Welcome to Our Community!
Garden of Grace is an inclusive, Open and Affirming Christian community in Columbia, South Carolina, and part of the United Church of Christ. We imagine Garden of Grace as a place where peace and acceptance are everyday experiences; where questions are welcomed, voices are heard, and life is shared openly. Here, you’ll find the warmth of gathering around a table with people who genuinely care about you.
At Garden of Grace, it’s okay not to have all the answers. What matters is being together in a space where grace leads the way. You’re welcome to come with your doubts, your questions, your whole complicated self. We’ll save you a seat.
If You’re Healing from a Hard Church Experience
We hear you. Many of us have been where you are. Garden of Grace exists because people needed a safe space for spiritual exploration, a place where healing happens and faith is encouraged gently, authentically, and with love.
Here’s what we can promise: we won’t pressure you. We won’t ambush you with altar calls. We won’t tell you your questions are dangerous. You can come once, come every week, or come back in six months. It’s okay not to have all the answers. What matters is being together in a space where grace leads the way.
If you have specific concerns or questions before visiting, reach out to Pastor Eric directly via the page chat. He’s happy to talk.
Plan A Visit
When you arrive: Come on in. We’ll say hello and offer you a name badge (we all wear them) and some refreshments. You won’t be singled out or put on the spot. We'll invite you to participate in what's going on.
What to wear: Whatever you’re comfortable in Jeans and a t-shirt are perfectly welcome. So is a suit. We care about you, not your outfit.
Kids: Children are welcome in worship. We are intergenerational and ask if you need accommodations to please reach out in advance. Many of our folks are teachers including our pastor, so inclusivity of differing ages and needs is in our nature.
Parking: There's paved parking and gravel parking. We don't have lines and that's probably indicative of how we practice faith. Some people need to park close and some people like parking away from the building on days with good weather. Some park to the side for shade or mobility needs. You do you.
Worship style: We have an ordered style that's eclectic. Our worship blends music with contemplative and reflective practices. We sing together, hear a message, and share in prayer and communion. The music ranges from hymns to contemporary pieces, accompanied by piano and other instruments. We use screens so you can follow along without needing a hymnal though we have them for singing harmony too.
Communion: We practice an open table every Sunday. Everyone is invited to participate regardless of membership, denomination, or belief.
Giving: Our offering time is a moment to give thanks, to God and for the good in our lives. We pass a plate during the service, and many of our members give financially online. If you’d like to support our work, we invite you to give in whatever way is convenient. As our guest, there’s no pressure. For us, this time is about gratitude as much as it is about financially supporting the work of Garden of Grace.
Our Mission
Garden of Grace exists to create a community where healing happens and faith flourishes: a safe space for spiritual exploration, grounded in radical love, open to all, and committed to serving the world around us.
Our Vision
United in Spirit. Inspired by God’s Grace. We imagine a future where every person feels deeply connected, welcomed, and safe. We see Garden of Grace as a place where peace and acceptance are everyday experiences; where questions are welcomed, voices are heard, and life is shared openly.
Our community embraces diversity and new traditions, offering a fresh start for those seeking spiritual connection. We honor the journey of faith, even when it looks different from popular evangelical Christianity. Above all, we are committed to being a space where healing happens and faith is encouraged: gently, authentically, and with love.
Our Values
Radical Love. We embrace and extend the unconditional love of Christ to all people, regardless of background, identity, or circumstance. This love reaches across every boundary. It shows up in action, stays in the room when things get hard, and refuses to let anyone fall through the cracks.
Extravagant Hospitality. We welcome everyone with warmth, generosity, and joy, creating a sanctuary where people feel truly seen and valued. At Garden of Grace, hospitality means you belong here before you believe anything. The welcome comes first.
Spirit-Filled Worship. We gather to worship with authenticity, creativity, and reverence, celebrating God’s presence through music, story, prayer, and sacrament. We make room for silence and for singing, for doubt and for joy.
Compassionate Service. We serve our neighbors with empathy and action, responding to needs with grace and humility. We believe the church should be a resource to its neighborhood, not a fortress inside it.
Faithful Growth. We commit to growing in faith, discipleship, and spiritual maturity, nurturing one another on the journey. We take learning seriously: through study, conversation, contemplative practice, and the kind of honest self-reflection that transforms lives.
Joyful Diversity. We celebrate the beauty of our differences, believing that God’s Spirit unites us in peace and purpose. Our differences in background, identity, perspective, and story make us stronger and more beautiful.
Covenant and Commitments
Our Open and Affirming Covenant
Garden of Grace United Church of Christ is an Open and Affirming congregation. We welcome and affirm people of every sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, race, ethnicity, age, physical and mental ability, economic circumstance, family structure, and faith background.
