Grace is part of the Episcopal Church, a branch of the Jesus Movement.  We seek to walk the Way of Love -- Loving God and our neighbor.

Our prayer life is rooted in ancient traditions, yet alive with contemporary focus.  Our services follow the patterns found in The Book of Common Prayer.  You can get a fuller understanding of the ways we think and talk about God by listening to some of our weekly sermons.

Come worship with us.  Join us in service to others.

Grace welcomes all.  We strive to be a community which seeks to nurture and grow the lives of the faithful, wherever they may be on life's journey.

The history of Grace Church is intertwined with the history of the United States and the local Yorktown community, from pre-Revolutionary days.  For information about the history of Grace and the nearby church graveyard, plesae visit the Grace Historical Church Preservation Foundation website.

Our quarterly Newsletter offers a current snapshot of the vibrant, joyful life which continues at Grace Church today.

The Rev. Carleton B. Bakkum, Rector
The Rev. Carleton Bakkum has been rector of Grace Church a long time -- 25 years!   Originally from Dalton, Georgia, his B.A. is from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL, his M.Div. is from Princeton Theological Seminary and he has a Certificate in Anglican Studies from General Seminary in New York City.  Carleton believes the Episcopal Church is a "best kept secret" and works to encourage others in living abundant Christian lives -- connected to Grace Church.  He has a particular and lifelong interest in music and art and loves camping, hiking and kayaking.  He is married to Elsa Bakkum who is Assistant Director of Education for Ministry (EfM, out of the School of Theology at the University of the South in Sewanee, TN).  They have three grown sons, Brownlee, who works in San Francisco; Benj, who works in New York City; and Carter, who works in Washington, DC.

The Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Soltys, Assistant Rector
My family and I moved here from the Chicago area just over a year ago.  My husband, Stuart Henderson, was recruited by Jefferson Lab in Newport News, where he currently serves as Director.  We have two children, Sophia and Grace, who will be seniors this year—one at Sewanee and one in high school.  When we moved, I was just finishing my first year as an ordained priest, and as Curate of St James Cathedral in Chicago.  Since the move I have been working as a supply priest up and down the peninsula.

I was born in Boston, around the time of the Kennedy assassination, hence my first name. (My parents named me after Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, so I pronounce it the French way.)  After high school, I headed to the Northeast for both college and graduate school.  I began my professional life as an academic.  (I have a PhD in Russian Language and Literature.)  When our girls were older, I reentered the work world part-time.  Always active in church, I took a position as Christian Education Director at our parish in Knoxville, TN. Three years later, we moved to Illinois, and I began the slow process of pursuing ordination in the Diocese of Chicago.  I was ordained as a Deacon in 2015; as a priest in 2016.

The Rev. Carleton B. Bakkum, Rector                                          

The Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Soltys, Assistant Rector                               

Courtney Kelley, Parish Administrator                            

Bob Frady, Financial Director                                                                 

Denise Wash, Secretary                                         

Karen Wahlstrom, Director of Children and Youth Ministries

Mrs. Diane Garrison, Nursery Supervisor

Mrs. Elsa Bakkum, M.Div., Resident Spiritual Director           

Mrs. Nancy Sullivan, Parish Nurse

Mrs. Brenda Moore, Archivist                                                          

Dr. David Miller, Cemetery Director                                    

Administratively, Parish operations are directed by the Vestry, an elected board whose members serve staggered three-year terms. Vestry members, and their respective commission assignments for the 2019 calendar year are: