Grace Presbyterian Church sits on York Road in Jenkintown, a small borough in Montgomery County just north of Philadelphia, in a brick-and-stone complex anchored by a sanctuary, classrooms, and the brand-new Community Center at Grace. Founded in 1881 with the backing of department-store pioneer John Wanamaker, the congregation has spent more than a century and a half rooted in this neighborhood while continuing to reimagine what an inclusive Presbyterian community can be. Today Grace is known for its warm Sunday morning worship, its music ministry built around a remarkable pipe organ and a half-dozen choirs, a year-round nursery school, and an ambitious community center that opened in 2025 to serve Jenkintown and beyond.
A Church Built on a Sunday School Wagon
The story of Grace Presbyterian begins not with a building but with a wagon ride. In the early 1860s, while the Civil War raged, Mary Stewart, often accompanied by her sisters, would climb into a large wagon after worship at Abington Presbyterian Church and travel a mile south by dirt toll road. The wagon gathered children from around Jenkintown and brought them to the Lyceum, now the Jenkintown Library, for Sunday school.
The Sunday school outgrew its borrowed space. John Wanamaker, the Philadelphia merchant who would later serve as Postmaster General, offered to fund a chapel of its own. On September 8, 1872, Wanamaker led 165 Sunday school children in a procession from the Lyceum to the new chapel and taught a lesson from the blackboard. Within a decade that Sunday school had grown into a chartered congregation. In 1881 Grace Presbyterian Church was officially organized, and in 1882 Henry MacKubbin became its first pastor with an annual salary of $800.
From the start, Grace looked outward. By 1891 the church had helped plant a new congregation in nearby Wyncote that became Calvary Presbyterian, and worship services were intentionally designed to attract people who would not ordinarily come to church. The current sanctuary was dedicated in 1956, with the dedicatory sermon ending on a charge still taken seriously today: that Grace is meant to be "a fellowship, so devoted, and so sacrificial, and so brave, and so loving, that Christ can use Grace Church as His Body."
Now in its tenth pastorate and with three major additions to the building, Grace continues to be shaped by that same outward-looking spirit.
Sunday at Grace
Worship at Grace happens every Sunday morning at 10:00 in the sanctuary. The liturgy is mostly traditional and shaped to the scripture, interests, and needs of the day, with music drawn from a deep bench of choirs and a 1975 Gress-Miles pipe organ that fills the room. Visitors are warmly invited to come as they are; the dress code is "casual or formal, whichever you prefer." Children remain in the service for the first fifteen minutes - sitting in the front-row "Amen Pew" with the pastors and other leaders during prayer and song - and then head to Sunday School classrooms following a brief Word with the Children.
After worship, the whole congregation is invited to the Palmer Room for coffee, refreshments, and a time to greet one another. The morning continues with a "Second Hour" of education and music offerings from 11:15 to noon:
- Adult Education Class (all ages), in the Chapel, led by Pastor Brian Russo
- Confirmation Class for ninth through twelfth graders, in the Youth Room, led by Joel Bielefeldt
- Youth Choir for grades 3 through 8, in the Choir Room, directed by Valerie Clayton on select Sundays
- Cherub Choir for ages 4 through second grade, in the Bell Room, led by Ruth Fuelleborn
Services are livestreamed through Vimeo, and a library of past services and sermon videos is maintained on the Grace Vimeo page for anyone who wants to catch up or explore the church's preaching voice.
A Faith That Welcomes Everyone
Grace Presbyterian Church belongs to the Presbyterian Church (USA), and its beliefs are grounded in Scripture and the historic faith statements of that tradition. The church frames its convictions around six words: Faith, Life, Grace, Relationships, Possibility, and Impact.
The church teaches that God is love, that in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus this love is made known, and that this love is not exclusive but an inclusive expression of the rich diversity of creation. Members are encouraged in the language of a familiar line, "Jesus loves us just the way we are, and too much to let us stay that way," to become more like him in daily life. Salvation is understood as an undeserved gift: no one can earn right standing with God by their own merit, and all are enveloped by God's unconditional grace.
Grace has put particular weight on the words "Relationships" and "Possibility." A formal Statement of Inclusion, rooted in Galatians 3:26-28 - "There is no longer Jew or Gentile, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female" - declares that everyone is welcome to worship, serve, and become a member regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, or affiliation. The session invites interfaith dialogue and affirms that, while members find Jesus Christ to be their pathway to God, all conversation that celebrates God's goodness is encouraged.
