Grace and Glory Covenant Choir formed within Chicago's Jesus People USA (JPUSA), the ministry that also launched Resurrection (Rez) Band, Glenn Kaiser, The Crossing, and many others. Grace and Glory reflected the diversity of JPUSA at the time and existed as a testimony to "the biblical harmony that God desires from His children, regardless of skin color. Living together in community teaches the ongoing lessons of loving our neighbor as ourself and truly learning to honor each other as God intended. This is the crux of Grace and Glory's message to the world: We are all different — we can learn to overcome our differences and love as He intended."

The choir started small in 1979, but it wasn't long before the group doubled in size and sang at every church and community event that JPUSA held, including yearly at Cornerstone Festival. By 1995 Grace and Glory numbered over forty members and performed often throughout Chicago.

Their 1995 album Inspired featured Chicago composer and arranger William Kilgore, who partnered with the choir for the recording and contributed four original compositions ("I've Been Inspired by the Word of God," "Praises," "Joy," "He'll Keep a Light Shining").