The Murrays’ New Chapter in Lancaster, PA

A mission-driven relocation to start a new church focused on serving artists and musicians in Lancaster.

The Short Story

We are The Murrays, and after 40 years of service to the Lord and His Church in New York’s Capital Region, our family is preparing to relocate from Schenectady, NY to Lancaster, PA at the end of June 2026. We are moving in order to start a new church with a focus on reaching and serving artists and musicians in the city. This relocation is mission-driven and is not supported by a denomination or sending organization, which is why we are inviting friends, family, and partners to come alongside us through prayer and financial support during this transition.

How You Can Participate

Please pray for clarity and favor as we continue to explore Lancaster, pursue work opportunities, and prepare for the transition.

If you would like to support the relocation financially, you can do so through our GoFundMe or contact us for information on giving by some other means.

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Our Mission

Starting fresh in Lancaster to support artists and musicians.

Our Calling

After four decades of service in New York’s Capital Region, our family is stepping into a new season. We are relocating to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, because we believe we are called to begin the work of planting a new church rooted in presence, faithfulness, and long-term commitment.

This move is not driven by opportunity alone, but by conviction formed through prayer, discernment, and time spent in Lancaster confirming the fit for this mission. We believe this is where our next season of service is meant to unfold. The relocation is the first step, but the mission extends far beyond it.

Our Focus: Artists & Musicians

Lancaster has a vibrant and growing creative community. Artists and musicians shape culture and give language to beauty and brokenness alike. Yet many within creative spaces have felt disconnected from traditional church environments — not necessarily from faith itself, but from forms that did not feel accessible.

Our desire is to build a church that practices patient presence before programming, values listening before leading, welcomes honest questions, engages creativity as a gift rather than a threat, and builds relationships before structures. This focus does not narrow who the church is for; it simply defines where we sense both openness and need at the beginning.

This mission begins quietly. We are not arriving with institutional backing, a large team, or a pre-built structure. We are arriving as a family committed to living in Lancaster, working, serving, building relationships, and discerning what faithful church life looks like in this context.

Our posture is one of long-term investment, financial responsibility, spiritual attentiveness, community-centered growth, and faithful stewardship. We believe the healthiest beginnings are relational rather than rushed, and that whatever takes root must grow slowly, prayerfully, and in partnership with those already present in the city.