Following membership, all are eligible to become elders, deacons, and team leaders - a structural way of putting the statement into practice. The church also maintains a Mental Health Task Force and a robust Anti-Racism Resource page, both signaling that inclusion is treated as an active, ongoing practice rather than a settled achievement.
The Music Ministry and the Gress-Miles Organ
Music is one of the most distinctive features of worship at Grace. The church's Music Ministry is led by Music Director Valerie Clayton, a Philadelphia native with a graduate degree in voice from Temple University and conducting studies at Westminster Choir College. The Music Ministry is anchored by the Gress-Miles Memorial Organ, installed in 1975 by the Gress-Miles Organ Company of Princeton, New Jersey - the first Gress-Miles to be installed in the Philadelphia area.
The organ was built in consultation with then-music-director John Gearhart and was designed for tonal versatility across all periods of organ literature. It boasts 70 speaking stops supplied by 32 voices across 49 ranks and almost 3,000 pipes ranging from the size of a pencil to sixteen feet tall. The largest pipes are visible on either side of the Nativity Window in the chancel. The four-manual console sits in the chancel and can be moved to suit performance needs. As the instrument has passed its fiftieth year, Grace has invested in significant restorative work to keep it sounding beyond its original 75-year design life.
Around the organ, the Music Ministry has built a layered choir program:
- Chancel Choir: an adult mixed choir (ninth grade through adult), directed by Valerie Clayton, rehearsing Thursday nights from 7:00 to 9:00 in the Choir Room and warming up Sunday mornings at 9:15. It sings every Sunday from September through May plus Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, and Maundy Thursday.
- Cathedral Ringers: a handbell choir of teens and adults ringing two to five octaves, directed by Kevin Engleman, rehearsing Monday evenings at 6:30 in the Bell Choir Room and ringing once a month at worship.
- Youth Choir: for grades 3 through 8, rehearsing during Second Hour on appointed Sundays and singing in worship several times a year, including Christmas Eve, Palm Sunday, and Music Celebration Sunday.
- Cherub Choir: for ages 4 through second grade, directed by Ruth Fuelleborn, rehearsing Sunday mornings during Second Hour and singing about once a month and on Christmas Eve.
Clayton and Engleman also appear in recorded anthems and performances that the church shares online, including solo organ and choral pieces from Good Friday and other holy days.
The Community Center at Grace
The most visible new development at Grace is the Community Center at Grace, which opened in September 2025 after years of planning. The building was made possible by a $1.5 million grant from the State of Pennsylvania, matched by a $1.6 million commitment from the congregation. The result is a versatile new hub with spaces designed for arts, education, recreation, and fellowship - the fulfillment of a long-held vision to be a "heartbeat in the community."
The Community Center houses several named rooms that are also available to rent:
- Room 104, The Choir Room: a versatile, acoustically friendly space for rehearsals, small gatherings, and music instruction.
- Room 106, The Bell Room: set up for handbell rehearsals and quiet music work, also well suited to small ensembles, classes, or intimate meetings.
- Room 109, The Youth Lounge: a relaxed space with LVP flooring, a basketball arcade, a pool table, and open floor for recreation and youth fellowship.
- Room 110, The Community Room: a flexible, multi-purpose space with modern technology and a kitchenette for meetings, classes, parties, receptions, and gatherings.
- Room 120, Muyskens Hall: the largest gathering space, with a stage, piano, basketball hoop, presentation screen, and full sound system - ready for concerts, banquets, activities, and presentations.
- Room 125, Muyskens Hall Kitchen: an industrial-sized kitchen with a large stove and plenty of counter room, available for catered events.
Programming at the Community Center has grown quickly. Floral design workshops meet Monday afternoons at 1:00, the Old York Road Garden Club holds monthly meetings on the second Wednesday at 11:00 AM, and an annual Charity Ink tattoo and piercing event raises funds for the Jenkintown Food Cupboard. The Center is also home to an Artist in Residence program that rotates exhibitions roughly every five weeks in the gallery and shared spaces, with featured artists ranging from Cape Cod photographers John and Becky Still to watercolorist Patty Brower and acrylic painter Carole Herwig.
Children, Youth, and the Nursery School
Grace makes a major investment in its youngest members and their families, anchored by three ministries: the Grace Nursery School, the Children's Ministry, and the Student Ministries.
