Two new church plants established in Dallas diocese

Posted Jul 5, 2012

[Episcopal Diocese of Dallas] The Episcopal Diocese of Dallas announces the establishment of two new church plants beginning full time formation July 1, 2012.

San Francisco de Asis will serve the Spanish-speaking neighborhoods of Pleasant Grove in southeast Dallas.  St. Timothy’s will reach out to the burgeoning Dallas suburbs of Sachse, Parker and Murphy.

Since 2002, the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas has planted a total of nine new churches to meet the growing population of the area. The spiritual and financial support given to this endeavor is a direct reflection of Bishop Stanton’s unwavering commitment to the mission of spreading the Gospel of Christ. Dr. Kirk Hadaway, the research director of statistics for the National Church offices, visited the Diocese this spring to study two of our churches that are among twenty in his study nationally that are growing.

The Rev. Aquilino Lara will lead the new San Francisco plant.  Father Lara has been leading, first as a lay leader, then deacon and now priest, the Spanish-speaking congregation that was formed several years ago at St. Luke’s, Dallas. St. Luke’s has warmly supported the formation of the new parish.

Under Father Lara’s leadership, the community has grown until it now averages one hundred parishioners each Sunday.  With a committed core of lay leaders, Father Lara will seek to reach out to this community with the love of Jesus Christ.

Father Lara is married to the Rev. Juana Lara, who has been serving as a deacon at St. Barnabas, Garland.  The Laras have three children. The Rev. Canon Victoria Heard, Canon Missioner for Church Planting and Congregational Development, is enthusiastic about the new plant.  “This will be the first new Spanish-speaking mission in our diocese that will start, without sharing space with an Anglo church.  The Spanish speaking leadership of our Diocese is growing, and the time is right for San Francisco.”

The real estate commission is considering several sites in the Pleasant Grove area and the possibility of purchasing the buildings of another denomination for the new mission.

St. Timothy’s, in the northeastern suburbs of Dallas, will be led by Father Brendan Kimbrough. Father Kimbrough has faithfully served for the past two years as curate of St. James’, Dallas.

He has felt led to plant a church from the beginning of his call to ordained ministry. Father Kimbrough shares his desire for this body of believers,

“People in today’s culture identify with all sorts of things, but we want people to see that, like Timothy, they can live life in the fullness of who they were created to be, first and foremost as disciples of Jesus Christ.“ Father Kimbrough, his wife, Stephanie and their daughter are moving to the area to begin the new church.

The bishops and the leadership of the diocese are committed to church planting.  This strategy includes a diverse group of faith communities including African, Spanish-speaking, Korean and Anglo to name a few.