The vision which would grow into Christ the Good Shepherd Church began many years before celebrating our first Mass. Father Charles Blanchard and Bishop Harry Posner shared a dream of creating a church in the Catholic tradition where all are welcome to hear God’s Word and feast at the Eucharistic Table where there is no partiality. A church where all people had a seat at the table and a voice to be heard.  A church in the spirit and model of the early Christian communities.      

In celebrating such a vision, others have joined together to build an independent church. Sharing in an imperfect communion with the Roman Catholic Church yet remaining unified by apostolic succession and a valid Eucharist, Christ the Good Shepherd Church held our first Mass on Mother’s Day, May 12, 2013. With profound faith and a humble resolve, seven people gathered, believing in “A Progressive Faith Community in the Catholic Tradition” where all are welcome to stand united in God’s peace and love, would thrive over time. Inspired by the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew’s Gospel, a parish community took shape. 
Christ the Good Shepherd Church became a reality with the first liturgies being celebrated in a small chapel at a church in Ferndale, Michigan. Our parish community quickly began to grow beyond family and close friends. Two years later, Reverend Posner was named Pastor, and he initiated a Parish Council and promoted greater leadership within the parish. Ms. Cindy Knox was elected the first Parish Council President. She remained in that role until 2022 when Mr. Joe Fedorczyk was elected as her successor. 

With a growing parish, it became clear that Christ the Good Shepherd Church had outgrown its original space in Ferndale. The parish moved to Berkley, Michigan and transformed a vacant building into a beautiful church. On Palm Sunday, April 14, 2019, the first Mass in the new space was celebrated.      

As the COVID-19 pandemic threatened public safety, the growth of our parish community slowed for the first time, and many of our ministries were paused. However, due to the dedication of “Enduring Parishioners” and the clergy, we began to reimagine what it meant to be “Church,” and we set off on a period of discernment and rebuilding. 

Christ the Good Shepherd Church not only survived the COVID-19 pandemic, but we emerged more committed, focused, and stronger. Today, Christ the Good Shepherd Church continues to make our presence known in the community. Our parish has grown to more than 75 households and 110 members, and we are ready to purchase our own permanent home.
Eleven years after being founded, Christ the Good Shepherd Church provides a welcoming place where immeasurable and unconditional love dwells for all without exception. The parish is a collection of people from all walks of life who gather to celebrate God’s peace and love, to worship, to remember, and to walk forward in faith, spreading God’s love to the greater community.