The next location was a nursery building offered by Bill Phillips. This building is on North Brighton just one building south of Vivion Road. It is still there and is now the office for a used-car lot.
The first name considered was suggested by Bishop Robert Spencer. Since the church was located in a garden, he thought Gethsemane was appropriate. However, the name "Church of The Good Shepherd" was given to the mission by the Bishop's Committee in the summer of 1948.
Services were conducted in the beginning by the National Town and Country Church Institute or by a lay reader from St. George's parish.
Through the Town and Country Church Institute, The Reverend Samuel Norman McCain became the Priest-in-Charge on April 25, 1948. One year later.Mr. McCain resigned to resume rural work with the Institute.
The Reverend Arleigh Lassiter came to the mission in 1949. He was vicar and later rector for 18 years. Father Lassiter is retired and lives in the Kansas City area.
The cornerstone was laid for a new church in May of 1950. The location was 4812 N.E. Vivion Road. The Kansas City North Post Office occupies this land now. The church was a pre-fab building, very modern and unique with opalescent blue glass windows in the shape of stars positioned along the gothic arch of the roof line.
The building of the Church was made possible by Mr. Neal O. Reyburn, who did not charge for designing the structure. The prefab parts were built in Sedalia, Missouri by Mr. Reyburn's Company, Home Building Corporation, at no profit to the Company. His company erected the prefabricated materials in the equivalent of seven working days. It seated 200 and another 175 in the basement Sunday school. It cost $24,000 including materials and labor. Many church members did much of the finish work. Mr. Paul Snell did all of the electrical wiring.
The church was so unique in appearance that the New Yorker Magazine devoted almost a full page to a Charles Addams cartoon of it in 1959.
At the annual meeting of January 17, 1956, the Rector, wardens and vestry accepted the memorial gift of four acres of ground from Mr. William Allen Sr., in memory of Wilma Allen, wife of his son William Allen, Jr. Mrs. Allen was an active member of the parish, taught Sunday School and was loved by so many. She was very tragically killed in the summer of 1955.
After considerable deliberation, the decision was made to move the church building to the new site at 4947 N.E. Chouteau Drive. In the spring of 1959, while a new undercroft was being built and the church moved and restored, the congregation held services at Davidson School.
The present Chapel, "Common Room", kitchen and the classroom on the west were all built where the old church had been.
Father Lassiter left in 1966 and later became Canon Pastor at The Cathedral. He later became Rector of St. Lukes in Shawnee, Kansas. Father Lassiter's wife, Betty Lou was the organist at Good Shepherd for 15 years during his tenure.
The Reverend Charles Kronmueller came in October of 1967. He resigned five years later in December of 1972 to become Canon to the Ordinary under Bishop Arthur Vogel. Father Kronmueller died in 1985. His wife, Jane, still lives in the Kansas City area.
The Reverend Leopold Hoppe became the Rector of Good Shepherd on January 6, 1973. He retired on December 31, 1988, after 16 year of service. He and his wife Maxine still live in the area, and some of his family are members of the parish.
The Reverend Jack Nietert came to Good Shepherd October 15, 1989. Good Shepherd Parish was privileged to witness the marriage of Father Nietert and Christina (Chris) Cobb on June 23rd of 1990. During Father Nietert's time a foyer, new office space and an elevator were added.
Father Hoppe, Father Nietert and Father Lassiter
The Reverend Thomas E. Punzo came to Good Shepherd in January of 1999.
