Our Present: We have left The Episcopal Church and have joined under the temporary oversight of The Rt. Rev. Dr. Dunstan Bukenya of the Diocese of Mityana, Anglican Province of Uganda. We are also under a Domestic Bishop, the Rt. Rev. John Gurnsey, and the missionary oversight of Canon Jon Stasney, past Rector of Christ Church Midland.

Why we left The Episcopal Church: In recent years, The Episcopal Church has abandoned biblical authority and sought after cultural approval. News reports of the present controversy have focused on the 2003 consecration of New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson, an openly homosexual man, who divorced his wife and is living with another man. The consecration of a person openly living a lifestyle that is condemned by scripture is a symptom of the error of The Episcopal Church, not the complete story.

The parish of Good Shepherd voted to terminate its association with The Episcopal Church following much study, much prayer, and a firm conviction that Biblical authority must be followed over human authority when the two conflict.We are saddened for the state of The Episcopal Church. We hold in our hearts and prayers those who chose to leave Good Shepherd when the parish voted to end its association with The Episcopal Church. However the issues at stake are these:

• We affirm the foundational belief of the historic and worldwide Christian Church as spoken in the creeds:

  The Nicene Creed

  We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,
  maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

  We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
  the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father,
  God from God, Light from Light,
  true God from true God, begotten, not made,
  of one Being with the Father.
  Through him all things were made.
  For us and for our salvation
  he came down from heaven:
  
  by the power of the Holy Spirit
  he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
  and was made man.
  For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
  he suffered death and was buried.
  On the third day he rose again
  in accordance with the Scriptures;
  he ascended into heaven
  and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
  He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
  and his kingdom will have no end.

  We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
  who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
  With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
  He has spoken through the Prophets.
  We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
  We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
  We look for the resurrection of the dead,
  and the life of the world to come.
  

• We affirm the authority of the Bible in outlining all that is needed for salvation.
• We recognize that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And, that no one comes to the Father but through Him.

 

Our history: The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd is a community of Christians, joyfully proclaiming the Good News of Christ Jesus. In 1961, Bishop George Quarterman of the Episcopal Docese of Northwest Texas began exploring the establishment of a mission church on the west side of San Angelo. Since its establishment in the late 19 th century, Emmanuel parish had been the only Episcopal presence in San Angelo. Bishop Quarterman enlisted Dr. Lloyd Hershberger, Mr. Armistead Rust and Mr. Henry Charless in 1965 to gather support for a second Episcopal congregation. After these laymen had recruited a nucleus of individuals to join a mission, they bought the property on the bluff where the church now stands.

Throughout 1965, Dr. Hershberger led 49 Episcopal communicants and their friends in house-church services. On September 26 th, 1965 they petitioned the diocese to recognize them as a mission. On November 1 st, 1965, Bishop Quarterman and the diocesan standing committee formally recognized the new mission. The bishop appointed Dr. Herspberger and Bishop’s Warden and selected John “Pat” Coyan, Mark McLaughlin, Armisted Rust, Jack Ray, Craig Porter, Ward Weste and William Mieher for the Bishop’s Committee. Mrs. John D. Robertson represented the women of the church. The Church of the Good Shepherd was formally accepted as a mission church at the diocesan council held in Vernon on May 13, 1966.

Under the leadership of Mr. Rust, monies were raised for the construction of a sanctuary, similar in design to St. Mark’s in Abilene. November 14 th, 1965 marked the groundbreaking ceremony. Mr. E. G. Kingsbery and his son-in-law, Mr. Jack Bleakley, donated limestone found on their ranch to face the building and subsequent additions. The first communion service in the new building was held on September 11 th, 1966. By 1972, the lien on the new church was free and clear of debt and so the bishop officially consecrated the edifice. The church became a parish in 1974. Since construction, there have been three major property additions to the church, the most recent in 2005 with the acquisition of the 5 acres next door.

Five bishops, five vicar/rectors and two assistant rectors have served Good Shepherd in its four decades.

Bishops	Vicar/Rectors	Assistant Rectors
George Quarterman	Richard Neal	Brian Miller
Willis Henton	Robert "Bob" Buck	Celia Ellery
Sam Hulsey	Robert "Bob" Hedges
Wallis Ohl	Clifton "Clif" Gardner
Dr. Dunstan Bukenya	Keith Adams
John Gurnsey	Stanley Burdock