The Samaritan Counseling Center was established by a consortium of local churches in the Farmington, Farmington Hills and West Bloomfield communities. The idea for such a center originated with The Rev. Robert L. S. Brown, then pastor of Orchard United Methodist Church. After study, the congregation decided that such an endeavor was better developed ecumenically, and other churches were invited to join in the effort. Twelve churches responded to the call. A Board of Directors was gathered from all participating congregations, and the Center was incorporated as a not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization in March 1985. The Center’s first offices were in the First Presbyterian Church of Farmington and in April, 1988, a branch office was opened in the Embury United Methodist Church in Birmingham. When the Center outgrew its space at First Presbyterian, the Center’s main offices were moved to the Nardin Park United Methodist Church in Fam1ington Hills. The staff has grown from one to seventeen and the number of sponsoring parishes has grown to thirty-nine.