Grace Nursery School is a non-sectarian weekday preschool licensed by the State Board of Private Academic Schools since its founding in 1954. Director Cindy Kaminski oversees classes for two-year-olds, three-year-olds, four-year-olds, and Pre-K II. Programs run in half-day morning blocks from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM (with two-year-olds meeting two or three days a week from 9:30 to 11:30), and the school offers early drop-off, lunch-only, and extended-day options up to 2:30 PM. The school year runs from mid-September through May, with breaks at Thanksgiving, two weeks in December, and one week at Easter. Each class is led by a state-certified teacher and assisted by a qualified second teacher, and the school nurtures the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical growth of each child.
The Children's Ministry runs Sunday School classes for ages three through fifth grade concurrently with the 10:00 worship service, using Bible-based, age-appropriate lessons. Children begin in worship with their families, sit in the Amen Pew, then head to their classrooms after a brief Word with the Children. Year-round childcare for infants three months old through three years is provided in the Lamb Room on the upper level from 9:45 AM to 12:00 PM during the summer. All teachers and staff carry current Pennsylvania Child Abuse Clearances, which the Session monitors to remain up to date. Vacation Bible School is offered one week each summer for kids through fifth grade, and special family events are scheduled throughout the year.
Student Ministries, led by Director of Next Gen Ministry Joel Bielefeldt, organizes three weekly gatherings for kids and teens:
- Grace 345, for students in grades 3, 4, and 5, meets Wednesday nights from 4:30 to 6:00 PM.
- Middle School Youth Group, for sixth through eighth graders, meets Tuesday nights from 7:00 to 9:00 PM.
- High School Youth Group (Grace Students), for ninth through twelfth graders, meets Tuesday nights from 7:00 to 9:00 PM.
Each night begins with hang-out time, moves into worship and practical teaching, and ends with adult-led small groups. Confirmation classes for ninth through twelfth graders meet during the Second Hour on Sundays. Throughout the year, families can sign up for text-message or email reminders about upcoming events.
Mission Partners Near and Far
Grace takes seriously the call to be "faith in action," and its Mission Team supports an extensive network of local and international partners. On any given Saturday morning, Grace volunteers are likely to be found helping to serve a hot breakfast and provide clothing and toiletries to about sixty people experiencing homelessness or hardship in the Wellspring Breakfast Ministry and Clothing Cupboard, which operates year-round, fifty-two weeks a year.
Other local mission partners include:
- Family Promise Montco PA, which provides emergency and transitional housing for families experiencing homelessness in Montgomery County by partnering with local congregations.
- Breathing Room Foundation, which provides individualized care and support to families affected by cancer so that they can focus on regaining their health.
- Cornerstone, which educates children of Southwest Philadelphia, including those from at-risk neighborhoods, in an academically rigorous and spiritually grounded environment.
- Jenkintown Food Cupboard, which distributes food and clothing at no cost to low-income residents of Montgomery County.
- Laurel House, a comprehensive domestic violence agency serving individuals, families, and communities throughout Montgomery County.
- Family Promise of Philadelphia, supporting families experiencing homelessness in the city.
- OHAAT (One House at a Time), helping families in Greater Philadelphia establish stable, functional home environments - including the Beds for Kids program that provides beds, bedding, and bedtime tools to children living in poverty.
- International Needs Ghana, a Christian development organization that began operations in Ghana in 1984, supporting transformed lives, families, and communities.
The church hosts Valley Road Run, an annual walk/run supporting their congregation's outdoor ministry partnerships, and the Community Center has partnered with the Victim Service Center of Montgomery County to support survivors of crime. Pride at Grace Weekend, an annual festival of vendors, performances, art, and inclusive Sunday worship, donates all of its proceeds to the Jenkintown Library and The Rainbow Room Doylestown. Pride at Grace Weekend is paired with Holy Hues, an LGBTQIA+ fellowship that gathers throughout the year for dinners, movie nights, and casual happy hours.
Mental Health and Anti-Racism Resources
Recognizing that mental health challenges affect every generation, Grace formed a Mental Health Task Force in 2023 to address the crisis affecting young people, families, and the wider community. The task force gathers regularly to host forums and listening sessions and maintains a vetted resource page that includes local and national organizations such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Montgomery County, Montgomery County Mobile Crisis (1-855-634-HOPE), the Peer Support Talk Line, the Teen Talk Line, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the National Institute for Mental Health. Curated books for parents, online resources such as the Center for Parent and Teen Communication and the Log Off Movement, and crisis numbers including the Suicide Lifeline (988) are all made available.
