Written by Ben Cox – Sunday will mark the first meeting of a new congregation in Brownwood, but not a new church. The Church of the Good Shepherd and St John’s Anglican Church will unite as a single congregation at the St John’s location on Main Street.

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The move has been discussed several times by both parishes, and now seemed only right, according to Good Shepherd representative Bonnie Dillard. “We contacted St John’s to try to work out merging, because we are two smaller churches, and we would have always liked to have been bigger.” Dillard also said “We are ready to have more people to work with, and more money to do things with in our community.”

St John’s Senior Warden Jimmy Henry said the move was “not only something that was needed, but desired and people are excited about it.”

Meeting for the first time as a united congregation on Good Shepherd Sunday, or the 4th week of the Easter Season, the church has plans to expand on it current ministries as well as begin new ministry opportunities for the larger congregation. Father Michael Mobley is looking forward to more Christian Education classes being taught at the church for the simple reason that there will be “more people who are willing to teach.”

St John’s Food Pantry ministry and Good Shepherd’s “Meals on Wheels” programs are also expected to flourish with the decrease in monthly expenses that come with two separate congregations.

The increase in funds to be used for ministry isn’t the only thing the members are looking forward to, an increase in numbers means more hands available to work. St John’s parishioner Suzanne Promise said “Even the ministries that we have, to do it better it can’t be the same four or five people all the time. If you have more (people) to draw from that makes it so much easier.”

Every Sunday St. John’s offers Holy Eucharist at 8 a.m., Christian Education classes at 9:15 a.m., and the Choral Eucharist at 10:30 a.m. On Wednesdays the church offers a Holy Eucharist with Unction for Healing at 6:30 p.m., followed by Adult Christian Education Classes. The church phone number is 325-646-7482 and they are located at 700 Main Street near downtown.

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