Pastor opens new church in Austin
Published 11:10 am Friday, October 18, 2013
For several months, a few people have met in a set-aside corner of a cabinet shop in Northeast Austin for church services. It doesn’t fit the typical description of church, but where people need help and God is calling, Pastor Warren Green is going to help.
![Warren Green, pastor of New Beginnings Church in Winona, started Rebirthing Faith in Austin in April. -- Photo provided](https://www.austindailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2013/10/1018.Religion-366x449.jpg)
Warren Green, pastor of New Beginnings Church in Winona, started Rebirthing Faith in Austin in April.
— Photo provided
“As long as that’s a part of my lifestyle or my service to God, than I’m going to go do it,” said Green, who since April has led services and Bible studies at Rebirthing Faith.
Green began his adventure from North Carolina, where he left for work and found himself in Winona, Minn. Someone invited him to a service at Winona’s Cornerstone Church, where he attended and found a welcoming place. He eventually went back to North Carolina but felt a draw back to Winona.
“I just had this tugging of, ‘You had to go back to Winona,’” Green said.
He built a following in Bible study — five, 10, 15 and eventually 40 or more people became New Beginnings Church in Winona.
“I wasn’t quite sure about pastoring,” Green said about starting a church, but pursued it out of others’ needs.
Green serves those who feel like they don’t know Christ or feel abandoned from previous churches. Green also holds services for inmates in Winona and Houston counties, something that could expand.
“We were reaching out to people who either don’t know who Christ is or who had either been abused or hurt in church,” Green said about New Beginnings and the focus of Rebirthing Faith.
After hearing from a person with the Mower County jail and others with ties to Austin about the need for his services, he hit Interstate 90 and came this way. Thus far, there are about eight adults and nine children following him in Austin.
“I really don’t call this a church yet,” Green said. “We’re starting out, and hopefully as things grow, then we’ll find a church building.”
Though services and Bible studies have been pretty quiet thus far at Rebirthing Faith, Green and the others are ready to reach out to others who want to join them.
“We think the time is right to say, ‘OK, fine; we’re here,” Green said.
Rebirthing Faith holds Sunday services at 10:30 a.m. and Wednesday Bible study at 6 p.m., 1922 Fifth Ave. NE, Austin. The little congregation also has a Facebook page, www.facebook.com/rebirthingfaith. Those interested may also call 507-438-0820 or 507-429-7084.