"Ours is a long history. As Reverend Peyton Little observed, in his early History of Grafton Baptist Church, the roots of this church ante-date the government of the United States. He writes that 'Grafton had been an organized body of believers for four years before Lord Cornwallis surrendered to General Washington in 1781, almost at the very door of the church....'" (From The History of the Grafton Baptist Church ... A Legacy for the Future, by Robert L. Saunders, Jr. written for the celebration of our 200th anniversary in 1977.)
Grafton Baptist Church was established at nearly the same time and in the same place as freedom was won for the United States at Yorktown. In the 230 years since, GBC has weathered wars, internal conflicts, and many changes in location. The church body moved to its current location in 1962. Included in the minutes of the December 1966 business meeting were these words that would serve as the vision for GBC as the church body moved forward:
"When the old Grafton Baptist Church down at Hornsbyville voted to move out here, it was thought our church could expect to administer to anywhere from 500 to 2,000 members ... Many of the church members at that time thought that too large a church tended to become impersonal and cold. As a result it was decided a 1,000 membership church would be a reasonable size for this area, and if or when the potential became greater we should start missions in areas where needed....It was also felt that a 1,000 member church...could give a substantial amount to missions..." And so our vision then, and now, is to become a church body that will minister to families in our community both through our church building facilities and within the community; as well as ministering beyond our community through missions around Viriginia, the USA, and the world.