 The
Church of the Good Samaritan began alongside a promising dirt road
about 14 decades ago and has been engaged in ministering to a growing
and changing Episcopal congregation ever since. Planted in the 1870's,
safely beyond the western reach of the city of Philadelphia, Good
Samaritan unknowingly laid roots into the mainstream of suburban growth.
Before long, the wayside chapel proved too small. Within Good Samaritan's
first 50 years, the campus of the church doubled. Within the next
50 years, a day school and new sanctuary were added to meet the growing
demands of new membership.
Good Samaritan is one of the largest churches in the oldest diocese
in the country. But it isn't just favorable demographics that paved
such growth. Good Samaritan held onto a taproot, which had proven
successful through the decades-- faithful, clear, and dynamic lay
and ordained leadership. With only seven Rectors in over 14 decades
of ministry, Good Samaritan established a strong heritage of solid
biblical teaching, engaging worship, and a clear commitment to compassionate,
hands-on local and global outreach.
 In
1997 the Reverend Gregory Brewer began his ministry as the 8th and
current rector of Good Samaritan. Father Brewer's first clear mandate
was to help build a church for the future. He spoke early and often
of "raising the spiritual temperature" of a parish that
burned so brightly for so many decades. Within a year of his tenure,
Father Brewer gathered the Vestry and leadership of the parish together
to discern a new vision statement for the parish: To be "a
lighthouse for the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
What we have found is that a number of new initiatives Father Greg
has helped bring about have not just helped to spur new, numerical
growth within our church but, as importantly, there has been a new
sense of expectation and commitment to not merely return to past
glory days but to step fully onto a new path God is opening for
our future.
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