LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — After more than 70 years of worship, fellowship, and community, one of the last remaining churches in Downtown Las Vegas is closing its doors.
Congregants at Grace Presbyterian Church celebrated their last Easter Mass at their church campus near the I-15 and Charleston on Sunday.
The church was forced to relocate due to rising rents, safety concerns in the area, and the expansion of the freeway, which made it challenging for members to get to and from the church’s campus.
“It’s just gonna be a lot of change, and change, even when it’s positive, is hard for people,” Associate Pastor Craig Sanders said. “This is the place we’ve done ministry for 70 years, and now we’re going to be going to a new home, and we’re excited about that, but it’s hard. It’s hard for these people to leave. They mourn it all the time.”
The church’s new location near Rhodes Ranch will be smaller than its current campus due to the increased cost of building. But Sanders says the downsizing will allow the church to host more services, allowing more people to join.
“The people are the church, not the building,” Sanders said. “The building is a tool that we use, but we’re taking all those people with us, and so we as the church are going there… this is just a new generation for ministry for us.”
Grace Presbyterian Church will host its final service at its current church campus on May 4. They will have services at Mountain View Presbyterian Church until they move into their new location in December.
