About | GCC History
Maple Grove Assembly of God (MGAG) was started from the vision of Rev. Orill Krans to have a new Assemblies of God church in the northwest part of the Minneapolis area. In July of 1971, Rev. Krans talked with Rev. Garth Lambie about becoming the pastor of this new church plant.
September 12, 1971, the first services of MGAG were held in the Maple Grove Village Hall. The new church had started with 21 people in attendance its first Sunday. Construction began for a combined parsonage-church facility. On January 14, 1973 the first service was held in the new sanctuary (the parsonage basement).
On June 19, 1977, the congregation met for the last time in the basement of the parsonage and ceremonially marched across the driveway to occupy the new facilities In September 1979, Pastor Garth Lambie felt led of God to move to Crosby, MN. In March of 1980, the congregation asked Rev. Chan Keith to become their pastor. As the congregation increased in size, they realized they needed to build again. In May 1981, the congregation approved a building project to nearly double the size of the facility with a new sanctuary and foyer area.
In February 1984, the building was completed, and the church occupied the “New Sanctuary.”
In November 1985, Pastor Chan felt called to leave the pastorate and pursue an evangelistic ministry. In February 1986, the congregation of MGAG asked Rev. Greg Hickle, an Associate Pastor under Pastor Keith, to become their pastor. His time here saw a number of ministries develop and flourish.
Perhaps the most significant ministry of recent years was the planting of a new Assemblies of God church – Higher Dimensions Christian Center – in Rogers, MN during the fall of 2000. Higher Dimensions has since been renamed to High Point Church and will soon begin their new church building.
October 1, 2004 brought the next pastoral change as Pastor George Bunnell was voted in as the church’s next leader. He and his wife, Brenda and their son Ryan moved from Thief River Falls, MN to begin the next phase of the ministry.
A major renovation of the facility was done in 2006 and in 2007 the church voted to rename the ministry to Grove Christian Center, An Assemblies of God Fellowship.
With continued growth in people and ministry, Grove Christian Center looks forward to being used as a church “Where Real Life Begins.”