"Continuing to grow and diversify:" Inaugural service held at new Epikos Church location on north side

MILWAUKEE -- Unity and peace across all cultures was the message at the inaugural service at Epikos Church's new location on Milwaukee's north side.

Hymns filled Barack Obama School of Career and Technical Education near Sherman and Villard Sunday, August 7th during the first service at Epikos Church's new location. Epikos also has a church on Milwaukee's East Side and in West Allis.

Their mission is to serve a multi-ethnic, multicultural and multi-generational congregation.

"We`ve heard the black voice. We`ve heard the white voice -- but one voice we have not heard is the unified voice of blacks and whites, Hispanics and Asians -- all coming together who love one another," Kurt Owens, pastor of Epikos' north side campus said.

Rosalind Tipton and her grandson live in the neighborhood, but were new to Epikos Sunday.

"It is good to step outside the box see how other people live and just socialize with other people and races from all walks of life," Tipton said.

The pastor said there will be a lot of people from the neighborhood attending services on the north side. He also said there will be people from the East Side and West Allis that will change where they attend services to come to this location.

"We wanted to be here to be a part of everything and encourage everyone leaving the East Side and West Allis to come here," Mary Helen Martens, parishioner said.

Epikos started in 2005 and has about 2,000 parishioners.

Church leaders said they're proud to grow into a more diverse congregation.

"We were white church, college students, when we started and honestly it has been a thing of God continuing to grow and diversify us," Danny Parmelee, lead pastor said.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Epikos Church.