Where did the idea for Good Shepherd come from?
On September 11, 2015, three families began to meet as a small group for the first time. As they studied God’s word together, they began to dream of more churches committed to the Bible, the Reformed faith, warm fellowship, bold and winsome gospel proclamation, and loving service to the Kalamazoo community. They also hoped for a church that would intentionally reach students at Western Michigan University and the other college campuses. They were united in their desire to see more Bible-believing and outward-facing churches in the area.
How We Went from a Bible Study to a Church Plant:
In December of that same year, these three families began to speak with the Great Lakes Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). Through these conversations, they were connected with University Reformed Church, a church in East Lansing, MI with a history of successful ministry at Michigan State University. After prayer and thoughtful deliberation, URC agreed to serve as the mother church for a new PCA church plant in Kalamazoo.
In February of 2016, two elders from University Reformed Church (URC) began to lead a Bible study with these families twice a month on Friday evenings. Over time, other individuals and families began to join these studies. Later that fall, URC formed a search committee to call a church planter to lead this growing fellowship. That process led to the call of Rev. Neil Quinn. Neil had grown up at URC, had become a Presbyterian pastor (PCA), and had been ministering in the Chicago metro area. (For more information on Reverend Neil Quinn, please see his bio on our leadership page).
Where We Are Today:
Pastor Neil and his family joyfully accepted the call and officially began work with the church plant on Feb.1, 2017. Over the course of 2017, the group continued to grow as we met every other Friday evening at a local school. On September 10, 2017, we moved out of the school and began holding a church service on Sunday evenings at Kanley Chapel, on the campus of Western Michigan University. On January 7, 2018, we began morning worship services with our core group. We held our first public worship service on September 16, 2018. We currently meet at Kalamazoo Christian Elementary School every Sunday morning at 10 AM. Come and see how you can be a part of what the Lord will do in us and through us in the years ahead.
Be a Part of Our Church's Story
As a Bible-believing church near Kalamazoo and Portage, Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church seeks to magnify Jesus, faithfully preach God's Word, and love our city. We aim to do this by gathering and growing worshipers of Christ who daily delight in him. Feel free to learn more about our mission as a church in Kalamazoo, to listen to recent sermons, or to plan a visit for one of Good Shepherd's upcoming church services.
