Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sheboygan, Wisconsin started as Beacon Lights Chapel, a ministry of the First Christian Reformed Church in Sheboygan. It was intended to reach out to unchurched people in the Sheboygan County area, and was making substantial progress under the leadership and ministry of John Fikkert. When the Pastor and consistory of First CRC decided to close the work and merge the people into their church, some of those involved decided to look elsewhere for oversight. A connection was made with the Rev. Don Stanton and the Rev. Henry Fikkert, both of whom served on the CHEX Committee of the OPC Presbytery of the Midwest. Soon the work in Sheboygan came under the auspices of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.
The first worship service for Grace OPC was held on January 28, 1973, in the basement of Fred and Toni Barthels. Rev. Henry Fikkert, then pastor of Calvary OPC in nearby Cedar Grove, lead the service and preached. His son Brian sang a solo during the service. The group soon rented the Cooper Elementary School for their worship services, and the ministry began growing. Within a year they had found their first pastor, the Rev. John Hilbelink.
In 1975 the group purchased their first building on the north side of Sheboygan. The membership had grown to 33 communicant members and 26 non-communicants, for a total of 59. The Hilbelinks served until 1979, and were followed by the Rev. Jonathan Falk. The Falk’s ministry in Sheboygan continued for six years. In 1982, the mission work was organized as a separate congregation and had 79 members. In 1985 they purchased a Nazarene church building on the far north side of Sheboygan.
When the Falks left for Maine in 1986, the church was relatively healthy. The next pastor was the Rev. William Laun. He served for less than two years, and the church declined during this time. Disagreements over philosophy of ministry and the direction of the church caused some to leave. After Rev. Laun resigned, the church reverted to Mission Church status under the oversight of Bethel OPC in Oostburg. Finances were tight and the possibility of closing the church was seriously considered.
With the help of Bethel OPC, the group continued worshipping together. The Rev. Charles Ellis came for several months to assess the viability of the work, and he recommended that the Session of Bethel close the church. Around this time the Lord provided the Rev. Lawrence Eyres to serve on an interim basis. His ministry was originally intended to last a year, but he stayed for four years. During this time the church was stabilized and much good outreach was carried out by Rev. Eyres.
When the Eyres moved to be near their daughter and son-in-law in Janesville, Wisconsin, in 1993, the church called the Rev. Ivan DeMaster to serve as the next pastor. Finances were still tight when the DeMasters arrived, so Ivan worked part-time in a local factory. During Rev. DeMaster’s ministry, four interns served summer internships: Uri Tamminga (wife, Melissa) , Eric Ederma (wife, Sarah), Ken Golden (wife, Cressid), and John Shaw (wife, Ann). Under the capable and steady leadership of Rev. DeMaster, the congregation further stabilized and grew. Outreach and Presbytery involvement were important features of the church during those years. In 2005, Rev. DeMaster announced his intention to retire. The congregation called the Rev. Brian De Jong. Rev. De Jong was the pastor of Covenant OPC in Brighton, Michigan. Rev. De Jong and his wife DeLou had six children: Samantha, Ian, Grace, Elijah, Cameron and Christian. They arrived in late August 2005. During the following years the congregation continued to grow numerically and to mature. In 2008 a major building renovation project was successfully completed. The church began holding an annual Reformation Conference in late October, inviting a variety of speakers to address the history of the Reformation and its relevance to modern life. The church has also continued to actively participate in Presbytery activities, with the Pastor and several elders providing leadership of Presbytery committees. In 2023 the church will celebrate its 50th anniversary.