Good Shepherd Marks 50th Anniversary Oct. 20

The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, 1515 Emmorton Road, Bel Air, is turning 50 years old on Sunday, Oct. 20 – the 50th anniversary of its Organization Day on Oct. 20, 1963. Good Shepherd will celebrate “50 Years of Blessings, 50 Years of Service” at the 8 and 11 a.m. services. Delaware-Maryland Synod Bishop Wolfgang D. Herz-Lane of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will preach, and the Chancel Choir will sing “Take Us To This Place With Music,” a brand-new choral anthem commissioned and dedicated in honor of the church’s anniversary, written by noted church composer and musician Thomas Keesecker. Keesecker is a former Good Shepherd member and former director of music of St. Margaret Church. The anthem “speaks about all the wonderful things the church has to offer those who come … and the presence of God, and the people.” It was released to the public on Oct. 15 by Augsburg Fortress, the publishing house of the ELCA.

Also on Sunday, members and friends of Good Shepherd will gather at Richlin Ballroom for a celebration banquet to share memories and enjoy a buffet dinner. Former pastors and members will join in the celebration.  

On its Organization Day in 1963, Good Shepherd’s 92 charter members pledged “to support Good Shepherd and do all within my ability to advance its growth and support its work.” Today, the church welcomes hundreds of people for services, Sunday school, vacation Bible school, small groups, youth groups, music ensembles, and community support activities and events. For more information about The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, call (410) 838-8081 or visit www.lcgselca.org.