Grace Baptist Church will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a slew of events throughout next week.

Wade Biggs, founder and pastor of the church, and his wife Joanna said there is much to celebrate and be thankful for during this milestone.

The church will hold its anniversary service on March 20 at 1:30 p.m. A normal worship service will be held at 11 a.m. and lunch will be served in between the two services.

Joanna said she plans to have a special presentation of pictures and videos from the last 25 years to show to the congregation.

Wade said a number of other pastors are expected to attend and share a few words in the afternoon service, along with his sermon.

“We hope to have people share their testimonials,” Wade said.

In addition to the Sunday service, the church will have revival on Monday through Wednesday at 7 p.m. to kick off the celebration.

“We opened the church March 17, 1991,” Joanna said. “We started with he and I and our two children, and then we have grown from that.”

Joanna said there is much cause for celebration this anniversary because their new church will be finished soon.

Wade said the church congregation is doing all of the work themselves in order to stay debt free.

“We’re framing on the inside,” Wade said. “The outside’s complete. We are all ready to hang the steeple — that’s not done yet. It’s just little things.”

Grace Baptist Church was founded after Wade felt called to preach while living in Beauford, Georgia.

“My dad pastors Northview here in town and somebody approached him about buying the building that we’re in now and starting an independent Baptist church in it,” Wade said. “Through the process of us being called and the opportunity, we just felt like the Lord would have us come here and that’s how it all started.”

Wade said his mission for the church is to exult the savior, encourage the saint and enlighten the sinner.

“All our preaching and teaching comes from the King James Bible,” Wade said. “We just preach the truth. The tendency of the day is to give people things according to their flesh and when you do that you’ve got to keep it with that. Our focus has been on the word of God. If they come with that, that’s what they’ll stay with. My daddy always said, ‘Preach it as it is to people as they are,’ and that’s what we’ve tried to hold the theme to — just to give the word of God.”

Grace Baptist Church boasts many programs for all ages including, Sunday school, children’s church, a bus ministry, Wednesday night classes, church camps, vacation Bible school and a puppet ministry, Joanna said. Anyone looking for a home church is invited to see what Grace Baptist Church is all about during its anniversary celebration, she said.

“The friendliness and the family atmosphere is what makes us unique,” Wade said. “I always say it’s probably the friendliest church in Lincoln County.”