Church Profile
Grace Evangelical Church is ten years old and has been in its new building on highway AB, on Madison’s southeast side for three years. When Pastor Paul Bawden arrived from Des Moines six years ago, the congregation was meeting at Monona Grove High School.
The congregation has seen slow, steady growth, reported Pastor Bawden. Attendance is now around 100-120, and the church attracts attendees from as far away as Evansville, Waunakee and Sun Prairie.
Music is one of the church’s attractions, showcasing a blend of traditional and contemporary styles. The church has a string orchestra and handbell choir, as well as praise teams. It’s one church that still uses hymn books.
"We had a hymn sing the other night that was very well attended," he said. There was a pie social afterwards and at least one person said of the hymns sung, "We could sing this all night." Hymn sings are typically held about four times a year at Grace Church.
Pastor Bawden said the church has also maintained the tradition of a Wednesday night prayer meeting, at least up until this fall. The church has also just begun an AWANA youth program, and that has had an impact on the prayer meeting turnout.
Another strong emphasis is prayer. "We have tried to raise that up a notch too," said Pastor Bawden. Each new year begins with a week-long emphasis on prayer, a tradition that Pastor Bawden brought with him from Des Moines where he was a Free Church pastor for 18 years.
"We want to have a greater outreach in the community," he added. "The people want to do that, we just need to do more of it."
One community outreach practiced by Pastor Bawden is writing. He submits occasional columns to local newspapers, such as the Fitchburg Star and the Monona/Cottage Grove Herald Independent. He also writes for the website gotquestions.org, which provides Biblical answers to questions about God, the Bible and theology. The website includes his endorsement, as well as that of Dr. Woodrow Kroll of Back to the Bible and Dr. Norman Geisler of Southern Evangelical Seminary. "I’ve been writing for them for quite a while," he said. "I enjoy it because it keeps me fresh." He also writes for Union Gospel Press.
Pastor Bawden has a bachelors degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Master’s of Theology Degree from Dallas Seminary. He and his wife Ferra have three daughters, and three grandchildren. The church has one service on Sunday mornings, beginning at 9 o’clock.