Grace's commitment to racial equity is reflected in a long, curated Anti-Racism Resources page. The page opens with a clear affirmation: "black lives matter and [we] stand against racism in any and every form it may assume." The list draws on contributions from Grace members and staff and is organized into sections for starting points, historical reading, talking about race and white privilege, social and economic issues, faith and theology, fiction, suggested viewing, and suggested listening. Authors include Ijeoma Oluo, Bryan Stevenson, Ibram X. Kendi, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Robin D'Angelo, Michelle Alexander, James Cone, and Howard Thurman, alongside works for parents and kids such as "Raising White Kids" by Jennifer Harvey and "Stamped from the Beginning: A Remix" by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi.
The People Who Lead Grace
Grace Presbyterian is served by a roster of teaching elders, program directors, and support staff whose roles span worship, music, youth, and administration.
- Rev. Brian Russo, Pastor and Head of Staff. Brian has served the Presbyterian Church (USA) since 2009, after earning a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary. Grace called him in November 2022, and he began his ministry in January 2023.
- Rev. Cassie Heintz, Director of Community Engagement. Cassie grew up in the PC(USA), served as a Deacon for many years, and spent more than a decade on staff at the Presbytery of Philadelphia before earning her Master of Divinity from Palmer Theological Seminary. She joined Grace in January 2025.
- Joel Bielefeldt, Director of Next Gen Ministry. Joel trained at the Culinary Institute of America before completing a bachelor's degree in Youth Ministries from Eastern University in 2005. He has since served as Director of Student Ministries in churches in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and as Director of Missions at The Philadelphia Project.
- Valerie Clayton, Music Director. A Philadelphia native and graduate of Boston University with a graduate degree in voice from Temple University and conducting studies at Westminster Choir College, Valerie has been shaping Grace's musical life from "West Philadelphia, born and raised."
- Kevin Engleman, Organist. Kevin holds a bachelor's degree in music (Organ) from Mansfield University and has studied choral conducting at the graduate level. He discovered his call to church organistry on a Christmas Eve at a friend's church and has played at Grace ever since.
Two additional long-tenured staff members keep the church running day to day: Tina Hinks, Church Administrator (joined Grace in 2003 with her family and now serves as Financial Secretary), and Dave Downs, the Church Sexton (a Jenkintown native who joined Grace's staff in the fall of 2000).
Leadership and Governance
As a Presbyterian congregation, Grace is governed by a Session made up of ruling elders elected from the congregation for three-year terms, along with the pastor. The Session currently includes members representing three classes (2026, 2027, and 2028), with Rev. Brian Russo serving as Moderator and Chris Sterman as Clerk. Elders serve as liaisons to committees covering Christian Education, the Community Center, Growth and Outreach, Hospitality, Membership, the Mental Health Task Force, Mission, Nominating, Personnel, Property, Stewardship and Administration, and Worship.
The Board of Deacons, elected for three-year terms (with one-year student deacon positions), carries ministries of care and compassion. The current deacon classes include Tim Biskup, Sandy DiGiulio, Kate Fay, Ann Foley (Moderator), and Donna Miller in the Class of 2026; Dave Alexander, Christie Hayes, Linda Koelle, and Karin Pearsall in the Class of 2027; and Chris Hoyler, Cheryl Mawby, Lisa Rutkowski, and Emma Albright-Williams in the Class of 2028.
Getting Involved, Giving, and Staying Connected
Grace offers several ways to stay in touch and contribute. A weekly newsletter, "Happenings at Grace," goes out by email; the "Community Center Chronicle" newsletter covers events at the new building. Worship is livestreamed and recordings are archived on Vimeo. "The Unpolished" - a short, conversational devotional hosted by Pastor Brian - is released weekly on YouTube and Spotify, intended as something different from a sermon or Bible study.
Giving is accepted through the offering plate, mailed checks (Attn: Financial Secretary, 444 York Rd), PayPal, Venmo (@gracejenkintown), a bank bill-pay feature, and stock gifts processed through the Presbyterian Foundation at 1-800-858-6127. Detailed giving questions go to Tina Hinks at extension 14.
The church office is open Monday through Friday; the main number is (215) 887-6117. Rev. Brian Russo can be reached at extension 12, Rev. Cassie Heintz at extension 21, Valerie Clayton at extension 19, and Cindy Kaminski at the Nursery School at extension 23. Members connect with one another through the Breeze online directory.
Grace Presbyterian Church is located at 444 York Road in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. Worship is held Sundays at 10:00 AM in the sanctuary, and the Community Center at Grace is open throughout the week for classes, meetings, art exhibits, and community gatherings.