Rev. Grace Caroline Adam

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Adam, Rev. Grace Caroline September 6, 1915 - December 22, 2011 Service 1:00 PM Friday, Dec- ember 30th at Willwerscheid Funeral Home, 1167 Grand Ave., St. Paul. Interment Union Cemetery. Visitation 4-6 PM Thursday. Memorials preferred to Grace's love child, KNOF Radio, 1347 Selby Ave., St. Paul. Grace Caroline Gifford was born to Mr. & Mrs. Frank (Florence) Gifford on September 6, 1915 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Grace fell in love with Fred Adam, the son of a German immigrant, and they were married in June 1933 in Minneapolis when Grace was eighteen years old. During these early years, she excelled in the sewing of clothing and soon became a professional seamstress. During these early years, her relationship with Christ was growing significantly. As a result of her intense love for God, Grace felt called to the ministry. In the Fall of 1948, she enrolled in North Central Bible Institute to prepare for full time vocational ministry. She received her license to preach from the North Central District of the Assemblies of God on June 30, 1950. Grace graduated from the school in the Spring of 1951 with a degree in pastoral ministry. Following graduation from North Central, Grace formed the Grace Adam Evangelistic Party and was involved in a significant amount of evangelistic work in various areas of the upper Midwest for approximately two years. Then Rev. Adam was called to serve as the pastor of the Elysian Gospel Tabernacle in Elysian, Minnesota during the period 1953-1957. During this time, church services were also held at the Hilltop Chapel in Waterville, Minnesota and in the Gifford home in Madison Lake, Minnesota for a one year period. She also started a bus ministry in the area to bring more people into the church. Grace received her ordination with the Assemblies of God in July 1954. Prior to Grace's tenure at the Elysian church, the congregation was broadcasting their Sunday morning services over radio station KYSM during the time period 1947 to 1951. While Grace was pastor, the church continued to use radio media in bringing the gospel to southeastern Minnesota over station KTOE. It was likely that this was where Grace was first introduced to, and developed her passion for, radio ministry. Following her time as pastor at the Elysian church, Grace and Fred moved to St. Paul and started the Selby Gospel Mission. They ministered to hundreds of people needing God's love over the next number of years. Grace's parents, Frank and Florence Gifford also became Christians under her ministry. On January 1, 1958, Grace was able to baptize her own mother. It was a wonderful day for both mother and daughter. Land was purchased at the corner of Selby and Hamline Avenues where the present chapel, radio studio and apartment were constructed and dedicated in June 1958. In early 1960, Selby Gospel Broadcasting was granted an FM radio license and began their historic ministry. It was only the third FM license granted in the St. Paul/Minneapolis metropolitan area. Grace and Fred were not only pioneers in FM radio media, they were among the first to utilize it for the propagation of the Gospel. In order to be properly prepared for radio ministry, Grace also completed courses of study at the MacPhail School of Music and the Minnesota Electronics School. At age 61, Grace was granted a radio operator's permit by the Federal Communications Commission in September 1976 and continued to run the radio ministry following Fred's death in October 1987. Rev. Grace Adam gifted KNOF to North Central University in May of 2007 where the ministry is broadcasted 24 hours daily-Praise FM Network-Rev. Adam would be honored with continued financial support of KNOF Ministry - 1347 Selby Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104.

Published on December 27, 2011