Grace Community Church came into being as a result of it's founder Clifford Eric Rutter's deep desire to do something really significant for the Lord Jesus Christ who had called him into ministry.

GCC’s humble beginnings began with only eight members in a house in Panorama. The church opened it's doors for the very first time in the small community of Thornton, on the Cape Peninsula, South Africa, on Sunday 5th March 2000 in a classroom of the Western Cape Technical College. Under the auspices of the Assemblies of God Group, South Africa, the small group of twelve core members were joined by a number of visitors who came to support the beginnings of a new church. The total attendance for the 1st service amounted to a grand total of twenty-seven.

An air of excitement permeated the whole meeting as Cliffie donned various caps, moving from convener to guitarist, and finally to preacher for the morning.

From the very beginning and it's first wobbly steps the church has come to understand the scripture, "do not despise the day of small beginnings". Over the last few years the church necessitating the move from the classroom from the college to the Thornton Dutch Reform Church hall, with a an average Sunday morning attendance of 90-100 people, excluding the youth, many of whom come from SOS children's Village. With the move to the church hall came better facilities resulting in community work and youth activities.

The name of the church is taken from Philip Yancy's book,"What's So Amazing About Grace". We as a church have experienced the grace of God at work in the life of the church and it's members, and it is our desire to see that the grace of God touches as many lives as possible through our ministry.

Our vision is to become a caring church in a hurting community, dispensing the grace of God in its various forms.