We receive our deed!

Church of the Good Shepherd Receives Deed to Land

Over 10 years ago the Lord led Fr. Martin Eppard, rector of Church of the Good Shepherd, to begin discussions with a family in Ellicott City, MD. about the donation of a parcel of land when their family farm was sold for development. The Lord revealed that this would be the location for the parish church and Fr. Eppard and the congregation have been waiting and praying ever since.

At the end of 2007 their prayers were answered with the generous donation of a parcel of Land at the entrance to the Shipley’s Grant Development between Baltimore and Washington DC. This historic farmstead, once a land grant from the King of England to the founder of the local Shipley family, passed over the years to a wonderful Christian woman named, Mrs. Curtis. The new building will be called, the Curtis Memorial Chapel and will serve the community for generations to come. The land itself is valued at nearly one million dollars and will support a 150 seat stone church.

Additionally, the Lord directed the parish to begin tithing on its small building fund to the CEC Foundation Day Fund. The entire congregation agreed to tithe on the designated building funds. Almost immediately a pledge was received for a half million dollars and boulders quarried from the development’s storm water management system were found to be granite and suitable to face the entire church in stone. We look forward to God’s gracious provision for the rest of the funds required for construction and hope to break ground later this year.

The Church of the Good Shepherd began in 1994 as the first CEC mission parish in Maryland. It began holding services in the conference room of one of its founding members, Dan Hale (now Fr. Dan Hale, Christ the King, Peachtree City, GA.). The parish grew and leased warehouse space in Columbia, MD. The parish later moved to a VFW Hall where it currently hold services. The Church of the Good Shepherd has weathered many storms and has had its ups and downs but all in all it has never lost sight of its mission and calling. The parish has waited a long time for this day. We are very excited to finally see the realization of our dreams, ‘a place to stand to run.’