Rector
Fr. Greg Brown is a Southwest Michigan native and Michigan State University graduate. He earned a degree in Biology as well as his secondary teaching certification. He taught high school science in Central Florida and west Michigan for eight years before the call to seminary. He attended St. Andrew’s Anglican Seminary in Mexico City and General Theological Seminary in New York City. Fr. Greg’s previous calls include Trinity Church in Grand Ledge and Emmanuel Church in Petoskey, both in Western Michigan. He loves to travel and spend time with family and friends. He has a passion for soccer and spent 29 years as a soccer referee. His wife Cathy Brown is an Alumna of Alma college where she studied Spanish and traveled abroad, and Spring Arbor College where she received her Master’s degree in School Counseling. Cathy works as an academic advisor at Winthrop University. Greg and Cathy have three daughters: Lara, a sophomore at UNC-Asheville; Jenna, a nurse in Spartanburg, SC; and Taylor, a biomedical engineering grad student at Northwestern University in Chicago. The whole family enjoys international travel and taking part in mission work, be it local, regional, or international.
Associate Rector
The Rev. Cat Connolly came to us as Associate Rector from Ipswich, England where she previously served as curate for 4 years. A new mom, priest, poetry writer, novel reader, wife, and singer, Cat was born in Bristol, England and has lived in various cities including Cardiff, Hong Kong, Cambridge, Portsmouth, Oxford and now Charlotte NC.
In the UK her first undergraduate degree was in English Literature at Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge, followed by training for ordination at seminary in Cuddesdon, Oxford, during which she completed a degree in Theology at University of Oxford. She then completed a Masters Degree in Theology, Ministry and Mission through Durham University, while developing her ministry as a curate in Ipswich.
In ministry Cat loves to have fun, connect with others, explore the beauty and mystery of faith through preaching and relationships, and eat lots of cake! Cat's passions in life include music, photography, reading and writing, seeing the beauty in small things, and spending time with friends and family, especially playing with her daughter Heather!
To reach clergy during office hours, call the main line at 704.332.4171. In the case of a true pastoral care emergency on evenings or weekends, call the pastoral care line at 980.819.1225. To learn more about any of these support ministries, contact [email protected]
If you are looking for a church to call your own, we hope you will consider us! At the root of all we do is our desire to build a community where Christ’s love is known and shared by supporting each other, serving our neighbors and sharing our abundant gifts. We hope what you see here will inspire you to visit.
We’re known around the city and our diocese for the warm welcome we extend to everyone.
Our goal at Holy Comforter is to make our worship simple and holy, lively and engaging. We invite you to join us, wherever you may be along your own journey of faith. Our Sunday Morning Worship:
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Whether you attend church often or have not been in quite some time, whether you are new to Holy Comforter or new to the faith, whether you come with doubts and questions or with certainty and conviction, we are glad that you are here... and we are eager to help you find what you are seeking!
There are myriad ways to get connected at Holy Comforter, from participating in Christian Formation classes and our worship to setting up Coffee Hour or getting involved in Outreach. Visit our Circle Groups page to learn about some of them.
Holy Comforter is proud of our groundbreaking Hispanic Ministries programs. We take a three-pronged approach to serving the educational, spiritual and day-to-day needs of our area Hispanic population by offering English as a Second Language (ESL) Classes, a La Misa Sunday afternoon service, and a dual language preschool.
Ministries in Spanish La Escuelita Weekday School
When you recognize your blessings, gratitude naturally follows; and generosity becomes an outward expression of your gratitude. There are many ways to be generous with a gift to further the mission and ministries of Holy Comforter.
Want to donate online? You may make a gift at any time using our PayPal link. Please note that when you pay by text or online, Holy Comforter pays fees that amount to roughly 3% of the amount you give. You may choose to cover those fees by adding 3% to your donation.
When we give to God, our gift has an exponential factor on the world we live in. The exponential power of the group makes it easier to do Gods work. In Christ, power is infinite. Not limited to math, or our understanding of the universe. That infinite grace, unlimited love is free to everyone. That is real power. Your annual pledge goes to fund the operating budget of the church which makes it possible to share God’s love through our many ministries.
The Holy Comforter Foundation is charged with granting money to further the mission and ministry of the church, outside the annual operating budget, and separate from capital campaigns. Currently the Foundation manages two funds - the Mission and Ministry Fund and the Building and Grounds Fund.
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At Holy Comforter, we are blessed to be stewards of a legacy that we inherited from generations before us, and we have an opportunity to continue that legacy for generations to come. Even small planned gifts can make a big difference in the lives of our parishioners and community.
“The great use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts it.” Henry James
Capital campaigns are conducted every few years to fund major and long-term expenses and capital investments in the church. Our most recent capital campaign, Making Room for the Spirit, was completed in 2018 and successfully raised over $1.2 million to renovate the Atkinson building, reduce debt, purchase the property next door at 2729 Park Road, and conduct strategic site planning for the future.