The Church of the Good Shepherd (United Methodist) will celebrate 50 years of ministry in Vienna with a special service at 10:15 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 24, followed by a luncheon. The community is invited to attend the celebration at the church, located at 2351 Hunter Mill Road in Vienna.
“At our Sunday service, we will be celebrating our loving past, our exciting present and our revitalizing future,” said Good Shepherd pastor The Rev. Eric Song, in his second year at the church. “We look forward to seeing many of our former members and friends return for this special weekend.” Among Good Shepherd’s former pastors attending will be The Rev. Wes Arthur (1971-1978), Dr. Jim Noland (1998-2006) and The Rev. Michael Copeland (2015-2016), Song said. Good Shepherd’s fourth pastor, The Rev. Kirk Mariner (1980-1988), recently passed away. The church’s sixth pastor, The Rev. Jay M. Hanke (1989-1997), preached at the church in February as part of the yearlong celebration.
The Church of the Good Shepherd held its first service on Sept. 24, 1967, in the cafeteria at nearby Flint Hill Elementary School, with some 60 people in attendance. During the summer months, services took place in the common area outside the school’s kindergarten classes.
The land on Hunter Mill Road was purchased by the church in 1968, and an Easter sunrise service held on the property in 1969, followed in late 1971 with a groundbreaking for a new church building. The last service held at Flint Hill Elementary was Sept. 24, 1972, and the first service in the current location was on Oct. 1, 1972.
The church expanded its facilities and consecrated its current sanctuary and education center nearly 20 years ago, on Nov. 9, 1997, during its 30th anniversary year.
For more information, visit the church website at www.GoodShepherdVA.com