Pastor Javier Mondragon pioneered the effort to start the south campus of Grace Point Church in 2008. In 2015, this campus became its own independent church known as Many Nations Church of the Nazarene. This is an inner-city, multicultural congregation in southeast Fort Wayne, one of few with bilingual services in English and Spanish.

He was born in Mexico, grew up in a neighborhood that was the second most violent in the city. Drugs and alcohol were part of everyday life, and available on every corner. A gang member at age 12, he drank and smoked marijuana by 13, and was a cocaine user by 15. His father left after his birth, his mother died at the age of 54 when he was only 17. He dropped out of school shortly after starting the 10th grade. Under the influence of a brother, he became a follower of Christ and eventually had a call into ministry and graduated from seminary. 

In starting Bridge of Grace he adds, “Growing up, there was a church in my neighborhood, very close to where we gathered to drink. People would walk past us on their way to services. We heard the music and saw them pass again as they left never stopping to either speak to us or invite us to their church. That experience has shaped my ministry and the mission of Bridge of Grace. We will not only open our doors, but we will actively pursue them and tell the story that can change their lives now and forever.” Bridge of Grace is all about transforming people’s lives.