Spreading the faith: Two Longview, Texas, churches join

PHOTOS BY LES HASSELL / LONGVIEW NEWS-JOURNAL

By Richard Yeakley

Two Longview churches are looking forward to serving North and South Longview after agreeing to merge earlier this month.

The Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Longview and Holy Trinity Community Church have begun worshipping together at the Holy Trinity Community Church campus at 3800 Judson Road.

Prior to the merger, EPC Longview consisted of a more than 200-person session (congregation) and had been worshipping at St. Garfield — the congregation’s nickname for an old Lutheran church building on Garfield Drive in South Longview. Holy Trinity Community Church was a smaller congregation of about 50 members officially affiliated with the United Church of Christ, but functioning as an interdenominational body with a Baptist pastor.

“It really is amazing. We are stunned by the grace of this congregation to just turn to us and say come and be a part of us and all that we have is yours… and so there was a good bit of reticence in us asking, ‘Is this really true?’ ” said Jonathan Jehorek, pastor of EPC Longview.

While the churches refer to the relationship as a merger, functionally, Holy Trinity Community Church dissolved, gave its assets to EPC Longview and joined the fellowship, said Beau Sullivan, the former pastor of Holy Trinity Community Church who is serving as an Assistant Pastor at the new EPC Longview.

Holy Trinity Community Church voted during the summer and EPC Longview voted Sept. 1 to merge with the congregation. The churches celebrated their union Sept. 8.