Grace Reformed Church has its origins in the town of Glenn. Many of the first families of our church were rice, walnut, and almond farmers. Although these families had initially been members of a church affiliated with the General Association of Regular Baptists Convention (G.A.R.B.C.), they came to understand and embrace the theology of the Protestant Reformation thanks to the study of Ron Potter, who would later become the first pastor of GRC. At the heart of these families’ convictions was the inspiration, inerrancy, and infallibility of Scripture. The Bible is God’s Word, without errors, and trustworthy in every part. Since the Scripture is God’s Word, the Bible has the final say in matters of teaching and practice, not the culture.
 
Around 1985, Ron Potter, who was teaching Reformed theology to these families, reached out to the RCUS (Reformed Church in the United States) to seek greater affiliation with a denomination that would be faithful to the Word of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Then, under the oversight of the RCUS Western Classis, the families organized themselves as “Sovereign Grace Reformed Church” in 1986.
 
Since then, the Lord has been faithful to preserve GRC in Willows. A testimony to the Lord’s faithfulness has been the privilege of four generations in one family attending worship together on a given Lord’s Day. We pray that Jesus Christ may add more to His church in the years to come.
 
Brief Timeline of GRC
 
1986: Sovereign Grace Reformed Church joins the Reformed Church in the United States (RCUS).
1989: Ron Potter is ordained as the first pastor of SGRC.
1990: Hank Bowen begins work as pastor of SGRC.
1992: With generous donations, SGRC purchases the two-story building on Sycamore and Butte originally built in 1910.
1996: Name changed to “Grace Reformed Church.”
1998: Rev. Bowen takes up ministry in Hamburg, MN.
1998: Thomas Mayville begins work as pastor at GRC.
2000: Oak Tree Christian School was established, which later relocated to Orland in 2005.
2007: Rev. Mayville takes up missionary work in Uganda, associated with Knox Theological Seminary in Mbale.
2010: Rev. Eric Bristley begins work as pastor at GRC.
2022: Rev. Bristley retires.
2023: Rev. David Voytek begins work as pastor at GRC.