Our History 1861-present
When the Rev. Franklin Babbitt began visiting Nyack as a young priest of 33 in 1861, he perceived as God-given the opportunity to establish an Episcopal church where there had been none before. Though young Nyack men were leaving town to join the Union forces and minds were focused on the accelerating Civil War, Babbitt believed his mission was to preach the Word of God, to see to the needs of the people of the village, and to build a suitable monument to the Lord. Through his leadership, Grace Episcopal Church was incorporated in October of 1861.
Through the years, Babbitt’s talents and energies served the parish well and his vision became reality and finally tradition. During his rectorship (1861-1918), the parish family grew in numbers and in strength to become a continuing force for good in the community. Wishing to affirm the Scripture that says, “This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven,” the Rev. Babbitt encouraged the members of the parish to replace the original wood church with a larger, beautiful Gothic Church of granite and native sandstone with stained glass windows and a bell tower, consecrated in May of 1882.
Since Babbitt’s time, Grace Church has been led by ten rectors. They have contributed greatly to the life of our parish and the surrounding community, building needed buildings and raising the funds to maintain and renovate them. In addition to the church itself, the Grace Church “campus” now includes a recently renovated parish hall and offices, rectory, memorial garden and columbarium, and three income properties. Fine liturgy and music has long been a tradition and source of pride at Grace Church; our magnificent Casavant Frères organ was built in 1967 and upgraded with additional pipes in 1994, and four choirs are active in leading our congregational worship.
In recent decades our rectors have helped to foster joint religious services with the other churches in Nyack; ministered to the people of the village who were in need; sought out those who were unchurched; and reached out to the community by opening our doors to self-help groups. They have encouraged lay ministries among our members, and as they helped us understand and develop our Christian life and faith, they have molded us into a family – diverse though we are- through our worship, and through communal activities and outreach.
Through the years, Babbitt’s talents and energies served the parish well and his vision became reality and finally tradition. During his rectorship (1861-1918), the parish family grew in numbers and in strength to become a continuing force for good in the community. Wishing to affirm the Scripture that says, “This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven,” the Rev. Babbitt encouraged the members of the parish to replace the original wood church with a larger, beautiful Gothic Church of granite and native sandstone with stained glass windows and a bell tower, consecrated in May of 1882.
Since Babbitt’s time, Grace Church has been led by ten rectors. They have contributed greatly to the life of our parish and the surrounding community, building needed buildings and raising the funds to maintain and renovate them. In addition to the church itself, the Grace Church “campus” now includes a recently renovated parish hall and offices, rectory, memorial garden and columbarium, and three income properties. Fine liturgy and music has long been a tradition and source of pride at Grace Church; our magnificent Casavant Frères organ was built in 1967 and upgraded with additional pipes in 1994, and four choirs are active in leading our congregational worship.
In recent decades our rectors have helped to foster joint religious services with the other churches in Nyack; ministered to the people of the village who were in need; sought out those who were unchurched; and reached out to the community by opening our doors to self-help groups. They have encouraged lay ministries among our members, and as they helped us understand and develop our Christian life and faith, they have molded us into a family – diverse though we are- through our worship, and through communal activities and outreach.
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The Rectors of Grace Church
The Rev. Franklin Babbitt 1861 – 1918 The Rev. Albert Larrieu Longley 1918 – 1922 The Rev. Stanley Brown-Serman 1923 – 1928 The Rev. Ernest W. Churchill 1932 – 1945 The Rev. Claxton Monro 1945 – 1950 The Rev. Harold B. Thelin 1950 – 1960 The Rev. George Frank Regas 1960 – 1967 The Rev. Charles Robert Green 1967 – 1979 The Rev. Robert Allen Jewett 1980 – 1993 The Rev. Richard Lloyd Gressle 1995 – 2011 The Rev. Owen C. Thompson 2013-present 
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