Grace Filipino Church started as a small home Bible study group in Woodbridge, Virginia. Pastor Chilton conducted home Bible studies at the Paredeses in the mid-1980s.  Many Filipinos and their families joined these Bible study meetings, many were exposed to the gospel.  But few really ended up becoming members of Grace Baptist Church.  These home Bible study meetings continued on and off because some of the contacts either relocated or became busy or disinterested.

In April, 1990, the group started meeting formally as a Sunday school class for Filipinos at GBC, with a handful of members.  The attendance and membership fluctuated from 3 to sometimes a dozen.  Home Bible study meetings and fellowship were also conducted periodically in order to reach out to more Filipinos.  Unfortunately for about a year these gatherings for bible studies, fellowships and Sunday school had to stop because members  were so few and  not growing anymore.  Then in 1995 the Tagalog Sunday school class resumed meeting again due to a more sustained interest and participation by the members.  The average attendance at this point was 10 and went up to 20 when everybody was present.

On  October 2,1999, the group with 15 members present, was challenged  to start a church for the Filipino community. That same day after discussions and deliberations, it was unanimously decided to start a Filipino church in the area.  Twenty adults and six children were commissioned and dedicated to this new ministry by Grace Baptist Church on December 5,1999. GBC  gave its blessings to the birthing of Grace Filipino Church and also approved the appointment of Pastor Charlie Chilton as the interim pastor of GFC.

The first  worship service started on January 2, 2000 with 52 in attendance which was held at  the sanctuary of Grace Baptist Church at 12:00 noon  There were 27 persons who signed the covenant of membership that first Sunday. GBC allows us to use its building and facilities, and has been very supportive to us since the beginning.

The Lord has been adding to our number!  We are a covenant-making church and currently have 39 members. Our Sunday worship attendance averages about 50, and sometimes the attendance goes up to 70.  We have three Sunday school groups and three Home Bible Study groups meeting in different homes during the week.  We have a good mix of both Filipinos and Americans in this congregation, mainly through interracial marriage.

There are many Filipinos in the Woodbridge and Dale city area.    Some are new immigrants, some are second generation immigrants who still closely identify with the Filipino culture.  We hope that the Lord will make our church fruitful and use us to reach many more Filipinos and their families, so that they too might experience the love and saving power of Jesus Christ.