Today many rural congregations stand at a crossroads. "Should we stay where we are and slowly dwindle away or step out in faith and move to town?" That crossroads is where the congregation of West Paint Creek Lutheran Church found itself in 2003.

The congregation was formed in 1856. The West Paint Creek Synod church building was constructed in 1893. Many family members are buried there. Many weddings, baptisms, confirmations and funerals took place there. Five current members of our present congregation had been baptized and confirmed there.

Under the leadership of their pastor, the Rev. Harvey Abrahamson, the decision was made to rent a room at the Farm Bureau Building in Waukon and hold services for a six-month trial. On September 7, 2003 the first service was held in Waukon. At the end of the trial a vote was taken, some who had strong ties to the rural church did not wish to continue worshipping in Waukon.

A name change was discussed because of confusion with Old West Paint Creek Lutheran Church, an ELCA church, just a mile away from our West Paint Creek Synod Church. The congregation decided on the name King of Grace. A new constitution was developed and election of officers and church council took place. The constitution and by-laws were filed with the state on December 13, 2003.

The search began for our own worship facility. A sound attractive building, which had been an auto parts store with a three-bedroom apartment upstairs and adequate parking was found and was purchased in April 2005. Remodeling of the building moved forward, mostly with volunteers from our congregation, along with volunteers from Mt. Olive, Mankato, Minnesota, Trinity Lutheran, Calmar, Iowa and St. Timothy's, Williamsburg, Iowa. On October 2, 2005 King of Grace Lutheran Church was dedicated to our Lord's service. The blessings continued with gifts from many different churches, ladies groups, Sunday schools and youth groups throughout the synod.

Pastor Harvey Abrahamson served as pastor through this transition. He helped draft a proposal that was presented to the Board for Home Missions requesting limited financial assistance and help in calling a pastor. This would enable Pastor Abrahamson to concentrate his efforts on the two other congregations he serves. On November 6, 2005 the Rev. J. Kincaid Smith of Mankato was called out of retirement to serve the congregation on a part-tune basis. He was installed on January 8, 2006.

King of Grace applied for and received matching funds from the ELS Parish Evangelism Assistance Program (PEA). These monies have been used for signs for the church, radio ads, newspaper ads, a fair booth, Festival of Trees, floats in parades, car wash, soup suppers and bake sales. King of Grace started with a nucleus of seventeen souls. One year later the Lord has blessed these efforts so that we have 44 members, a Sunday Morning Adult Bible Study, a Sunday School of seven children, a confirmation class of five, Friday night Adult Bible Study, and men's and women's groups.

King of Grace is the only confessional Lutheran congregation within a thirty-mile radius of Waukon. Most of the other churches in the area are members of those church bodies that no longer teach the inerrancy of Scripture. Consequentially many people are losing the faith of their fathers, a sad reality; yet it leaves us with "a field white for harvest" (John 4:35).

King of Grace Lutheran Church has truly been blessed by its decision to step out in faith, trusting the Lord for His guidance "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6).

Dennis Benzing is a member of King of Grace Lutheran Church in Waukon, Iowa and a member of the ELS Board for Evangelism.