe exam for certification. They also learn how to feed their neighbors, and the program regularly serves meals to people beyond the classroom. Dayton Cooks! is staffed through Grace Urban Development, a sister nonprofit that supports much of the church's outreach work and is housed in the same building complex. Graduates mark the end of each session with a shared lunch and celebration at the church.
HOPE Letters and the County Jail
A vibrant prison ministry threads through Grace's outreach. Volunteers regularly visit the Montgomery County jail to tell Sacred Stories in a circle-based program with inmates, listening and sharing in turn. The HOPE Letters program keeps the congregation writing letters to incarcerated men and women around the country, and the Hope Letters District Quarterly Meeting brings these volunteers together on Zoom to coordinate their efforts. Returning citizens are welcomed and valued as members of the parish, and the congregation walks alongside them as they re-enter community life.
Louise Troy, Roosevelt, and the Pantries
Grace maintains a strong partnership with a neighborhood elementary school. The congregation contributes school supplies and uniforms and interacts with students throughout the year. The parish also supports the Freedom School literacy initiative held at Roosevelt Elementary School each summer. Beyond the schools, the church donates regularly to immigrant and neighborhood pantries around Dayton, including the Wesley Community Center. Members contribute everything from school supplies and uniforms to diapers, masa, and canned fish for the Immigrant Pantry, and staples such as peanut butter, pasta sauce, canned tuna, and rice for the Fairview UMC Pantry. Collection drives are organized monthly, with specific lists posted on the calendar.
Men, Women, and Storytellers
Storytelling and small groups shape the rhythm of the week alongside Sunday worship. United Women in Faith gathers on the second Wednesday afternoon of each month at 1:00 p.m. in the Ladies' Parlor. Recent guest speakers have included Dayton civic leaders addressing the status of children in Montgomery County. The Women's Lunch meets monthly on the third Thursday, with topics announced in advance. Men's Breakfast convenes on the third Tuesday morning, with the location announced the week before. Grace by Heart Biblical Storytelling meets twice a month on Mondays for a potluck dinner and storytelling practice, carrying the United Methodist tradition of lay preaching into a 21st-century Dayton kitchen.
Welcoming Visitors
Visitors are welcome in whatever they wear. "We don't care, and we don't think God cares, either, whether you're in jeans, shorts, or your 'Sunday best.'" There are no assigned seats; sit anywhere. Hand sanitizers are available at the entrances, masks are optional, and the Sanctuary is large enough to accommodate social distancing for those who want it.
Parking and Entry
Two parking lots serve the building. From Salem Avenue, drivers turn onto Dartmouth Drive and then left into the lot; from Harvard Boulevard, drivers turn west into the building's curve and then right into the lot. The Dartmouth lot offers both steps and a ramp up to the church entrance; from the Harvard lot, a sidewalk leads straight to the church doorway. The Sanctuary is just inside and to the right, with the Gallery and the Blue Room nearby.
Children and Safety
"Babies, children, and youth are always welcome in worship! The sound of a baby is music to our ears!" The pastor leads a regular Children's Moment during worship, after which children and youth may leave for their own programming in the Bishops Chapel. Children and youth sometimes serve as acolytes or take other visible roles in worship. The church follows the Safe Sanctuaries policy of the United Methodist Church, an overt expression of the congregation's commitment to keeping every age safe.
Clergy and Music Leadership
Grace is pastored by the Rev. John C. Wagner, Jr., a graduate of Earlham College and Yale Divinity School, who has served as pastor of several United Methodist churches in Dayton, including Aldersgate and Fairview. In 2024, he chaired the West Ohio Conference Committee for Responding to Palestinian Christians. Charis Weible serves as Worship Arts Director. A theatre artist with a Bachelor of Arts from Wright State University, Weible joined the Grace choir in 2016 and now shapes the music, dance, and storytelling that fill Sunday worship.
A Major Transition on the Horizon
The congregation is preparing to leave its Harvard Boulevard home. The church has placed its facility in the hands of Foundry Commercial's Mission Property Group for redevelopment, and parish leadership is communicating clearly that the move is one of relocation, not closure. "We're not closing, we're just moving!" Worship, programs, and outreach continue at 1001 Harvard Boulevard while a new home for Grace is being shaped. Anyone curious about the church's next chapter is invited to follow along as plans unfold.
Office, Contact, and Giving
The church office is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., closed Wednesdays, and open Sunday mornings from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The phone number is (937) 278-4731; the email is secretary@graceumc.com. Donations can be made online through the parish's PayPal link or by mail. "Grace in Action" giving supports Dayton Cooks!, HOPE Prison Ministries, children's ministries, Grace by Heart Biblical Storytelling, the Louise Troy Elementary School Partnership, music ministry, book studies, community use of the building, and the Wesley Dayton Community Center.