Good Shepherd Celebrates Fourteen Years With The Unveiling of Building Plans
The Church of the Good Shepherd began in June 1994 as a mission parish of the then recently formed Charismatic Episcopal Church. Twelve people met in the conference room of Dan Hale’s office in Jessup, MD. (now Fr. Hale, Christ the King CEC Peachtree City, GA). Martin Eppard (now Father Martin) led the fledgling congregation. Reserve sacrament was picked up weekly from another parish in a re-sealable soda bottle and margarine tube until the mission parish could afford more appropriate altar paraments.
Fr. Martin Eppard ready to unveil the plans
The parish moved into leased space and Fr. Martin was ordained a deacon and later a priest. The Charismatic Episcopal Church was so small at the time that (then) Fr. Craig Bates had to drive from NYC to Baltimore just to serve as the third clerical witness for the ordination. The Church of the Good Shepherd has always had a vision for raising up men for vocations, and the Lord has used this little parish in the calling of Fr. Jim Ball, Holy Apostles, Westminster, MD.; Fr. Jon Jackson, St. Andrews, Petersburg, VA.; Fr. Dan Hale, Christ the King, GA.; Fr. Terry Murphy, Good Shepherd, as well as several seminarians and laypeople who have taken the special spirit of Good Shepherd to other CEC parishes.
The Church of the Good Shepherd moved several times, and ended up at a VFW hall for a year or two—which turned out to be seven. All the while the parish waited for the fulfillment of a prophetic word given by Fr. Ball, and confirmed again and again about the land where the parish church would be built. Last year they saw the fulfillment of that word with the donation of a parcel of land in Ellicott City, MD., and soon the building will be a reality. God always calls those things which do not exist as though they do. (Rom. 4:17)
Seminarian and architect Elias Marsh explaining the floor plan
The parish has had its ups and downs and has weathered several storms over the past fourteen years. They have participated in the Charismatic Episcopal Church, attending convocations beginning with Cleveland, in 1995, and as recently as Kansas last year. They have seen the CEC as it grew rapidly and then experienced growing pains. We’ve witnessed it through storms and trials, and yet all in all things God has been faithful. Now, with a very bright future ahead of us, both for the parish and the denomination, the folks at Church of the Good Shepherd look forward to where Jesus, The Good Shepherd will lead this little flock next.
3D Rendering of the Church Building
On Sunday they unveiled the church plans designed by Alexander Studios of Ellicott City, and are moving forward with plans for construction. They hope to break ground later this year or early in 2009. The theme song of Fr. Eppard’s (and wife Gwyn’s) alma matar, Elim Bible Institute, has certainly proven true over these fourteen years:
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
