About Good Shepherd

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Plainview NY is a member congregation of the Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).  Our Early Childhood School is licensed by the State of New York and is a recognized School of Excellence

The Beginnings and Growing Year
The roots of our congregation were planted in 1951 as a mission project of Trinity Lutheran Church in nearby Hicksville NY. Land was purchased and a house renovated into a meeting place where on February 24, 1952, thirty-nine charter members dedicated the Plainview Mission Chapel.  Our first pastor, John C. Hinsch, was installed a year later in February 1953. The Chapel was incorporated as the “Church of the Good Shepherd – Lutheran” in June of that year and was soon accepted as a member congregation of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Very soon the congregation outgrew the renovated house and in 1954 a new building was erected which included the church sanctuary and a multi-purpose room. By 1956 with 273 members an organ was purchased, choirs had begun and a youth group was very active. A large part of the undeveloped property was planted with wheat as a covering crop.  Christian education has always been important at Good Shepherd even with this early congregation. In September of 1956 a kindergarten of 25 children was started utilizing the multi-purpose room and in 1957 a first grade was added. The congregation had grown to 451 members. A separate school building with six modular-constructed classrooms was built and dedicated by the fall of 1958. Gradually the school expanded to the sixth grade; scouting programs and church sponsored boys basketball teams were formed.     
        
In 1960 Long Island Lutheran High School (now Long Island Lutheran Middle & High School) was founded, Good Shepherd was proud to be one of the chartering congregations organized to support this ministry. Pastor Hinsch was instrumental in its formation.  By April of 1961 the congregation had grown to 635 members, the final additions were made to the school, two additional classrooms and a gymnasium and the first sixth grade class graduated. Throughout the 1960’s the church continued to prosper. The current church structure was remodeled and enlarged in 1963 – 1964 with the chancel axis turned to the north and an organ installed.  A nursery school class was added in 1965. In 1967 two surplus prefabricated federal building were transported from an abandoned Nike Missile site in Brookville and erected on the property. Over the years these have been used for a library, storage, and as living quarters. Today one is used as the Youth Cottage and the other as a general meeting place.

• In 1981 the Town of Oyster Bay purchased 5.15 acres of property (our former recreation fields to the west) for $515,000 to be used for senior citizen housing, which has become the Jesse Harmon Shepherd Hill Apartments. The money from the sale was invested and used to establish the Good Shepherd Fund the interest of which has been used to spread the Gospel via new programs initiated throughout the world. To date this investment has provided close to $800,000 in grants.
• In the early 1980’s Good Shepherd sponsored Laotian refugees who resided in the east cottage for several years.
• In 1983 the TenderCare program was added to the school. In the early 1990’s the school was restructured to the present Early Childhood Center with Nursery, TenderCare and Kindergarten components.
• In 1985 the AELC joined with other Lutheran Church bodies to form the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the largest Lutheran Church organization in the United States. Good shepherd became a member congregation of the Metropolitan New York Synod.
• In 1990 the congregation dedicated a new Gress-Miles pipe organ, which continues to add to our worship services.