Make no mistake, Grace Presbyterian is a church that feels like a church. From its imposing sandstone walls and gabled entrance to its grand bell tower, the cathedral on the corner of 15 Ave. and 9 St. S.W. is the epitome of a what a structure of spirituality should look like.

Entering the church, the feeling becomes absolute. The church’s main sanctuary, with its magnificent curved balcony surrounding the lower level, is the sort of place where visitors (900 of them to be exact), regardless of their denomination, can feel a connection with something otherworldly.

Constructed in 1912 at a cost of just over $120,000, the church saw the addition of its immense Gunn Memorial bell tower in 1939, thanks to a donation from the Gunn family (hence the name). Along the way, the church’s immense chancel organ, along with the sandstone exterior have seen a restoration or two, but it has all been done in an effort to keep Grace Presbyterian looking much the same as when it was built.

In the opinion of the church’s senior minister, Rev. Victor Kim, the feeling provided by the century-old church is one that gives visitors an awareness of all those that have come before them.

“It does give you a sense of your place in the continuity of history. We’ve been around for 105 years as a congregation, so you know you are standing on the shoulders of people who have given a lot of themselves to make this place what it is.”

Now entering his 17th year at the Grace Presbyterian, Kim was originally born in Korea, eventually moving to Calgary in 1972, where he attended university before moving on to seminary school at Knox College in Toronto.

“This is where I ended up after graduation, which is not what I expected at all,” says Kim of landing what could be considered a dream gig in the ministerial sense. “I didn’t expect to come home to Calgary. This is my one and only church.”

During his time at Grace Presbyterian, Kim has seen the role of the old building continue the traditions of old by serving as a shelter for the Inn From the Cold Program and the Mustard Seed, and set out in new directions by acting as a music venue for the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra as well as the Sled Island music Festival.

By stepping outside of the traditional definition of what exactly a church is, Kim says that Grace Presbyterian has been able to serve a wider audience than just those who attend mass.

“We see it as an opportunity to engage with our community. I don’t think a building like this should be in a community like this and be open for an hour on Sunday mornings. It just doesn’t make any sense. We want to be a good neighbour, and a focal point of this community so that people can say ‘I know what Grace is.’”

The church’s long history is evident through efforts that have been made to maintain a connection to years past. The names and faces of those that have walked the halls over the years are on display, along with many of the original tools used by Pete Henderson, one of the many craftsmen responsible for the church’s stunning woodwork.

The contribution made by people like Henderson is something that has only increased the reverence people have for the building. Over the years, Kim says that one of the most crucial elements in keeping the old church looking as good as it does today has been the willingness of others to lend a helping hand.

“The building has been part of why people have felt home here. It’s represented something significant for them. There has been a significant investment in the building by people in the community over the years, because as you can imagine, a building of this size and age takes a lot of resources, money and expertise to maintain.”

The result of all this hard work is a building that stands as one of the best examples of Gothic Revival architecture in the country. Unlike so many historic buildings that have been altered for the worse over the years, Grace Presbyterian retains nearly all of its former glory.

Apart from serving as an impressive landmark in the Beltline community, Kim believes that the sheer appearance and ambiance provided by the building itself has played a role in convincing people to choose Grace Presbyterian as a congregation.

“I certainly sense a lot of people who, when they are looking for a church, they’re looking for a church that feels like a church, that looks like a church and that connects their feeling of what a church should be like. So when they walk in the doors or when they even walk by, there is a pull there. It doesn’t look like any auditorium that you would find, but it certainly looks like a church.”