This commitment shapes everything we do. LGBTQ+ individuals and their families participate fully in the life of our church: in membership, leadership, sacraments, and all aspects of congregational life. We don’t qualify our welcome. We don’t make people earn belonging.
We stand with those who have been excluded by other faith communities, and we commit to being a congregation where all people can worship, serve, and grow without fear.
UCC Denomination
Garden of Grace is a congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC), a mainline Protestant denomination with roots going back to the earliest days of American Christianity. The UCC has a long history of firsts: it ordained the first African American pastor in 1785, the first woman in 1853, and the first openly gay man in 1972.
The UCC is a denomination built on the conviction that God is still speaking; that our faith should grow, evolve, and respond to the world as it is. Each UCC congregation governs itself, which means Garden of Grace makes its own decisions about worship, leadership, and mission while staying connected to a wider movement of progressive,
justice-oriented churches across the country.
You may have heard the UCC tagline: “No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you’re welcome here.” We take that seriously!
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Leadership
Team of Trustees
Garden of Grace is governed by its congregation. We operate with a board of leaders we call our Team of Trustees who share responsibility for the direction and care of our community. The UCC model of congregational governance means decisions happen together, with no hierarchy and no top-down mandates. We believe the people who are committed to showing up should have a voice in where we’re going.
Meet Our Pastor Eric
A minister, teacher, and musician who believes everyone belongs, Eric brings honesty and heart to his work, inviting us to increase in love for ourselves, neighbors, and God.
LET'S WALK TOGETHER!
Faith isn't about having all the answers. It's about showing up with love: for yourself, your neighbor, and the stranger. Let's figure this out together. Drop us a line!!
-Eric Reagan (he/him)
History
Garden of Grace began with a need: a place where everyone could belong.
Garden of Grace didn’t begin with a building, a budget, or a long‑range plan. It began with a need—one that was deeply felt by people who had been told there was no place for them in the church. In 1988, a small group of Christians in Columbia gathered to create the Community Fellowship Church of Columbia. Many were gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender believers who had been turned away from other congregations. They weren’t looking to start an institution; they were looking for a spiritual home. So they built one.
Building with Courage
Those early gatherings took place in a rented space off Main Street, where worship was simple, heartfelt, and rooted in the conviction that God’s love is for everyone. As the community grew, it became known as Metropolitan Community Church of Columbia—a place where people who had been pushed out found belonging, healing, and hope.
Over time, the congregation dreamed bigger. Through the “Wings of Change” campaign, members pooled their resources to purchase wooded land on the outskirts of Columbia. A few years later, the “Building & More” campaign made it possible to construct the sanctuary we worship in today. The move into that new building was a milestone, but it wasn’t easy. The church endured vandalism, protests, and hostility from neighbors who didn’t yet understand who we were. Still, the congregation stayed rooted in grace. They showed up, prayed, rebuilt, and kept going. Eventually, the hostility faded, and the church’s quiet persistence became its own kind of witness.
Becoming Who We Are
In 2006, the congregation helped coordinate Columbia’s first Black and Latino gay
pride week—an expression of the same inclusive spirit that had shaped the church from the beginning. Later that year, on October 15, the church voted to become part of the United Church of Christ, joining a denomination whose commitments to justice and welcome matched the values this community had already been living for nearly two decades.
The Legacy We Carry Forward
Today, Garden of Grace carries forward that legacy. For almost forty years, this church has been a refuge for people who were told they didn’t belong, a place where questions are welcomed, stories are honored, and faith is something we explore together. Our mission has grown beyond our original circle, but the heart of it remains the same: to be a home for the searching, the hopeful, the curious, and the courageous.
We’re updating our building now not because we’re trying to impress anyone, but because we believe our space should reflect the care we have for the people inside it. We’re still learning, still growing, still becoming the community God is calling us to be. We don’t pretend to have everything figured out. What we do have is a shared commitment to walk this journey together.
And there’s room for you in that story.
". . . still becoming the community God is calling us to be."
Building Tour
Our building tells a story. Every detail, from the Dried Thyme accent wall to the warm lighting to the welcome lettered on the entry, was chosen to say one thing: we prepared this space for you. The main room serves double duty. On Sundays it’s a worship space with a knotty pine altar, warm acoustics, and room for everyone. During the week and during special events, it transforms into a gathering space for meals, small groups, classes, and community use. We have a lounge area near the entrance with comfortable seating and a library. Meeting rooms are available for small groups, studies, and private conversations. The kitchen serves meals during our Sunday gatherings and community events.
Coming Soon
Stay Tuned